Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 190 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 148 out of 190
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 190
  3. Negative: 29 out of 190

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  1. hertzian68
    Jun 7, 2021
    2
    This game is a mixed bag but overall it's a banal excuse of a yakuza game when taken into account the other 7 games in the series. We go from the legends and high level yakuza glory and drama with a Kiryu of dignified tragic grandeur and the other legends and their stories to childlike retards and bums with endless UI and dialogue that just crawls along. GAG. The writers LOVE orphans, theyThis game is a mixed bag but overall it's a banal excuse of a yakuza game when taken into account the other 7 games in the series. We go from the legends and high level yakuza glory and drama with a Kiryu of dignified tragic grandeur and the other legends and their stories to childlike retards and bums with endless UI and dialogue that just crawls along. GAG. The writers LOVE orphans, they love surrogate paternal relationships, they love all types of perversions and all sorts of videogame culture, we get it this is just over the top and does NOT fit in very well with the series as a whole. I don't play turn based combat games, it's too automatic and too UI heavy I prefer control over the experience as much as possible with the least UI in the way. One aspect of why I've played and replayed 0-6 is that it's NOT TURN BASED. This is serviceable but I did NOT play Dragon Quest so the references mean nothing to me. Ichiban seems to SHOUT his lines rather than speak and it sounds like he's on drugs lol. The larger maps are pretty empty and generic, even reworked from Y4/Y5 to my eye. I think Y6 was about 40gb, this monster is 60gb and for what? so they can shout MA MORE! BLOATED. The back stories are just not believable, although that's true for most yakuza games to be fair. This game would have benefit by being shorter and more personal and detailed AND being more Yakuza focused rather than all the other characters etc that have absolutely no YA-KU-ZA whatsoever. Over-Rated. GARRISH. PERVERTED. BANAL.… Expand
  2. TheL0neW0If
    Aug 24, 2021
    2
    I do not like the fact that I had to give a yakuza game a negative rating.
    Unlike previous games some characters lack depth and are in a way less serious to previous yakuza games.
    the game combat system gets very repetitive and it is very slow. for people who use to play the game only for the sake of the main story, now have to be ready to grind a lot to be on the same level as the    I do not like the fact that I had to give a yakuza game a negative rating.
    Unlike previous games some characters lack depth and are in a way less serious to previous yakuza games.

    the game combat system gets very repetitive and it is very slow. for people who use to play the game only for the sake of the main story, now have to be ready to grind a lot to be on the same level as the enemy.
    combat system can leave you wanting to tear your hair and smash your head against the keyboard. a third of the time you will see your character running to the enemy and back to his position.

    from my readings the developers had to change the project direction, because beat em up was not attracting enough players from the japanese market, but in doing so they took one of the core elements of the game.

    the fights not only in the sub story but also in the main story became way too comical, a charachter would blow a kiss to an enemy lowering their defense stats, compared to the old games where majima or kiryu would scream furiously and charge their heat to pull sick moves.

    the city is impressive as always the side activites too. the graphics is great, voice acting I can not complain always on point.

    big minus points are the grinding you might need to spend 8 hours or so preparing for a fight. a fight can take 45 mins to an hour sometimes and it is less exciting and extremely repetitve, you would skip some turns with no action just to heal your charachters.

    as someone who played yakuza from 0 until 7 I unfortunately might stop following the series or just watch a lets play on YouTube, because i can not put myself through a yakuza similar to like a dragon. I quit the game toward the last 3 or 2 chapters and started watching lets play while skipping the fights, during my own gameplay i left it on autopilot sometimes until fights finished and then I came back.    … Expand
  3. Leafy_
    Jan 31, 2021
    2
    They totally broke the Yakuza Series, they literally threw the entire franchise in the trash. This damn virgin humor from Japan is the worst thing in the game, I can't stand that terrible combat system and those "anime power moves" that make me cringe so hard.
    Anyone who has played the Yakuza franchise knows that Yakuza: Like a Dragon has gone too far in terms of "innovation", it's good    They totally broke the Yakuza Series, they literally threw the entire franchise in the trash. This damn virgin humor from Japan is the worst thing in the game, I can't stand that terrible combat system and those "anime power moves" that make me cringe so hard.
    Anyone who has played the Yakuza franchise knows that Yakuza: Like a Dragon has gone too far in terms of "innovation", it's good to have a new character with a new story to tell, but Yakuza started from a serious game with a very good humor and mini-games to break the tension, to a completely child's game. Anyways, good story but the worst combat system of all times, they screwed up really bad.    … Expand
  4. FlyingUFO
    Dec 8, 2020
    1
    Turn based combat just doesn't fit into games like this, it's that simple. I absolutely hate this game.
  5. GoodLuck99
    Dec 8, 2020
    1
    If anyone likes this, well good for you. I absolutely hate this combat system. It feels like game from 2001 not 2020.
  6. thatsit
    Dec 12, 2020
    1
    Pros: It's fighting game i guess.
    Negatives: Combat is awful.
    ..............................
  7. DoAnything
    Dec 12, 2020
    1
    Pretty overrated for a game that functions like game from 2002, this is just sad.
  8. DragonOfDojlma
    Apr 29, 2021
    1
    ı hate turn based combat system it doesn't fit the nature of yakuza games.
  9. Seyta
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    What a disappointment, I love yakuza games, especially Yakuza 0. But yakuza dragon is just bad and boring, it's sad to says. I love RPG & turn based games but it's just really bad on this game. And all the crazy outfits, weapons etc just sucks, we are not in saints row.
  10. Vaako
    Feb 24, 2021
    0
    I spent hours watching this entire game. The cut scenes are glorious and never ending. My only recommendation would be to watch this game via YouTube because it has better optimization.
  11. SargeX
    Dec 24, 2020
    0
    TRASH YAKUZA MAIN TITLE
    -The Yakuza are not turn-based RPGs.
    -Kiryu is always one of the protagonists of the central titles.
    -Even its combat T-RPG system is silly or outright ridiculous.
  12. MinionX
    Dec 24, 2020
    0
    YAKUZA 7 should have been a spin-off, not a central title, since it is a turn-based RPG & the fact that Kiryu Kazuma is not its main protagonist, or one of its protagonists!
    Which means that this title is just a CASHGRAB--- what a shame!
  13. GabrielYisus
    Nov 12, 2020
    0
    The worst gameplay i've ever seen. Although it has a good story but I don't really like the gameplay. I prefer the old gameplay than this gameplay
  14. AvengedSkull
    Dec 8, 2020
    0
    This game is way too basic to be cool fighting game. It's just meh at this point.
  15. CloudAtlas
    Dec 12, 2020
    0
    Pretty overrated for what it is, i didn't enjoy it at all. Just completely honest and i think it's still allowed to be completely honest.
  16. broken777
    Dec 18, 2020
    0
    Extremely outdated gameplay, graphics are meh at best, story is boring, doesn't feel like 2020 game.
  17. IDQDS
    Jun 6, 2021
    0
    Отличная игра
    Местами графика очень радует
    Но местами есть мыльцо, но не так сильно бросается в глаза, а так игра отличная!
  18. WeirdoFlaminko
    Feb 14, 2023
    0
    I love the rpg elements in this game. they're well excecuted. i also love ichiban. all my homies love ichiban. can't wait for yakuza 8

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PC Game of 2020
61
#61 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. PCMag
    Mar 30, 2021
    90
    Yakuza: Like a Dragon transforms the long-running beat'-em-up series into a Japanese role-playing game—and it's shockingly good. Though it retains some of the past games' clunky character animations, Like a Dragon's action-packed combat and engaging story make it a must-own RPG.
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  2. RPG Fan
    Jan 11, 2021
    94
    After over 100 hours of play, I’ve completely fallen in love with this new take on Yakuza. With its robust character relationships, expansive job system, kinetic turn-based combat, and all of the usual Yakuza wackiness and heartbreak, this has rapidly become my current favorite in the series. For traditional RPG fans on the fence about Yakuza, this new JRPG-inspired entry is the perfect place to start! For those who prefer the classic beat-em-up combat, I implore you to give the new gameplay a try. If it doesn’t stick, don’t worry, because I suspect that Judgment will become the new home of this time-tested combat system. For me, Yakuza: Like a Dragon stands as one of the greatest RPGs of 2020 and (hopefully) the beginning of a brand-new era of Yakuza!
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  3. Ragequit.gr
    Dec 7, 2020
    85
    Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a brave reboot that manages to change the recipe very successfully and you will love it, especially if you have even a slight appeal to JRPGs or turn-based games in general. It is not perfect, mainly thanks to the "childhood" diseases which were inherited from other representatives of the genre (such as grinding), however it remains a highly enjoyable and entertaining game that can offer dozens of hours of enjoyment.
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