Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 583 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 460 out of 583
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 583
  3. Negative: 76 out of 583
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  1. bikitoru33
    Nov 11, 2020
    10
    if you like both yakuza and dragon quest style games, you will enjoy this game, it has a great plot, interesting characters, both new and old of the series, a bunch of content, has some grinding but some people like grinding, others don't, overall a good game.
  2. Verserk_20
    Nov 11, 2020
    2
    Horrible combat system compared to the previous games in the series, extremely slow and way too grindy with a massive lack of depth, Story was going alright until chapter 12 where they just ruin the previous saga's characters just to make them summons for fanservice, The only upside of this game is the side content and good substories and that's it, the story and the battle system areHorrible combat system compared to the previous games in the series, extremely slow and way too grindy with a massive lack of depth, Story was going alright until chapter 12 where they just ruin the previous saga's characters just to make them summons for fanservice, The only upside of this game is the side content and good substories and that's it, the story and the battle system are horrible considering this is a main yakuza game ( Yes it is Yakuza 7 and not a spin-off ).

    This game is not that bad of a game, but its not a good yakuza game specially when you consider the fact that its a main title, Its just a persona wanna be, do yourself a favor and Play Judgment instead    … Expand
  3. scruffy_77
    Mar 26, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a long standing Yakuza fan who has played every title to completion I was slightly sceptical about the turn based fighting system. None the less I wasn't going to pass up this having previously completed every instalment. At first I thought it was refreshing, and don't get me wrong the story is in depth and Ichiban took place of Kiryu in a well implemented manner.

    However, whilst I was enjoying the game I reached chapter 12 where it became apparent I was so under levelled to continue the story when having to fight Goro Majima, it was literally impossible to proceed, the spike here in difficulty was un-parallel.
    It took around 3 hours of grinding in the battle arena to continue the story at this point which managed to get me through the following two chapters, just marginally being able to beat the Kiryu boss fight.
    Being in the last chapter I came up across the boss fight with Tendo, after spending a good two hours making my way there through the continuous battles he managed to one hit me and wipe half way through the fight, a second time this happened and I resulted to watching the ending scenes on YouTube because I no longer had the patience or time to grind my character to finish the story.

    This is my only gripe, the game, the story all very strong – but the spikes in difficulty blocking you from just following the story and playing at leisure ruined this title for me. I never thought I would score a Yakuza game less than 10, but on this occasion I cannot justify my experience as more than a 7.    … Expand
  4. SplitMind
    Feb 26, 2021
    6
    Like a Dragon was a great opportunity to shake up the Yakuza formula as the games have been similar for a very long time, however the game falls short for me, changing the wrong aspects of the game.

    The graphics of Yakuza didn't need changing and I'm glad they haven't. The nightlife in particular is as effervescent as ever and a pleasure to traverse. This is balance out by daytime    Like a Dragon was a great opportunity to shake up the Yakuza formula as the games have been similar for a very long time, however the game falls short for me, changing the wrong aspects of the game.

    The graphics of Yakuza didn't need changing and I'm glad they haven't. The nightlife in particular is as effervescent as ever and a pleasure to traverse. This is balance out by daytime skylines that are a bit more drab and grayscale.

    The story of Yakuza contains all the familiar hallmarks: wacky characters, dramatic betrayals and plot twists. My issue with the story is that Yakuza remains dialogue-heavy and packed to the brim with cut-scenes. This is something that I would like to have seen changed, as the gameplay has slowed down also, bringing the whole Yakuza experience to a bit of a turtle-craw. The substories are of course hilarious and fun, but also full of dialogue that tested my patience.

    The gameplay is where the game has completely changed. For me this was the wrong move to make. Combat has always been repetitive, however it has also been frenetic and furious. In Like a Dragon however, the combat is insanely slow and monotonous due to being turn-based. There are also issues of enemy placement and getting caught n the environment. I also found the job system very cumbersome and a nuisance, reminiscent of the sphere dresses from FFX-2. Very strange to see Like a Dragon taking its lead from game mechanics that were outdated long ago.

    One last thing that exasperated me above all; the difficulty spikes and subsequent grinding. Many people have noted Chapter 12 in particular, but for me it was before this where I was level 20 and a boss was level 25 and subsequently wiped the floor with me. In the hours leading up to this I had not encountered such an imbalance of power so was woefully under-prepared. Such an intense grind lay ahead that it just made me put the game down entirely, as grinding is much more tedious in Like a Dragon than in any typical RPG.

    Now that we have experienced a fundamental change in Yakuza, I think we now need further changes. This style does not work for me. Previously I could play the game with more freedom and at my own pace and style. Like a Dragon's random difficulty spikes (or single spike in my case) make me yearn for the older games, warts and all.    … Expand
  5. Smoothhands
    Feb 6, 2021
    7
    I am a long time fan of the Yakuza franchise and i have played every game available in English. And i have loved every one of them. But this is a very mediocre Yakuza game. Which is still a good thing,

    The story is not the worst and not the best, What i love the most about the yakuza games is that with most of them i can't tell what is going on until right at the end when they reveal it    I am a long time fan of the Yakuza franchise and i have played every game available in English. And i have loved every one of them. But this is a very mediocre Yakuza game. Which is still a good thing,

    The story is not the worst and not the best, What i love the most about the yakuza games is that with most of them i can't tell what is going on until right at the end when they reveal it and when i replay them it makes perfect sense. But with this game and two others i saw it coming in the first stages. But it's still really good. The characters are brilliant. The main character Ichiban is a nice change of phase from the batman esk Kiryu. He responded in the same the same emotional way
    as i did to his friends and enemies. His friends are really fun as well but i feel i can't really go into them without giving away anything about the game.

    The mini games are pretty fun. They have allot of the old ones but the ones they add are such an improvement. Especially the corporation mini game. It replaces the cabaret clubs/hostess club/gang war and construction mini games that i reluctantly played for a bit of extra cash. While it shares the same elements and feels too grindy i really enjoyed it.

    The combat is fun at first but after 10 ours of random encounters it was completely ruined. It gets tedious, boring and annoying. While the old Yakuza combat was really fast (With the exception of bossfights). This game takes forever in dealing with riff raff takes because you have to wait for every character's animation. The moves are beautifully animated and the moves have allot of verity to them but when you reach higher levels i got really bored with watching the same animations time and time again. Something i never encountered in the old games probably because i did not have to watch one charcter take a minute to do one move.

    But this game is still a yakuza game and it captures the Yakuza spirit perfectly.

    It's hammy and cheesy, To bad the bread is way to stale otherwise it would make a perfect sandwich.

    PS. Fun fact, the main crime family is named Arakawa. One of the first things you beat up in yakuza zero is named Arakawa.    … Expand
  6. KazamaKiryu
    Dec 2, 2021
    4
    This game didn't seem that bad at first, this game was very dissapointing for a long time yakuza fan. I Love all of the RGG games but this one doesn't do it for me. I do love JRPG's too! Some of my favorite games are persona, fire emblem, shin megami tensei, and dragon quest. The yakuza formula doesn't mesh well as a jrpg however. I do like the parry system and I don't mind Kasuga beingThis game didn't seem that bad at first, this game was very dissapointing for a long time yakuza fan. I Love all of the RGG games but this one doesn't do it for me. I do love JRPG's too! Some of my favorite games are persona, fire emblem, shin megami tensei, and dragon quest. The yakuza formula doesn't mesh well as a jrpg however. I do like the parry system and I don't mind Kasuga being much weaker than former protagonists, the story is just very very mediocre. Boss fights start off kinda long (About 20 min for the first one I can recall) and in certain chapters it can take literal hours. The amount of time I spent grinding to fight the final boss was absurd and I almost just googled the final cutscene. Maybe it was input delay on my controller, but parries never felt very precise, it felt usually lucky. There is one chapter in the story where you need to find 3mil yen it is such a pain. I understand why they wanted players to do this, so they could explore Kamurocho, Yokohama and Sotenbori, and while yes I did actually enjoy the new area of Ijincho, it felt more forced than my personal prefrence of freedom and exploration. I usually prefer to explore open world or any level on my own terms. The graphics and voice acting is some of the best in an already strong series in those regards, but the flashly colors and superb voice acting doesn't make up for the underdeveloped characters and the tedious, boring gameplay.… Expand
  7. soooB
    Mar 19, 2021
    6
    New combat system works reasonably well, story is extremely tiresome and driven by extreme character idiocy making it very hard to watch through. Grinding isn't that bad for what's effectively a JRPG but the difficulty curve for the late game bosses is ridiculous given how easy the rest of the game is. I've played all the series and would probably prefer the other games if they had thisNew combat system works reasonably well, story is extremely tiresome and driven by extreme character idiocy making it very hard to watch through. Grinding isn't that bad for what's effectively a JRPG but the difficulty curve for the late game bosses is ridiculous given how easy the rest of the game is. I've played all the series and would probably prefer the other games if they had this turn based combat system now.… Expand
  8. Deralordo
    Jul 16, 2021
    5
    Richtig gutes Spiel gerade wenn man Yakuza Neueinsteiger ist. Die Geschichte ist super und das Kampfsystem, die Minigames genauso! Das einzige was ich bemängeln würde ist das nicht Japaner wahrscheinlich ziemliche Probst haben werden mit Minigames wie Mahjong und Go
  9. vahn
    Dec 29, 2020
    10
    Simply put, one of the best jrpgs of this year: the combat was good old turn based fun, with a job system like the old times, and vast amounts of minigames that alone are very fun (especially loved dragon kart, even though it was very easy). Not just that: the story is very good, a bit confusing at times but definitely a story that kept me curious until the end, and with plenty of twistsSimply put, one of the best jrpgs of this year: the combat was good old turn based fun, with a job system like the old times, and vast amounts of minigames that alone are very fun (especially loved dragon kart, even though it was very easy). Not just that: the story is very good, a bit confusing at times but definitely a story that kept me curious until the end, and with plenty of twists and turns that got me really hooked into it. But even though the story was serious it still didn't shy away to be funny when it wanted...it is yakuza, after all, it can do both flawlessly and this time the game makes fun of jrpgs tropes, and it's just so fun!

    But be warned, the game isn't flawless, AT ALL. In fact I would say there are a huge amount of flaws in the game, some of which are very frustrating to deal with and ruined my day a lot of times.

    For starters, avoiding combat is hard: enemies have an ENORMOUS vision and will see you very easily, making the escape much harder than it should. Secondly, the game is very unbalanced when it comes to leveling and jobs: leveling through normal fights is pretty much pointless, they give almost no exp and you're required to grind either the arena or the invested vagabonds, basically the metal slimes of this game which gives a lot of exp and job exp.

    As for jobs, they're fine for the most part and they're basically the jobs you may see in a class-based MMORPG or JRPG: bodyguards are more like berserkers, enforcers are knights, chefs are ninjas, and so on. The major issue is how most of the jobs are weaker than the character's unique jobs, and the only reason to use a different job is to get their unique skills, in particular, the elemental skills since most jobs don't have any. In fact, this leads to the issue of jobs being very unbalanced: most jobs have too many samey with same attributes and only very few can be brought to other jobs, like the lightning spell from the fortuneteller or the bomb from the foreman, which usually leads to these jobs only being important to give you the needed spells and nothing more. This can be a serious problem because the game has only 6 elements - Blunt, Blade, Gun, Fire, Water, Lightning - but a lot of late enemies are weak to the actual spells and not to physical attacks, which forces you to spam one or two moves at best. A lot of enemies are simply too resistant to blunt and blade attacks, and there are not many magic spells or gun attacks to make for it, so you WILL have to learn as many skills as you can to get on the other jobs...

    In addition, there's a huge imbalance with leveling as well: at chapter 12 you'll unlock the arena, at around level 30 or something, and you are REQUIRED to do this as the next boss you'll fight is a bloody level 50 boss! I repeat, you are required to do this seemingly optional content at chapter 12, or else you will die at the level 50 boss! And it's a very hard one considering it has adds, and then a second boss comes into the fight as well!

    And last, but definitely not least, the game is over if the leader dies....of all the bloody things they had to take inspiration from, why take the flaw of Persona (or Shin Megami Tensei in general)? This is so, SO frustrating I cannot believe they did this. Kasuga, the protagonist, isn't a terrible character at all, the hero class can pretty much do everything from healing to buffing, and even has a self-saving spell that allows him to survive a fatal hit...but why give us a game over if he dies?! There are resurrecting spells, and very easy to obtain, and even items that can ress characters! So why is it a game over if Kasuga dies?! I just...URGH!

    Beyond that, the game is overall fine: there's no difficult selection but the game is overall easy (if you keep yourself leveled that is) and most of the options like crafting are pretty useless until late game. The business management game is fun but you'll also have to do it in order to unlock an additional extra character - which also has no point to the story, so you'll never see them ever interacting with anyone...just why even bother? - and most minigames are enjoyable. There's also a lot of side-stories to do, some good, some great, some funny. Overall, the game is chockfull of content to do and it's a good time waster if you are into minigames, and there are many to do.

    I guess the biggest issue is, being a Yakuza game, it's no longer a brawler and I respect the skepticism, however, I highly recommend giving the game a try even if you're a fan of the Yakuza series, because I think they were very bold to try something completely different than before, and overall succeeded in doing it, and if this game is good enough we might get an even better sequel with more balanced gameplay, and an even better story!

    It's definitely not a masterpiece by any means, but the game is so full of stuff, and so much fun to play, I cannot recommend it enough! Give it a shot if you can!    … Expand
  10. Underpants158
    Feb 28, 2021
    7
    I will write this review based on the assumption you already know about the game. So... I loved the party members in the game. I loved building your relationship, chatting at the bar, learning their personal stories piece by piece. Kasuga is also a worthwhile character to move the franchise into the future and his story and the story of Yokohama was really intriguing. However the grindingI will write this review based on the assumption you already know about the game. So... I loved the party members in the game. I loved building your relationship, chatting at the bar, learning their personal stories piece by piece. Kasuga is also a worthwhile character to move the franchise into the future and his story and the story of Yokohama was really intriguing. However the grinding you need to do in this game is TOO much. I believe grinding to be a design flaw in these types of games and it pains me to see design flaws loving emulated. Despite all that I still think it is a good game. I just think this game could easily be a 9/10 if they balanced it and condensed it a little more. I really did like the combat system...for most of the time, until your go to moves basically became animations instead of timed interactions or strategic AoE placements. Also a minor defense of the AoE attacks. So, a common criticism is that all the characters are moving constantly all wily nily like so you can't be strategic with your placement of AoE. Yes... but if you wait and try to predict the movements of the enemies it can be very satisfying when you guess correctly and land a big AoE attack.… Expand
  11. TheMegaGodz
    May 10, 2021
    7
    I'm not a huge fan of the JRPG mechanics, but the story and characters were great and kept me invested and motivated to finish it. I don't think it's a bad game, but I definitely don't agree with those calling it the best in the series.
  12. Efendiminati
    Apr 29, 2021
    7
    with the great story and minigame and substories rgg studio just perfecting the formula, yes the combat system doesnt for me either but it doesnt change the fact that its a great game
  13. Wondux
    May 1, 2022
    7
    Pros:
    -I love the atmosphere of Yakuza games and this game has also succeeded in creating a dynamic street life. If you are a fan of Japanese culture, then this game - or the Yakuza series - is definitely for you. I liked discovering a new city as well as seeing older ones that I am familiar with such as Kamurocho.
    -I like how they added optional friendship levels and cutscenes with your    Pros:
    -I love the atmosphere of Yakuza games and this game has also succeeded in creating a dynamic street life. If you are a fan of Japanese culture, then this game - or the Yakuza series - is definitely for you. I liked discovering a new city as well as seeing older ones that I am familiar with such as Kamurocho.
    -I like how they added optional friendship levels and cutscenes with your party members. A great option if you want to know about and understand them better.
    -The new turn-based combat system was enjoyable for me. Still, the epic animations could sometimes undermine the tone of the story. Also, I didn't find it any difficult. When you are able to make money you basically have infinite health and cannot die. I think I died only once throughout the entire game. Still, the combat was very enjoyable and didn't bore me at any point.
    -The story was not as predictable as it was in its predecessors.
    -I like the new characters. I think that they are all likable and had their own stories which were tied up in the end pretty well.

    Cons
    -The story. I don't know how to feel about the story. It wasn't uninteresting but it was not focused. There were a ton of ideas but they are all thrown to you at such speed that you cannot be immersed in a specific theme or an emotion. In addition, the story usually does not fit the expected tone of a "Yakuza" game. I know that this is a Japanese game and it has some anime-like elements but when you are in a life or death situation and your party members have a 5-minute-long dialogue about the power of friendship in front of their enemies as they wait, it just doesn't do it for me. It would be very effective to give subtle hints about how emotional or soft the characters are on the inside as well as hiding it. When I look at the characters I cannot see much tension or seriousness. For example, Kiryu's character was well-written in those terms. He was a badass but also he cared for his friends, and people's lives, he liked children and liked helping people out. However, you could not understand those if you didn't get to know Kiryu very well. To me, Ichiban did not feel like a Yakuza protagonist. Maybe it's because this is the first game of his storyline but I don't think that he will have such character development. He is already in his forties and is mature. Still, I liked Ichiban a lot as a person; he is helpful, he cares for his friends, etc. Just not something I would expect from a Yakuza protagonist.
    -I hated the dungeons. They are repetitive and the level design was terrible. It was not interesting to look around within the sewers. It was the same textures and walls, only in different rooms and corridors. At one time in the dungeon, there were unbreakable walls blocking your way and I had no clue how to get past them. I searched it on the internet and found out that one of our characters should have a specific job to be able to break those walls. And what can you do? Get out of the dungeon by walking the entire way back, go to the job center, change your job, go back to the dungeon entrance, and clear the dungeon out one more time. When I learned about this I was totally done with the dungeon and never got in one ever again, given that it already was not so interesting.
    -Money-making mechanic. Similar to some other old Yakuza games, you are given the option to have a business. I actually love that mechanic and it's always fun to max it out. However, that business is the only way of making real money towards the endgame, where you may need millions and millions of Yens. Although it doesn't take too much time to make money from the business minigame when it's needed, it becomes very boring. The only thing you do is press a button to initiate the business simulator and it does things by itself. Every now and then there is a small minigame but it's also very repetitive and becomes boring. I would have liked it more if there were some minigames within the business minigame including fighting etc.

    Still, it is a well-polished game with a great atmosphere but 7/10 is the max I can give to this game. Definitely should try it out if you are a fan of Japanese culture or the Yakuza series. If you are new to the series and have no sympathy for the culture I don't think that you will be able to finish the game.    … Expand
  14. awar_7
    Dec 20, 2021
    7
    No soy seguidor de la franquicia Yakuza, me inicié con este título y la verdad es que lo disfruté mucho durante la primera mitad del juego. Tirando hacia su parte final se me llegó a hacer un poco pesado y lo acabé pidiendo la hora, aunque seguramente el problema era más mío que del propio juego. Minijuegos muy originales, como los exámenes, los karts o el recolector de chatarra, aunque miNo soy seguidor de la franquicia Yakuza, me inicié con este título y la verdad es que lo disfruté mucho durante la primera mitad del juego. Tirando hacia su parte final se me llegó a hacer un poco pesado y lo acabé pidiendo la hora, aunque seguramente el problema era más mío que del propio juego. Minijuegos muy originales, como los exámenes, los karts o el recolector de chatarra, aunque mi preferido fue el de empresario. Recomendable para quien le gusten los juegos de rol por turnos.… Expand
  15. byateamwithlove
    Dec 24, 2020
    10
    The departure from action style combat to RPG turn based makes the Yakuza series to be everything it wanted to be . As a huge Yakuza fan , the reason I fell in love with this franchise was substories , great characters , writings and mini games . The combat always was there to simply do something but that’s it . Yakuza 7 doubled down on the things that matters and executes everything itThe departure from action style combat to RPG turn based makes the Yakuza series to be everything it wanted to be . As a huge Yakuza fan , the reason I fell in love with this franchise was substories , great characters , writings and mini games . The combat always was there to simply do something but that’s it . Yakuza 7 doubled down on the things that matters and executes everything it wants to do . Can’t recommend it it enough .… Expand
  16. oO1337fr34kOo
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Best Yakuza Game from the Series IMO. I liked the Battlesystem, and kasuga is just awesome.
  17. Reed618
    Jan 5, 2021
    10
    Having finished the game I have to say I'm kind of blown away by it. I've played every main entry plus judgment and while I have some issues with like a dragon it really impressed me.

    cons: There are some chapters where it feels like the story drags a bit and the enemy encounter rate feels ridiculous at times and often fights reward so little xp they aren't worth the effort. Being    Having finished the game I have to say I'm kind of blown away by it. I've played every main entry plus judgment and while I have some issues with like a dragon it really impressed me.

    cons:

    There are some chapters where it feels like the story drags a bit and the enemy encounter rate feels ridiculous at times and often fights reward so little xp they aren't worth the effort.
    Being hit by a car and losing 100hp sucks and it takes forever for ichi to stand back up again.
    Unlocking new jobs felt a bit pointless. I got saeko's social link maxed out and unlocked the dealer job but even after leveling up this job which only became available at level 5 of the social rank I found it was still significantly less powerful than her previous class.
    I don't like how if ichi dies it's a game over.
    My final big gripe with the game is how much hp and defence some bosses have. The second last boss in particular was just an absolute chore. I spent the entire fight getting ichi to use an ability that would prevent him from dying if his hp was reduced to 0 because this boss could instantly knock out anyone with one of his special moves. I did so little damage to him as well. It wasn't a difficult fight, just a really really long one.

    Pros:

    The rpg fighting system is fun. It's not the most indepth system. I mostly alternated between using my most powerful group attacks and using my most powerful one on one attacks. Also the only useful status effect seemed to be poison but overall it was fun.
    I really like how they've made side activities more rewarding. Completing substories often rewards you with a poundmate which is like a summon and they can be both hilarious and very helpful.
    The substories were some of the best in yakuza history I think. I found myself laughing at several times and pulled in emotionally by some too.
    I like that they added romance options too. It's a fun extra.
    It's also nice how taking the time to work through a battle arena not only makes you stronger but gives you great gear. Taking exams at a vocational school will boost your personal stats. singing karaoke and dining out will boost your social links. It's really impressive how the side activities which often feel extra in yakuza games now feel more important than ever.
    I also love that you change job classes at the unemployment center and some of the special moves you unlock with these jobs just look so frickin cool. Same with the poundmates, it's just pure yakuza zanyness at it's very best.
    The last big thing that impressed me was the story. I came to really care about the characters a lot and the narrative did some clever things I wasn't expecting. It was really touching overall and I came to appreciate ichi a lot.

    Overall I was really impressed. I have some issues for sure but the experience was a 10 from me. Yakuza is a series I love but it was starting to feel a little samey. This really did a lot to rejuvenate it for me.    … Expand
  18. RodimusX
    Jan 1, 2021
    10
    Fantastic story, very likeable characters. A great step to a new direction to the series. Overall, one of the best jrpg I ever played! Hope we get more of Ichiban in the future.
  19. jclark1448
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    If you like persona, buy this game. Runs like a champ, never a dull moment with the story and side quests being both equally ridiculous/funny and serious/captivating. Turn based combat which is a personal favorite of mine. This game deserved to be mention as a GOTY candidate. People are bombing this game because they hate the turn based combat and I find that is completely unfair of them
  20. Shanwagbo
    Nov 15, 2020
    10
    Hands down the best Yakuza to date but then again I'm biased because I love turn based Jrpgs and I'm a lover of Dragon Quest just like good old Kasuga yet another fantastic game in the Yakuza franchise:)
  21. chags420
    Nov 16, 2020
    10
    the game entertains and the story is very interesting from the beginning, it starts very slowly but then it gets adjusted and you realize the overwhelming content it has. it's a yakuza like a DRAGON QUEST
  22. EasternWytch
    Nov 16, 2020
    9
    I would love to rate this a full 10.The problem is the new turn based fighting system is just plain awful and frustrating.This game was never meant to have JRPG elements.Being able to choose between both original style and new would be fair.I do love that Judgement and this game have English voice over.Overall a great game with Japanese humor.
  23. Bulbotrax
    Dec 13, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a huge piece of crap, designed by a bunch of stupid morons. The writings are very bad,, yeah i'm talking to you endless stupid dialogues.
    The story sucks. (all the political aspect are childish...)
    The turn based gameplay is a joke.
    And the jerks behind this game choose to put artificial difficulty at some point (chap 12/chap 15 with the fight vs Tendo) because their **** game was too short. Maybe the wost episode of the yakuza serie and a big shame for the game industry.    … Expand
  24. SpectreGrim
    Dec 13, 2020
    10
    Quality JRPG! I love Yakuza series and making it turn based is genius! Masterpiece
  25. cowacola
    Dec 20, 2020
    10
    Amazing game. Hands down the best in the series. If you are new to the series and want to try out this one, this game is perfect for you. If you're already a fan and hesitant to play this because of the radical change in combat mechanic, please give it a try. You'll fall in love quick with the well-written characters, amazing story, phenomenal voice acting (both JP an EN), super highAmazing game. Hands down the best in the series. If you are new to the series and want to try out this one, this game is perfect for you. If you're already a fan and hesitant to play this because of the radical change in combat mechanic, please give it a try. You'll fall in love quick with the well-written characters, amazing story, phenomenal voice acting (both JP an EN), super high replayability, tons of content, superb soundtrack, pleasant graphics, and surprisingly – coming from a long-time fan of the series since PS3 era – the gameplay. Everything will grow on you, and I promise this game just keeps on giving!… Expand
  26. KrisMakesArt
    Dec 15, 2020
    10
    I'm not new to the Yakuza series as I've played or watched others play almost all of the games within the series. That being said, this is by far one of my most favorite installments in the series. It has the perfect balance of humor, drama, combat, sidequests, minigames, and all of the other wonderful things that make one hell of a great Yakuza game. The story is extremely engaging, soI'm not new to the Yakuza series as I've played or watched others play almost all of the games within the series. That being said, this is by far one of my most favorite installments in the series. It has the perfect balance of humor, drama, combat, sidequests, minigames, and all of the other wonderful things that make one hell of a great Yakuza game. The story is extremely engaging, so much so that I felt like the game was actually a little too short because I wanted more. The characters are fantastic and really well-developed.

    I know there were some concerns from Western gamers about the new combat system, but please, give it a chance. Yes, it's wildly different for a Yakuza game, but it's extremely well-done. The new combat system actually allowed the developers to give combat more depth and detail. It's very reminiscent of a traditional turn-based JRPG, as there are summons, tagging characters in/out, and different character jobs/roles, however; it's full of outrageous humor and fun, which brings it back to feeling like a traditional Yakuza game.

    I'm beyond excited for the next installment in this series, and while I'll miss Kazuma as the main character, I think Ichiban is a fantastic new character who has so much potential for more games.    … Expand
  27. baggiggsio11
    Dec 20, 2020
    10
    I have never been able to fully enjoy the previous RGG games (Yakuza 0, Kiwami, Judgment) as much as I kept playing and tried to convince myself. Again I decided to take a gamble and get this game to burn time while waiting for the release of Cyberpunk and man so glad I did (especially seeing how Cyberpunk turned out) ! Understand it was a divisive decision and may not be everyone's cup ofI have never been able to fully enjoy the previous RGG games (Yakuza 0, Kiwami, Judgment) as much as I kept playing and tried to convince myself. Again I decided to take a gamble and get this game to burn time while waiting for the release of Cyberpunk and man so glad I did (especially seeing how Cyberpunk turned out) ! Understand it was a divisive decision and may not be everyone's cup of tea but personally going full RPG was IMHO one bold but brilliant move. Graphics was stunning especially around the Yokohama port area. Music was absolutely awesome not as good as Persona or FF7R but fairly close I reckon. It's got its drawbacks (somewhat grindy, I didn't really find the story too compelling) and definitely not a 10/10 game (more like 9/10) but I'm giving it full score to offset the extremely unfair 0 that some people were giving.… Expand
  28. sinsimmer
    Nov 15, 2020
    9
    i'm a big fan of Yakuza series and this is the new experience for me. My thought on Yakuza 7 beside introducing new characters, also has a bigger map which takes new place that i love to exploring more. RPG style in this game reminds me about Persona 5 and Dragon Quest as well. i really enjoyed throughout the storyline in this game along with the side story mission.
    for the combat is also    i'm a big fan of Yakuza series and this is the new experience for me. My thought on Yakuza 7 beside introducing new characters, also has a bigger map which takes new place that i love to exploring more. RPG style in this game reminds me about Persona 5 and Dragon Quest as well. i really enjoyed throughout the storyline in this game along with the side story mission.
    for the combat is also so impressive which turn based system.

    if you a fan hardcore of Yakuza don't ever skip this one. i consider this game as the best game RPG in this year following Persona 5 Royal.    … Expand
  29. Olkadan
    Jan 5, 2021
    4
    I do not like these changes.
    I hope they will not stick with thi formula for the next game.
    Play zero instead.
  30. Arngrim560
    Nov 14, 2020
    10
    Just perfect, a very nice history and the turn based combat is just perfect, if you like yakuza and rpg videogames is a must-play.
    Ichiban kasuga ftw.
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best PS4 Game of 2020
27
#27 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. CD-Action
    Jun 9, 2021
    85
    Like a Dragon is the eighth installment of Yakuza, but a new protagonist makes it a great opportunity to get acquainted with the franchise. Even though the new turn-based combat system may become tedious at some point and I was disappointed with the lack of thrilling boss battles, it’s one of the best games in the series. Ichiban Kasuga and his friends are a really awesome bunch and I very much enjoyed experiencing Yokohama through their eyes. [01/2021, p.70]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 12, 2021
    100
    A great detour from the classic Japanese series, which shows that the Yakuza can work with turn-based battles and a ton of bizarre humor. [Issue#309]
  3. GameCritics
    Feb 27, 2021
    90
    Issues aside, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a masterpiece that might also be of historical note, since I’m hard-pressed to come up with another series that changed genres without losing what made it special in the first place. Players come to Yakuza games expecting fantastic storytelling, a bustling open world, and intense combat. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios have proven they can swap out one leg of that stool without sacrificing its strength, and that’s an accomplishment few can claim.
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