Game Review: Enter the Dragon

Sega's Yakuza series is back with a brand new protagonist, a turn-based combat system and a bag full of fun elements

If you haven't played Yakuza before, you don't have to worry, Like a Dragon is a completely different storyline. You play Ichiban Kasuga, an honest do-gooder who happens to be a yakuza. The initial part of the game takes place around New Year's Eve in 2000. It introduces you to the people, combat controls and the various things you can do around the city.

During the course of the game, Ichibaan is asked by the clan leader to take the fall for a murder, which he takes up like the soldier he is. After serving an 18-year sentence, he comes out to the real world only to find out that his boss has moved on and even attempts to kill him. He survives the ordeal and that is when the madness begins.

Like A Dragon takes place in Yokohama and it has a lot to explore from something as simple as retro videogame arcades to go-karting and cabaret clubs. The city's neon burns bright in all its sordid glory.

Ichibaan has to explore this map, complete quests, gather party members and take on the powers that be.

All the party members have their unique style of combat and honestly, it is a lot of fun to just fight every time you get the chance. The turn-based combat brings in an element of strategy that was not there in the older brawling system. You can now take your time to implement power-ups and figure out the best moves to defeat your enemies. Fighting significantly increases your level initially, but as you move on, the bosses get tougher. There is a fair bit of grinding that needs to be done to overcome them and this does get tedious after a certain point.

Graphically, this is the best-looking Yakuza game yet; there are aspects of it that take a little getting used to. For example, the way the map works is not standard so you might get disoriented while trying to get to a location. Every interaction does not have vocals and this is not consistent; some interactions just have the text and silent mouth movements, but are in no way not significant to the story. It was there in the previous Yakuza games as well, but anyone not familiar will find it odd.

The game can be played in either English audio or Japanese, both with subtitles. Being a fan of anime, I selected the Japanese audio and English subs. I was not disappointed; the voice acting is top-notch and every story-related significant character gets their moment to shine. The voice acting on the English audio is good as well, but if you don't mind subtitles, I recommend playing the game in Japanese.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is like a funny fever dream of the underbelly of Japan. It gives you a good feel of the place with small bars, stores and lots of neon lights. The bold new turn-based combat doesn't feel slow or forced. I feel it plays out better than the brawling system it replaced. The weirdness is a bonus along with the well-paced story. This game is great for anyone who loves Japan and its cultural offerings, but Yakuza hardliners may find it lacking. However, if you are new to the series you are going to love this game for the crazy sense of humour and over-the-top violence. Get this if you are looking for some mindless fun.

Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Platform:
PC, PS4, PS5, XBO, XBS
Price: PC: Rs 2,499; Consoles: Rs 3,499

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