This game was the entire reason I started the Yakuza series. I was interested in how this game looked, and how it seemed to play, and I was super excited to get to it. After playing through the entire series though, things started to feel dull. Yakuza 6 was not a great time for me, so I was really hoping for some sort of change in this game. Needless to say, I got just that.

This is the most refreshing game in the entire series. After playing as Kiryu and following his story (along with some other characters) from Yakuza 0-6, we play as a completely new character here, Ichiban Kasuga. Ichiban is undoubtedly my favorite main character in the entire series. He's such a unique character, and he can be so goofy yet become so serious so quickly. His goofy side had already made me like at the start of the game, but as I kept playing more and more, I started to deeply love his story, his motives, and his personality. He's not just some silly guy, he's a lot more than that, and I love it.

The story in this game rivals that of Yakuza 0. I'd argue this is one of the BEST stories in the entire series. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. The characters here actually felt like REAL characters too. There is no character in this game that I felt like sucked. They all were interesting and each had their own unique stories that you could hear about with the Bond feature (this was a great addition to the series by the way, I loved getting to learn about the characters). There were moments with the story that left me jaw dropped, it was just that good. I don't have a CLUE how I went from Yakuza 6 to this game. It felt unreal. There were even moments where I teared up. I played the English dub, and while I expected for it to be not that great, it turned out really really good. Ichiban's VA was perfect for his role. There were so many emotional scenes that had genuine emotion put in the voices and it was GREAT. I will admit that the karaoke in the English dub is... well... interesting... but it is quite funny. "I'm gonna level up!" - Ichiban Kasuga

Gameplay here starts off a little weird, you have to get used to the series going from live combat to turn based RPG combat, but I didn't hate it at all, I loved this games combat. It was so fun to mess around with the job system too, and try to see what all the different jobs did. Every party member felt unique and useful to me, and I loved switching out between them from time to time. Sub stories in this game are great, as per usual. The minigames here were actually quite fun compared to Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 6. It's like they found out how to actually do them right. The Business minigame had me addicted for hours, and the Can Quest minigame was really fun as well. I also liked the Dragon Kart game, but I didn't play that one as much as the others.

The only issue I had with this game was around chapter 12 where the difficulty SPIKES. There's a brief moment where you have to grind to level up, and it's not horrible, but it is an annoyance. Every RPG has some grinding bits, and I played Persona 3: FES, so it didn't really annoy me too much. It did take a bit of time for me to grind up to be able to actually progress the story though.

Overall, this may have become my favorite Yakuza game. It's so distinct from the others and it's full of nice surprises for someone who has played the entire series. I cannot wait to play Infinite Wealth, because it seems like that game is just this game but better. Ichiban Kasuga is my fucking goat.

"I can feel my stats going up!"

Yakuza: Like a Dragon é uma revolução dentro da franquia Yakuza, que já se consolidou como uma das mais icônicas no mundo dos games. A troca do protagonista histórico, Kazuma Kiryu, por Ichiban Kasuga foi um risco que valeu cada segundo. Ichiban é carismático, cheio de paixão e força de vontade, tornando-se uma nova face para a série, enquanto ainda respeita suas raízes.

Um dos destaques mais impressionantes é a mudança para um sistema de combate por turnos, inspirado em RPGs clássicos, que foi executada de maneira brilhante. Longe de ser monótono, o sistema é dinâmico, inovador e combina perfeitamente com o senso de humor peculiar e a narrativa envolvente do jogo. Cada batalha oferece oportunidades estratégicas que mantêm o jogador imerso e entusiasmado. O enredo, como em todos os jogos da série Yakuza, é envolvente e repleto de momentos dramáticos e emocionais. A jornada de Ichiban pela redenção e pela busca de sua identidade traz personagens inesquecíveis, como seus aliados inseparáveis, que enriquecem ainda mais a narrativa. A história aborda temas profundos de amizade, lealdade e os desafios da vida moderna no Japão, sem deixar de lado o humor extravagante. Yakuza: Like a Dragon não só revitaliza a franquia com mudanças ousadas, como também mantém o coração e a alma que os fãs sempre amaram. É um game que deve ser experimentado por qualquer pessoa que ame uma narrativa envolvente, personagens memoráveis.

A genuine enjoyable RPG that melds the wacky and over-the-top nature of the Yakuza franchise while also building on the lore with a completely new and loveable set of characters. Some "interesting" choices for RPG mechanics that mostly work, except for a few bosses that act 3 times or just counter constantly. Honestly had to adjust my mindset based upon the mechanics being mostly different from other RPGs I have played. Love the minigames and the smaller moments too. Overall, makes me very excited for the sequel that looks just exclusively better mechanics/battle wise.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a wild ride. You’ll find yourself battling enemies with giant rubber ducks and managing a dragon-themed business, which is about as offbeat as it sounds. The game introduces turn-based combat, a departure from the usual action style, giving you time to think about why you’re also singing karaoke in the middle of a criminal underworld. With side quests like collecting bizarre items and participating in oddball mini-games, it’s clear that the game thrives on its mix of serious storylines and outlandish distractions. Overall, it’s a unique blend of drama and eccentricity that makes it stand out.