Yakuza: Like a Dragon Reviews
Check out Yakuza: Like a Dragon Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 39 reviews on CriticDB, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a score of:
With Kiryu's saga finally coming to an end, it's time for a new dragon to rise up. Ichiban Kasuga readily takes up the opportunity to undergo his quest.
Read Full Review
Yakuza 6 marked the end of protagonist Kazuma Kiryu’s journey, leaving us with a single question: “What now?” For years, players had explored Japan with Kiryu, becoming attached to the character as well as the template that his games inhabited. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio could have simply dropped a new face in Kamurocho and called it a day, but that’s not what happened. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the studio raised eyebrows by scrapping the traditional arcade-brawler combat and replacing it with turn-based RPG-inspired battles. And while there is a new face to the action, he’s accompanied throughout his adventure...
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon's cast of misfits makes the wild RPG combat, absurd humor, and dramatic storytelling soar.
Read Full Review
The gameplay overall is a little smoother, but again, it's nothing super noticeable. There's no hitching, lagging, or dropped frames, but those didn't cause many issues the first time around on PS4, either. What's most disappointing is how little Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes advantage of the PS5's hardware. Specifically, it would have been nice if the game utilized the DualSense controller more. There is a slight change in how the controller rumbles, but even this could have been implemented better. The controller could have constantly rumbled when Kasuga is paralyzed or afraid, triggers could have replaced button presses in...
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon proves that, the more the franchise changes, the more it stays the same — effortlessly excellent.
Read Full Review
In Chapter 15 this was repeated again. Having level 52 characters after 60 hours play it was still necessary to grind my way to level 60 to be able to compete with the under boss. As you can imagine, these spikes can be a bit of a nightmare, especially when you have to fight your way back to the boss at the top of the tower after levelling up your characters.
Read Full Review
The Yakuza series has never been afraid to try new and exciting things and Like a Dragon is here to offer a fresh and novel experience.
Read Full Review
Luke checks out the newest entry in the Yakuza franchise. Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Fun fact, Premier Pro hated the footage he recorded originally, so he had to spend two days converting 200 GB of footage with Handbrake. Editing problems aside, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a defining new chapter for the game. A new location, a new protagonist, and even brand new turn-based combat. The question, is it any good? You’ll have to watch the video below to find out!
Read Full Review
After an exhausting run of seven main games, some spinoffs and the sandwiched-but-excellent Judgment, the Yakuza series entered a new era in 2020 with the release of Like a Dragon, which is trying to be something completely new, only it’s also not.
Read Full Review
The first JRPG Yakuza game has some issues in execution, but nothing that amounts to more than a minor annoyance. This is a truly excellent revamp of the long-running series, and a superb starting place for newcomers.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a couple of weak spots, but it overall proves to be a fantastic reinvention of the series. Yakuza fans and RPG fans alike shouldn't hesitate to check this one out.
Read Full Review
After seven fantastic games, Kiryu’s saga had finally come to an end with the release of 2018’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. We were all curious to find out what Sega would do next with arguably its most important gaming franchise at the moment, as Sonic has been relegated to pure, absolute mediocrity at this point. What would Yakuza be without Kiryu? Would it be possible to go on without him? Last year’s Judgment felt like an experiment to see if no Kiryu would work in a Yakuza setting....
Read Full Review
Ichiban Kasuga is a worthy successor to the legacy Kiryu created, and his journey makes the story just as enthralling as any entry in the series. I entered this experience with an anxiousness never experienced before. What ensued was one of the best JRPGs from this console generation and one of the best Yakuza games of all-time. I implore fans, or anyone curious about the series, to play this game as soon as possible. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is truly is number one.
Read Full Review
From a studio that's never really ventured into the genre of traditional JRPGs, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an impressive inaugural effort. It's not perfect by any means, as the turn-based combat still has some growing pains in its current iteration. Coupled with repetitive dungeon design and an unfair endgame grinding requirement, these downsides cast an unfortunate sting on an otherwise very solid JRPG.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an exceptional entry into the series, and uses its new features to drive the franchise forward in ways fans of all stripes will be able to appreciate.
Read Full Review
Even with these minor annoyances -- not least those carried over from previous games in the series -- what brief frustrations that do surface are quickly and easily eclipsed by everything else going on in Like a Dragon. Or more appropriately, by the sheer scale of deviation and conviction that this year's entry shows in proving that this genre of gameplay -- this more classically RPG-centric approach -- is an unquestionably excellent fit for the series. It might not be the most unique or transformative approach to turn-based combat, but what Ryu Ga Gotoku may lack in unique vision, they...
Read Full Review
The Yakuza series treads new ground, finding its next legend in the process.
Read Full Review
Honestly, there’s very little to dislike about Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While the gameplay is a drastic departure from what fans have grown to love, the change is one that is done excellently well that it fits right in with the series. At the end of the day, Like A Dragon is still very much a true Yakuza game, narrative driven with fun, addicting gameplay that is easy to pick-up by anyone. A fresh, bold new start for the franchise that still holds true to it’s roots. I for one am looking forward to see the future of the franchise....
Read Full Review
Like a Dragon isn’t my favorite Yakuza, and its fresh turn-based combat eventually grows stale, but I have a lot of love for it. If it’s your first game, it’ll quickly initiate you into this wild, one-of-a-kind series.
Read Full Review
I’m disappointed to say I couldn’t finish Yakuza: Like a Dragon in time for this review. I am currently 55 hours in, stuck on an outrageously tough boss at the end of a dungeon with no save points. This particular dungeon is far shorter than the others I’ve encountered (the boss is clearly the centerpiece) so when I next load my save file, my party can breeze through the standard enemies and head straight for the showdown. Or I could stop by a restaurant first to give myself a temporary...
Read Full Review
If you’ve followed Stevivor for a while, you may know that I’m no stranger to the Yakuza series. What once seemed like a bizarre oddity of a series I’d never care about has become a series I can’t wait to dive into, to find out what weird nonsense the team at Sega have come up with this time. The Pokémon games have nothing on Yakuza’s ability to introduce a deep, complex mechanic in one game that reshapes the whole experience, and then unceremoniously drop it the next game for so...
Read Full Review
Ultimately, despite all the changes that have been made, Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels very much like a Yakuza game. The combat may now be turn-based, and the scenery might be different, but this is still a game full of drama, thrilling battles, and a huge amount of side content, all smothered with an ample amount of humour. And I never thought I’d say this, but I didn’t miss Kazuma Kiryu one jot while playing it; Ichiban Kasuga is simply a more likeable fellow with more depth. So, if you like the Yakuza series, consider Yakuza: Like a Dragon a...
Read Full Review
With seven mainline iterations, five spin-offs, and two remakes, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio had a mammoth task on hand in order to ensure that the Yakuza games continued to appeal to its core fanbase. As Yakuza 6: The Song of Life signaled the end of the much-loved protagonist of the series, Kazuma Kiryu, fanatics were left wondering how the franchise could continue. In an audacious and high-risk move, the developers not only introduced a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, but they also moved away from the beloved combo-based combat to a traditional turn-based system. However, will these changes improve the reputation...
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a bold shift in direction, one that succeeds more than it stumbles in the pursuit of its new design.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like A Dragon isn't just a great Yakuza title — it's legitimately one of the best modern role-playing games there is.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon refreshes the action with a turn-based JRPG that retains its charming identity, but it falls into some pitfalls that are emblematic of the genre.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a successful pivot from traditional Yakuza mainstays. The game goes heavy on style, while still packing in enough substance to keep players satisfied. The party system and new RPG elements give players more ways to play than ever before. The turn-based combat is solid, and never feels too foreign. Longtime fans of the franchise will appreciate what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA have to offer in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Read Full Review
Yakuza Like a Dragon is an enjoyable new twist on the series, although it’s not hard to imagine that many long-time fans of the series will be put off by its slow pace. In a day and age where video game companies rarely take risks, Like a Dragon is a refreshing change of pace for a series that risked starting to feel stale.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a new beginning for the series in many ways. It introduces a new protagonist, a new turn-based combat system, and a relatively self-contained story. This is a gamble for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, as up to this point, each entry in the series has primarily focused on one character, Kazuma Kiryu, and featured similar gameplay.
Read Full Review
An utterly charming yarn about friendship and kindness that breathes gritty modern life into the quaint JRPG format of classic Dragon Quest.
Read Full Review
Like a Dragon was released on PS4 in Japan back in January 2020, but playing it on the Xbox Series X felt like a substantial visual upgrade over recent high-spec remakes like Yakuza Kiwami 2. For the most part, loading screens whizz by too quickly to even read. If you're sharp-eyed, you'll notice fun little details like 8-bit renditions of your current party members marching under the "now loading" bar — yet another nod to Dragon Quest. The Yakuza series is already dangerously enticing with all its bite-sized activities and mini-games, so it's remarkably easy to blow through several hours...
Read Full Review
The Yakuza series has largely focused around two uniquely Japanese characters: Kiryu Kazuma and the lively city of Kamurocho. For nearly two decades, players have stepped into his leather shoes and hit the streets, saving the town from all manner of gang invasion and stopping all-out yakuza wars on more than one occasion. However, there always comes a time when one must stop playing the hero and pass the mantle on to someone else to take up the charge. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the hero's journey is about to begin as Ichiban Kasuga, a Chaotic Neutral ex-yakuza whose delusions...
Read Full Review
With a new battle system and new main character, Yakuza: Like A Dragon aims to be a new entry point to Yakuza newcomers even though it is anything but that.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon impressively pulls off the switch to an RPG in style, providing an excellent combat system supported by loveable characters, and a tantalising main storyline with meaningful side quests.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon reminded me why I loved video games to begin with. I cannot think of a game this year that has gripped me this tightly and didn’t let go. Here comes a game brimming with joy and excitement that is earnest with its drama and comedy. It’s the sort of game you can gush about for hours, and I will long after this review is published. Anyone who loves RPGs, open world games, comedies, crime dramas, and games PERIOD should have a lot of fun with the newest Yakuza.
Read Full Review
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has topped themselves once again with Yakuza: Like a Dragon! This new take on Yakuza brings a lot of fun, new ideas to the table while remaining its heartfelt self. Turn based combat is somehow a perfect fit for this new direction, the characters are all instantly loveable, and the story is endearingly melodramatic.
Read Full Review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s colourful turn-based combat, engaging lead characters, and detail-rich setting make for a refreshingly different and mostly thrilling instalment in the long-running Japanese crime series. However, pathfinding annoyances and a number of escalating difficulty spikes in its closing chapters made completing its story feel like much more of a repetitive slog than any of the previous games. While I applaud the developers for daring to transform its established brawling into more tactically complex team-based battles, the grueling progression system it brings along with it means that Yakuza: Like a Dragon ultimately takes some bold steps in a...
Read Full Review