This post isn't meant to be a review of the entire game, but it's a "first impressions" sort of thing. It's been a while that I've gotten so invested in any game however.
Like A Dragon feels like it isn't a Yakuza gaming, that is until you play it. And to be honest I was kind of afraid that it would feel way too different, the turn-based combat threw me off at first - and that's saying something, since I'm a big fan of turn based JRPGs.
It just didn't feel compatible with Yakuza's "soul", it felt like departing from the beat em' up style of combat would only harm the gameplay.
I was mistaken.
From the very beginning I could tell this was a Yakuza game, even if I wasn't beating up dudes by pressing X, X, X, Y.
The way the story was going, the art style, the walking through the narrow streets of Kamurocho, it all felt like something Ryu ga Gotoku Studio would make, and after my mind had adjusted to the combat, I began to see how well they managed to adapt the Yakuza formula to that. Combat feels weighty, visceral, fun.
Sure, you're not as part of the action anymore, you're throwing out commands and watching them happen, but the way it is all presented is unique, and does not depart in any way from the flashy action I was used to in the series. It felt like a breath of fresh air whilst still being familiar enough.
The combat itself is rather simplistic, but I'd say that is one of its strengths. There is only so far you can push JRPGs and I feel like the devs played it safe and instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, they simply added a Yakuza flair to it, quick time events and a really good mechanic known as the Perfect Guard.
It's a mechanic where by pressing B (Circle) at the right moment lets you greatly diminish the amount of damage taken. I am not aware of any other RPGs that do something like this. It's simple but keeps on you edge while watching attacks play out, adding something that makes battles a little more interesting.
I would say it's apt to compare this game to the latest Dragon Quest, with it happening on a 3D plane and the way attacks and specials work, even if so far in the story I'd say Dragon Quest has a bit more nuance.
There is one major difference however, besides the Perfect Guard, this game also adds environmental interaction, which means that when you attack an enemy at the right spot, there's a chance that a special action may play out, be that multiple enemies being hit or your character picking up an object and using that as a weapon, which can deal a lot of damage. Lots of other things can also happen on the battlefield, besides picking up objects to bash enemies with, they also kick small objects on their way to attack to be used as projectiles.
There also environmental hazards whilst fighting such as cars when you're fighting out on the streets of Yokohama, that deal upwards of 100 damage, at the early game, that can be quite a lot, so you better be careful (they can run you over whilst exploring too!).
As for the setting, this also felt quite different. I've only played Yakuza 0 and Kiwami so far, so I'm not sure how far the series go besides Kamurocho, Sotenbori and Dotonbori, but Yokohama feels completely different.
Way more open spaces, a way larger map, lots more variety from the poorer areas of Ijincho to the hustle and bustle of downtown.
It's quite great.
Just like Kiwami and 0, this game has a first person camera, but unlike those you can walk around fully in first person and this makes for some stunning sights. Playing on the Series S in quality mode (which locks the framerate at 30) looks absolutely stunning, with textures being sharp and there beings lots of small details hidden all throughout the city.
Reading billboards, looking at shops, staring in awe at the broken down building of the Geomijul, it all looks incredible.
I've always preferred smaller worlds with tons of detail over larger worlds with little details.
I don't think there's anything wrong with games such as GTA, but I'd much rather have things to do in the world than to have an empty husk to walk around in that gets boring after some hours.
And things to do there are indeed. I don't think I've played a game with this much non-essential content, something even larger (and more polished) than Shenmue.
The amount of new mini-games, side-activities, ways of making money, shops, side-quests and more in such a "small" map is simply mind boggling and I love it.
Doing side-quests, or rather "Part Time Hero Jobs" is a lot more engaging than any of the side quests in Dragon Quest, which can require you to travel long distances and abuse the fast travel mechanic. In here it's all way more concise, and things happen naturally.
And well, you don't need to go far to find the usual Yakuza silliness here, and again, this is something quite different from the rest of the franchise.
There's a lot more comedy and it's a lot more on the nose. Sure, it was never subtle, Yakuza has always been weird as heck, but they managed to strike a great balance between absurdity and seriousness here.
I've seen people complaining about how silly this game is but demanding realism or something like that from Yakuza is silly in it of itself. This game knows how to keep the two working together and separate them when it's necessary.
For instance, in this part while being escorted by Seong-hui to the Geomijul HQ, there are lives on the line. There is some serious stuff going down in the story and for all you know, things could explode at any moment and start a huge violent war... But they still manage to fit in jokes and make the characters look like goofballs, without distracting from the undeniable impacting events going on.
Right after this escort, combat breaks out and things get more and more serious, and they remain serious for a while, whilst the game gradually puts on the break which always leads to a natural and well made comic relief.
And uhh, I think I have a crush on Seong-hui...
Korean mafia mommy.
But I'm not bringing this up just because I'm thirsty, this game has lots of character, which is something inherent to the Yakuza series.
Every random fight in the street has wildly different enemies, all the main story characters are very distinguishable in personality and appearance.
This is nothing new to this game, but the wider freedom and scope that feels like was allowed on the writers really shows off in its design too.
Ichiban Kasuga looks like a total dumbass, and he sort of is one, but a dumbass with a great heart, and he's as much of a face to the franchise for me now as Majima or Kiryu. The other main characters are also all very unique and interesting, being pretty clear archetypes.
All very different from one another but still complementing the party and making it feel like a whole.
This dynamic of always having multiple characters around greatly expands story telling options and makes for an unforgettable experience even when just walking around.
I am 100% sure I'll play this through the end, and if it's announced that it'll leave Gamepass, I'll do the same thing I did with Kiwami and just outright buy the damn thing.
I've been absent for the past couple of days to my current illness/condition, but Yakuza along with some other titles is that one thing that keeps my sane. That one thing that makes me hopeful to make it to another day.
I know, sounds a bit cringy, but fun things are fun and when everything is down, a great funny story like this can go a long way.
Thanks for reading!