When characters gain enough experience points, they increase in level and become more proficient at their Jobs, learning new skills as they level up
Players can change a character's job class at any time
In addition, Kasuga has an additional set of statistics called Personality
Kasuga's personality determines what he is resistant to in combat, unlocks what tasks he can do, and who he can talk to[2]
Players can improve aspects of their personality by taking quizzes at the vocational center, or play recreational mini-games[2]
They can also strengthen the relationship with members of their party by fighting battles together, eating, and playing mini-games together[3]
Forming Bonds with your party members unlock combination attacks in combat, and helps you learn more of each character's backstory[3][4]
Enemy encounters
When encountering a group of enemies, the gameplay transitions to turn-based combat
Players and enemies can attack, assume a defensive stance to reduce incoming damage, or use a special ability
Players choose which abilities to use from a list, and can enhance the power of their moves by pressing button prompts at the right time during their attack[5]
Players and enemies alike can inflict secondary effects on each other, such as rendering them unable to attack or move, or cause additional damage
While the player and enemies take turns fighting each other, the combatants move around the area in real-time, and may use items surrounding them as potential weapons[6][7]
If fighting in the street, players and enemies may be hit by cars and take additional damage[6]
Players can toggle the ability to let AI take control of the party and automatically fight enemies without the player's input[6]
If the player pays in-game money, they can also summon helper characters called Poundmates that help the player in some way[8][9][5]
All unique enemies that the player fights get logged in a compendium called the Sujimon Encyclopedia, which logs all possible enemy types in the game[10]
Side-stories and other minigames
When not following the main story, players can engage in other aspects of the game
Players can use taxis to quickly travel around the map
Players can visit shops located throughout the city to purchase items that regenerate their characters' health and mana points, as well as weapons and clothing that boosts a character's attack power or helps limit damage from enemies[7]
They can also visit the Romance Workshop to craft their own weapons, and reinforce them by providing money and crafting materials[5]
Features many mini-games, such as can collecting, go-kart racing, slots, and business management[8][11]
Like other Yakuza games, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has humorous side-quests called Sub-Stories, which give the player items and additional experience points upon completion
On 21 November 2018, the mobile game Ryū ga Gotoku Online was released; instead of Kazuma Kiryu, the game featured new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga[12]
In March 2019, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced that they would be releasing a Yakuza game for the PlayStation 4 starring Ichiban[13]
As an April Fools' Day joke, the studio uploaded a video on 1 April 2019 to YouTube showing footage of a turn-based RPG battle featuring Kasuga[14][15]
However, extremely positive fan reaction from the joke inspired the development team to switch to making a JRPG in its final year of development[16][17]
Creator Toshiro Nagoshi: The team wanted to change direction if they felt it could also grow under a different genre; felt that "leaving the system the same felt half-hearted if we’re changing the protagonist from Kazuma Kiryu and setting from Kamurocho"[18]
Also wanted to prove that the studio could make something other than an action game[19]
Debated about whether to have both an RPG and an action game, but realized that they would fall behind schedule if they did[20]
Stars protagonist from mobile game Yakuza Online, Ichiban Kasuga[21]
Code-named Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku,[22] or Shin Yakuza in English[23][24]
Announced that the game's story was completed at the end of May 2019[22]
Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi said that the new style of logo was done to reflect Ichiban Kasuga's differing personality compared to Kazuma Kiryu[25]
Sega have said that they wanted to try a different style of gameplay, but that if it is badly received, they will return to real-time combat for future games.[26][27]
The first mainline Yakuza title to receive an English dub since the original Yakuza in 2005[28]
The game was developed using the team's in-house game engine called Dragon Engine[29]
Kasuga was written to be the opposite of the previous Yakuza protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu: unlike Kazuma, Kasuga is a low-ranked yakuza member frequently disrespected and having to work his way up to earn his respect[30]
Producer and writer Masayoshi Yokoyama stated that while the two protagonists share a rough childhood that culminated in them becoming a member of the yakuza, Kasuga was created to be more relatable to the player[31]
Yokoyama was heavily inspired by the manga series One Piece, noting Kasuga served as the series' Monkey D. Luffy, with the other party members being the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates[32]
A new city was chosen to be the game's setting to coincide with the series' shift in protagonist; Yokohama was chosen because it was a city in the Kanto region near Tokyo, and it was a city that Western players would be familiar with[33]
The game's subtitle in Japanese and Chinese, "The whereabouts of light and darkness", was meant to sound conceptually similar to Dragon Quest[33]
When Sega announced that Yakuza: Like a Dragon would be released for the PlayStation 4 in March 2019, they simultaneously announced a casting call to find actresses to play supporting roles[36][37]
Sega narrowed it down to ten finalists,[38] then announced on 10 July, 2019 that Eri Kamataki would play a female co-star[39]
In addition to Kamataki, four other women were selected to lend their voice and likeness to the game[40]
For the English dub, Kaiji Tang was announced in July 2020 as the English voice actor for Ichiban, while George Takei played Masumi Arakawa[41]
While unfamiliar with video games, Takei was attracted to the multi-layered role of Arakawa[42]
In late August 2019, Sega announced that Yakuza: Like a Dragon would be released on 16 January 2020 in Japan[44]
Sega first announced that it would be released worldwide on 13 November 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC[45]
However, versions for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were released earlier on the 10th;[46][47] Sega reaffirmed that they would release the other SKUs on the 13th[48]
The game released on 2 March 2021 on PlayStation 5[49]
Addressing mixed fan reception to the stylistic change from a beat 'em up to an RPG, producer Daisuke Sato remarked, "I was prepared to have some fans who didn’t want the change. However, I do not intend to make a boring game, and I think that we should do our best to make this work a work loved by everyone."[50]
Released in Japan with day-one downloadable content that included new job classes and new outfits[52]
The game was made available on Xbox Game Pass in June 2021[53]
To promote the game, four albums containing various in-game karaoke tracks were released; the new in-game karaoke songs were also made available for karaoke[54]
In January 2020, Sega announced that Yakuza: Like a Dragon would feature seven updates of free downloadable content[55]
In February 2020, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced that it would be getting a paid downloadable update that would add additional elements of challenge, including a New Game Plus option and an increased difficulty mode[56]
^"『龍が如く最新作』助演女優オーディション" [Audition for Supporting Actress in "Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Latest Work"]. ryu-ga-gotoku-audition.com. SEGA. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2022-01-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
