Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a departure for the series. It ditches longtime protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, for the young blood of Ichiban Kasuga. It's also the first time the series has been dubbed since the original launched on PS2. Plus, it is no longer a brawler, but is instead a turn-based RPG.
Sega gambled a lot on this one, but based on reviews, it seems the Yakuza team made the right call. Across all launch platforms, it is getting incredible reviews. That doesn't mean it's perfect because there are a number of things that gamers would like to see fixed about Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
10 Real Auto-Battling
The fact that Yakuza: Like A Dragon has an auto-battle option is a miracle. Not all RPGs include it. That said, it isn’t truly automatic because one still has to input combo codes for specials as well as timing blocks to reduce damage. Adding in a feature to have everything automatic would be good for more casual fans. Also getting a fast-forward option, even out of auto-battle, would be good.
9 Camera Angles And Battle Movement
The idea of what the team was going for in combat is understandable. Heroes and enemies moving around automatically and staring each other down simulates the tension.
However, since a lot of moves are based on area damage, an enemy moving away from others at the last second can be a pain and a waste of a move if it only hits one person. Adding in movement for both sides would take a lot of redesigning, but it should be added, or at least put in the sequel.
8 Constrained Job System
It takes about twelve hours to unlock jobs in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. They are some of the best parts about the game, but it takes so long to get to them. Also, one can’t swap jobs whenever they feel like. They can only do it at the job agency. This goes against a lot of RPGs with class systems like in Final Fantasy. Adding in the option to change them easier should make the game better.
7 Difficulty Options
Unlike other Yakuza games, players can’t choose their difficulty at the start. This is strange for the series but not so strange for RPGs. If one finds the game too hard they can always grind for levels but like the game it constantly references, Dragon Quest, Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a grind. This is true for gaining experience to level up as well as money. Creating an easy mode would allow more players to freely enjoy the story without having to write us out this grind as much.
6 Saving In Dungeons
One of the best things that persists over the Yakuza franchise is being able to save anywhere at anytime. That is to say it almost allows for that option. When going into dungeons saves are designated to save points which seems like an odd choice. Being able to save anywhere in a dungeon should be an easy fix for a future patch so hopefully it will eventually happen.
5 Voice Work Isn’t Complete
This is the first time Yakuza has had English voices since the original on PS2. The quality is there for Yakuza: Like A Dragon, but it isn’t complete. For example, enemies speak in Japanese while in combat while the English voice actors keep their parts. Going from a cutscene with spoken English to a text chain can also change voice actor responses from English to Japanese. It’s kind of all over the place which is distracting more so than it is bad or a real problem.
4 Better Fast Travel
The fast travel options have always been a plague for this series. Players can find taxis and pay them to drop them off at designated stations. These stations can sometimes be many, allowing for one to quickly go where they need to. However, some areas are more limited making the run to objectives more of a pain. As an open-world game, or more like an open-city game, Yakuza: Like A Dragon should have more places to warp to.
3 Shopping Is A Pain
On the opposite end of the drop off spectrum for taxis, there are too many shops in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Many of them offer the same amount of stuff, but knowing what place has what can be a hassle. There isn’t even a phone option to purchase even the most basic essentials but one can craft a weapon? It doesn’t make any sense especially if one is trapped in a dungeon and can’t save. Reducing the amount of stores might be too hard so adding in an app would be a good alternative.
2 Party Conversation Interruptions
Since this game is an RPG, players can create a party to stroll around in. This can sometimes prompt a conversation to happen. A conversation that can easily be interrupted.
If this happens then it will go back to the beginning no matter how many times it gets canceled. It’s best to just stay still and listen, which is a good tip. On the other hand Sega could just make the conversations less finicky.
1 Save Bond Experience
Speaking of the group, party members will grow in affection to Ichiban with Bond points. Getting to the locked icon on the bar means they can be conversed at the Survive bar in order to learn new traits about them sort of like the social calls in Persona 5. However, if one gains more Bond points before going back to the bar, they will be lost. Allowing for Yakuza: Like A Dragon to keep track of all experience would be helpful especially since sometimes it is impossible to further the bond at that point in the story making gained points in the meantime a waste.