Yakuza

Incredible Yakuza: Like A Dragon Cosplay Is Punching Me In The Face

The last time we saw Enyendabbling in Yakuza cosplay, it was as a solitary star of the gangster saga. This time, he’s back, and just like Ichiban in Like a Dragon, he’s brought some friends. This is most of the main crew (sorry Eri!) of Sega’s latest crime/wholesome adventure, with Enyen as Kasuga, Mr. G…

The Week In Games: Yakuza: Like A Dragon Comes To PS5

If you like the Yakuza series but also only own a PS5, then you seem like a strange person. Also, some good news: Yakuza: Like A Dragon releases on PS5 later this week. I had an extended weekend recently and I almost downloaded Yakuza 0 via Game Pass. I still want to try and play…

Yakuza Fan Is Out Here Fixing The Series’ PC Versions Again

Like I’ve said, it’s a little rough going back and playing older Yakuza games in 2021, and not just because of the stiffer animation and lack of first-person perspective. The PC versions of Yakuzas 3, 4 & 5 also have (or had) a few technical hiccups as well. A few weeks ago modder Silent—who we…

Yakuza’s Producer Would Like To Bring Its 17th & 19th Century Spinoffs To The West

While Sega has eventually managed to bring all the main Yakuza games to the West, we’ve still never gotten the series’ two historical spinoffs, Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! and Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! Set in the 17th and 19th centuries respectively, these games take the core cast and premise of the Yakuza series and transplant…

Let’s See How Judgment On PS5 Looks Compared To The PS4 Version

Judgment originally debuted as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2018. It looked great! As announced this week, the game is going multiplatform and bound for the PlayStation 5. The game stars Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura as sleuth Takayuki Yagami as he tries to find a serial killer in Kamurocho, a fictionalized version of Shinjuku’s entertainment…

Yakuza Spin-Off Judgment Heading To Next-Gen Consoles On April 23

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Judgment is getting the next-gen treatment on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on April 23, Sega announced today. It will come bundled with all previously released DLC for $39.99. A Yakuza game in everything but name, Judgment follows Takayuki Yagami as he private detectives his way through the fictional streets…

Yakuza Producer Leaving Sega’s Board Of Directors, But Staying At Company

Today, Sega announced that Yakuza executive director and producer Toshihiro Nagoshi will be stepping down from the corporate board of directors. He will, however, remain at Sega. As reported on Game Biz, Nagoshi will leave the board as of April 1, when the new Japanese financial year starts. He will step down as Sega’s Chief…

It’s A Little Rough Going Back To Older Yakuza Games

We’ve been absolutely spoiled for Yakuza games lately, especially if you’re a newcomer to the series who has been able to leap effortlessly from 0 to the Kiwamis to Like a Dragon. But now that some of the older games are out on PC, those interested in reaching back into the series’ history need to…

Japan-Exclusive Yakuza PSP Game Gets Fan Translation

The popularity of the Yakuza franchise has exploded in the United States over the last few years, but we’ve mostly been getting games in the main series. Japan, on the other hand, has enjoyed a fair few exclusive spin-offs since the first game launched in 2005, one of which just got a fan translation for…

Yakuza 6, originally a PS4 exclusive, is heading to PC and Xbox Game Pass in March 2021 internationally. So is the Yakuza Remastered Collection, which includes former PlayStation exclusives, Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. Sega says it currently has no plans to make similar announcements for Japan. Update – 1/7/20 4:27AM: A spokesperson for the…

Yakuza: Like A Dragon’s Best Boss Theme Makes Me Wanna Break Stuff (In A Good Way)

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today, we’re looking at what I think is the best boss battle theme in modern history. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (playlist /longplay) is an incredible game that arguably improves on its beloved predecessors shifting to a…

Yakuza: Like A Dragon: The Kotaku 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. It sure seems new. The star of Yakuzas 0-6, Kazuma Kiryu, snuck off…

Yakuza: Like A Dragon‘s Crowded Pharmacy Really Stresses Me Out

In addition to battling randos and dodging traffic in the streets of Japan, I’ve spent a lot of time in Yakuza: Like a Dragon browsing the wares of various pharmacies and convenience stores. But one store is always so crowded that it’s impossible to navigate without shoving my fellow patrons out of the way, which…

Yakuza: Like A Dragon Patch Adds Major Feature I Didn’t Even Know Was Missing

Unbeknownst to me, Yakuza: Like a Dragon somehow left Japan bereft of one key feature: in-battle weakness indicators. But today, almost three weeks after its Western launch, a patch has added this game-changing mechanic to the wacky gangster RPG. As in any good role-playing game, the characters of Yakuza: Like a Dragon bring their own…

Yakuza’s Latest Protagonist Is The Hero I Need Right Now

In the midst of this chaotic, late-2020 world, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the most comforting game I’ve found by far. Yakuza games have always offered wildly captivating plots, ridiculous combat systems, and endless opportunities for digital tourism, but I’m mostly finding Like a Dragon such a great source of joy because of its fresh…

Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi talks about the birth and history of the Yakuza series in a fascinating 20-minute-plus interview. It’s a look back at the series and how Yakuza arrived at the place it is today. Definitely worth a watch! 

Tips For Playing Yakuza: Like A Dragon

It doesn’t matter if you’re a newcomer to the series or a veteran, there’s a lot to get to grips with in the latest Yakuza game, thanks to a new cast, a new city and, most important of all, a transition from action gameplay into full-blown JRPG combat. Also Yakuza: Like a Dragon is just…

Yakuza Creator Doesn’t Want Kiryu ‘Beating Up Women’ In Fighting Games

During a recent interview with Red Bull France, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi was asked about the common request for series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu to appear in a fighting game. Nagoshi is hesitant, he said, because he doesn’t want Kiryu fighting women. “We do get this request a lot,” Nagoshi told interviewer Grégory de Meyer, who…

Our Yakuza: Like A Dragon Review Is In Progress [UPDATE]

UPDATE: IT’S DONE Original post: Wondering where our Yakuza: Like a Dragon review is? It’s in progress! This is a huge game, like any Yakuza title, and to rush it to meet an embargo date (which just ticked over), skipping over its bounty of sidequests and secrets, isn’t fair on any of us. So stay…

Sega Is Releasing A Mashup Of Yakuza And Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Kamurocho is Streets of Rage 2 starring Yakuza’s Kiryu and Majima and will be free-to-play on October 17 as part of Sega’s 60th Anniversary event on Steam. In addition to iconic Yakuza characters, the remixed beat ‘em up, created by Empty Clip Studios, will also feature levels inspired by the games and will…