Yakuza

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…

Yakuza: Like A Dragon Localization Breaks The Fourth Wall For A Unique Joke

Video game localization is a balancing act of preserving the original language’s meaning while also making sure it’s understandable for a wider audience. In one unusual example, Sega’s localizers faced a tricky situation trying to localize an NPC who already spoke English for the Western version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon Yakuza is full of…

I Can’t Wait For Yakuza: Like A Dragon‘s Goofy Minigames

With singing, racing karts, playing arcade machines, practicing batting, and vocational tests to perform, it’s amazing down-and-out Yakuza scrapper Ichiban Kasuga gets anything else done in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. The game’s latest trailer demonstrates all the ways I’ll be driven to distraction come November 10. Give me fun side activities over actual game progression…

A Few Alt-Reality Takes On Smash‘s Latest Character Reveal

Last week, Nintendo revealed that Steve Minecraft of Minecraft fame will be the next character added to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster. As is often the case, some folks were excited, some weren’t. More importantly, eagle-eyed Twitter users noticed a particularly memeable moment in the reveal trailer, wherein Steve crashes through a cave wall…

Sega Wants To Make A Yakuza Movie

Sega is in talks to adapt the Yakuza games into a movie, according to a new report by Variety. What could go wrong? Variety writes that Sega is currently working to develop the adaptation with the production firms 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content, which I’ve never heard of before. The two firms are still…

Yakuza Producer Finally Apologizes For Mocking Puzzle Game Esports Pros

In July, Yakuza executive director and producer Toshihiro Nagoshi used slang to disparage puzzle game pro players during a livestream. Sega soon apologized, and now, nearly a month later, so has Nagoshi. As previously reported, Nagoshi had said that Puyo Puyo esports players seemed like they eat beef bowls with cheese. The term chiizu gyuudon…

Yakuza: Like a Dragon brings its freaky Japanese RPG vibes to the West on November 13. Sega says its spin-off launches on Xbox One, PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X (available when the console launches), with PS5 coming at a later date. They also made this new trailer. Good for them. 

Live-Action Recreation Plays Homage To GTA, Yakuza, And Metal Gear Solid

YouTuber Komazawa Isolation took advantage of empty Shibuya streets to do a live-action open-world recreation that pays tribute to Grand Theft Auto, Yakuza, and Metal Gear Solid Have a look! It’s pretty great.