STACK #193 Nov 2020

GAMING FEATURE

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YAKUZA A QUICK CHRONOLOGY Yakuza 2006 (PS2, PS4)

The story of Kazuma Kiryu begins – a tale of injustice, greed, an orphan and product placement.

Yakuza 2 2008 (PS2, PS4)

YEAR OF THE DRAGON Back in 2006, SEG unleashed a PlayStation 2 action- adventure series in the west that has since seen many main story entries and several spin-offs. Now, Yakuza: Like a Dragon makes it our way, and there are changes in store. Words Amy Flower

The saga continues, with a trip to Osaka, alliance wars, a missing child, love and Virtua Fighter 4 .

Yakuza 3 2010 (PS3, PS4) A new location opens up – Ryukyu – plus an orphanage, legitimate business and instant noodles. Yakuza 4 2011 (PS3, PS4) An expanded Kamurocho delivers murder, honour, money, a mysterious woman and karaoke. Yakuza 5 2015 (PS3, PS4) Kazuma’s quiet taxi-driving life makes way for a broken truce, clandestine meetings and dance battles. Yakuza 0 2017 (PS4, Xbox One) It’s prequel time – an ’80s tinged tale of debt collection, murder, wrongful arrest and cabaret. Yakuza 6:The Song of Life 2018 (PS4) Moving right along, we encounter a helpless child, unlikely allies, family and a Nyan Nyan Café. Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2020 (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S) We’re bang up to date, as Ichiban Kasuga takes on prison, betrayal, cracking skulls and go-karting.

A nybody familiar with the Yakuza saga will have fond memories of Kazuma Kiryu’s exploits, which kicked off with him serving time for a crime that he didn’t commit, and last saw his story reach its final act. We’ve been with him for seven episodes, so he’s a bit

If all of this change isn’t enough, the fighting system has also undergone an overhaul, eschewing real-time biffo for more of a turn- based strategy mechanism, in keeping with a focus on group battles. Moves are chosen from a menu, be they an attack, a guard or unique ability, all of which are tied to the chosen members of your party’s line of work. It brings an

like family – but now he makes way for a new recruit, aspiring yakuza Ichiban Kasuga. The protagonist switch isn’t the only big change to the series, as the setting shifts from the edgy fictional streets of Kamurochō (a thinly veiled take on Tokyo’s Kabukichō district) to the wilds of Isezaki Ijincho (itself a fictionalised Isezakichō , a district in Yokohama). This also

So much newness, yet Yakuza: Like a Dragon promises much for long-time fans of the series to experience

added element of strategy that will take some getting used to for long-time fans, but bigger picture- wise it does make sense in practice. With all of this change, fans may worry that the combination brawler/ gangster life simulation that

seriously golden. Kart racing hits the streets, while there’s everything from batting cages to running your own company. Naturally the arcade action of Club SEGA returns, with claw machine challenges and playable

• Yakuza: Like a Dragon is out Nov 10

careened between extreme violence, full-on heartstring plucking

means a much larger map to explore than that of Yakuza 6 (the seventh instalment, due to the timeline insertion of prequel Yakuza 0 ). DID YOU KNOW? The Yakuza series is known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku , which literally translates as “like a dragon”.

and going gloriously bonkers – often in quick succession –- also goes south. Relax, as it doesn’t. Peeling away the layers while getting to know Ichiban promises several surprises, and then there are all the wild minigame pastimes that the Yakuza series is renowned for. Speaking of minigames, if you’re looking to kill time in Yakuza: Like a Dragon then you’ll be

classics including Space Harrier , Out Run , Super Hang-On , Virtua Fighter 2 and underrated shmup gem Fantasy Zone. So much newness, yet Yakuza: Like a Dragon promises much for long-time fans of the series to experience.

24 NOVEMBER 2020

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