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That allows for a lot more depth and specialization. As Kasuga establishes himself in the town, other characters join in on the action.
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Well-timed button presses grant additional damage or mitigate enemy attacks, which helped me stay engaged during battles. Returning players will notice some familiar animations, including some bike-swinging action when characters come across those props in the field. I was a little put off by the turn-based combat at first, but I quickly warmed up to it. Changing these jobs is simple, though it requires a quick stop at the employment agency – a nice reminder that, as goofy as it all can be, it’s grounded in its own sense of reality. The jobs and the overall attacks are pretty silly, which is suitably on brand. Each role acquires new abilities as they’re leveled up, like the chef using an area-of-effect flambé technique or the musician strumming a tune that heals the party. You begin as a bat-swinging hero, but you can also swap to several other roles, such as a chef, musician, or break dancer.
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Like a Dragon isn’t just a superficial take on RPGs it holds a satisfying amount of depth, including the various jobs that characters can take. What could be a boring slog cleverly leans into the RPG systems that underpin the entire experience. This new hero doesn’t have established relationships in this new town, so the first few hours are filled with simple things like finding work. Kasuga certainly has goals and motivations – figuring out why his father figure in the Tojo Clan betrayed him is chief among them – but the fact that he’s such a small figure in this world creates an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Without the weight of half a dozen or so games and their associated histories on his shoulders, Kasuga is a blank slate for this new Yokohama adventure.
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We don’t know much about Kasuga at first, which ends up being one of the most refreshing things that Like a Dragon offers. Kasuga’s willingness to help is weaponized against him, leading to him taking the fall (and an 18-year prison sentence) for a murder. He sees himself as a hero, even if his abilities don’t initially line up with his aspirations.
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At the beginning of his adventure, Kasuga shares his enthusiasm for the Dragon Quest series with an underling. This new hero is impulsive, hotheaded, and a bit of a goofball. Kasuga is no Kiryu, and that’s kind of the point. Kiryu’s stoicism and determination were a natural fit for the criminal underworld he orbited, but his charm and willingness to help people with their problems won audiences over. Ichiban Kasuga had some big slip-on loafers to fill. Fortunately, Like a Dragon’s bold gamble pays off, leading to one of the best entries to date. It’s a pivot that could have ended in disaster. And while there is a new face to the action, he’s accompanied throughout his adventure in Yokohama with a rotating troupe of like-minded heroes. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the studio raised eyebrows by scrapping the traditional arcade-brawler combat and replacing it with turn-based RPG-inspired battles. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio could have simply dropped a new face in Kamurocho and called it a day, but that’s not what happened. Yakuza 6 marked the end of protagonist Kazuma Kiryu’s journey, leaving us with a single question: “What now?” For years, players had explored Japan with Kiryu, becoming attached to the character as well as the template that his games inhabited. There will also be a closed beta on Steam soon, so definitely be on the lookout for more updates to come.Įlsewhere in gaming, Rockstar has apologized for the botched release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition. As the game goes on, the villain will become more and more powerful, and those trying to run away will have to scavenge weapons, vehicles, and power-ups to slow him down.įor those interested, Dragon Ball: The Breakers will release sometime next year across the Sony PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/ S, and PC. The Raider will have to take out all seven Survivors before they’re able to find the Super Time Machine to escape the Temporal Seam. As Survivors, their goal is to survive the terrors of the eighth player, who’ll take on the role as Raider through one of the many notorious villains in Dragon Ball, including Cell, Buu and Frieza. Dubbed Dragon Ball: The Breakers, the new Bandai Namco title brings together a group of seven players who’ll be transported into a mysterious land called the Temporal Seam.
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