Yakuza: Like a Dragon Reviews

Infinite Wealth was a huge downgrade from this but was INFINITELY better in gameplay. I still prefer Yakuza 7 leagues over it in terms of story AND ACTUALLY HAVING NEW GAME PLUS NOT PAYWALLED.

Some people's first yakuza game, it's the first RPG of the series and it kinda shows. It has it short comings but MAN is it a fantastic game. Peak story, straight up one of the best of the series, fantastic characters, fantastic minigames, the rpg aspect is fun (look at my playtime). It has a lot of heart, this game is really beautiful in a way.

Game is pretty good, getting 100% kind of a grind but at least i didn't have to play mahjong to get it. gg 8/10

It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry. It's a really good JRPG all around a great continuation of the series. One of the few games I've ever got 100% achievements on. Highly recommend if you like JRPGs.

Took me a minute but finally beat it! I love it, this is my first Yakuza game and now im invested to try the rest <3

Took me a while to get into this game. the Turn Based Gameplay was a big change that I struggled to deal with at first. The only RPG's I'd played prior to this were Persona 4 and 5 and I heavily prefer those games combat to this game because of the fun "one more" system. Additionally I was just so used to the adrenaline pumping fun of the beat em up combat in the previous 7 games, so moving to something much slower and less hands on was hard for me. But eventually I became hooked in this game by it's incredible story and characters. This is easily one of the best stories in the franchise, maybe even the best. I got three more games to go though so we'll see if that changes. anyway 10/10

Story started off great but the combat is so bad that it actually prevents me from getting into the narrative. The game constantly forces you to fight against copy and pasted enemies, and 70% of gameplay results to watching characters play same skill animations endlessly.

My first Yakuza series and my first platinum trophy. I recommend everyone to play this game (if you're into rpg and good storytelling). 10/10

My first yakuza game and I played for hours straight. Turn based mechanics for those who would enjoy this but also have some beat em up elements. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys doing side quests or collecting stuff

Yakuza: Like a Dragon was my first entry into the series — and while I’ve since gone back to play Yakuza 0 (and loved it), this one still holds a special place for me. It has everything I came to love about the series: a serious, well-written crime story wrapped in a completely ridiculous, over-the-top world full of side quests, weird characters, and surprisingly heartfelt moments. If anything, Like a Dragon leans even harder into the goofiness — and I absolutely loved that. Ichiban is such a likable protagonist. Compared to Kiryu, the tone around him is just warmer and more optimistic, even during the dark moments. That energy makes the story feel lighter without losing emotional depth. That said, I’m not a fan of the turn-based combat. I definitely prefer the action brawling from Yakuza 0 — I just found it more engaging and less repetitive. Still, the combat didn’t ruin the experience, and I understand why they made the shift. I do wish I’d started with Yakuza 0 and worked my way here, but honestly, Like a Dragon still worked beautifully as an introduction to the series. I’m now fully committed to playing every main game and even the spin-offs — and I have Like a Dragon to thank for that.