Ask any fan of the Yakuza series about what sticks out the most and they'll likely all have the same answer: the minigames. Along with featuring a well-acted, well-paced, and well-shot story, each Yakuza title has a plethora of minigames to keep players entertained beyond the core narrative. The upcoming Yakuza: Like a Dragon may be changing how the combat functions, but it's not scrimping out on the different side activities players can enjoy.
We've known about some of these for a while now (those go-karts look incredible), but this latest trailer gives us our best look yet at what's in store for Like a Dragon. There are a few variations on racing minigames, the full Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown game, and even the ability to run your own company!
The absolutely magnificent Karaoke is also returning and will even feature songs sung in English! That's a first for the series and something that is bound to create a fervor over on Twitter. The potential of hearing George Takei singing Baka Mitai makes me incredibly happy.
The following songs will be included in this newest entry and all will feature an English option:
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Baka Mitai (I've Been a Fool)
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Hell Stew
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Like a Butterfly
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Machine Gun Kiss
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Spring Breeze
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The Future I Dreamed Of
For those out of the loop, Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be launching on November 10, 2020, for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and PS4. A PS5 port will be landing on March 2, 2021. Players of the last-generation versions will receive free upgrades to their next-generation platforms of choice once they decide to grab the new consoles. This applies to both physical and digital purchases.
Having been a big fan of the series for almost a decade now, I've been skeptical of Like a Dragon's shift away from real-time brawling to turn-based RPG combat. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has a strong pedigree, but we need to see if it can stick the landing when transitioning to a new genre. I'm fairly confident that the team will be able to hit another homerun, especially considering its last diversion with Binary Domain was excellent.
Source: Sega PR