After being terribly miscast as a Japanese-influenced “Grand Theft Auto” clone when originally released on the Playstation 2 in 2005, “Yakuza” set the stage for a franchise that would take over a decade to gain a solid footing on western shores. The “Yakuza” franchise found itself finally being praised for innovation meeting old school mechanics with the prequel to the original game, “Yakuza 0”. Fans both new & old were off to the figurative races following “Yakuza 0” with remakes, remasters, and even brand new continuations enveloping gaming’s eighth generation. With the rise of Sony & Microsoft’s latest consoles comes something different as well from a game series that has become known for what it is without giving into the pressure of change. It’s time to get those strategy guides ready, grab a baseball bat, and feel the heat with some first impressions of “Yakuza Like A Dragon”.
