Tag: Yakuza
Guide All Yakuza / Like a Dragon Games Ranked: Which Yakuza Games to Play and Where to Start
That's rad!
SEGA's Yakuza or Like a Dragon series has been around since the days of the PlayStation 2, but only over the last half a decade or so has it really started to seep into the consciousness of a wider Western audience. This is largely thanks to 2017's Yakuza 0, which sparked a whole new wave of interest on PlayStation 4. It helped, of...
Poll Help Us Rank the Yakuza / Like a Dragon Games
Judgment included
With the recent release of Like a Dragon: Ishin!, we think it's time to properly rank the games in RGG Studio's beloved Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise. And, as always, we want your help in creating a definitive list. Determining the series' best games won't be easy, though. This is a property that's managed to maintain a fairly...
News Surprising Absolutely No-One, Like a Dragon: Ishin! DLC Lets You Dress as Kazuma Kiryu
Dress to impress
Like a Dragon: Ishin will roar onto PS5 on 21st February, and by all indications, it's looking like it will satisfy fans' cravings for a new Ryu Ga Gotoku-developed adventure. With release right around the corner, we got a peek at some DLC coming to the game at launch, and players will be able to don the modern-day threads of the...
Random Yakuza Producer Surprised by How Sexy Fans Find Goro Majima
He shouldn't be
Everybody loves a bad boy, right? That certainly seems to be the case within the Yakuza fandom, where antiheroes like Kazuma Kiryu are celebrated for solving problems with their fists. It appears to be news to series producer and director Hiroyuki Sakamoto, however, who was surprised to learn just how popular antagonist Goro Majima...
Preview Has Like a Dragon: Ishin's Journey to the West on PS5, PS4 Been Worth the Wait?
SEGA's historical period drama finally arrives overseas
It’s as ancient as Like a Dragon: Ishin’s backdrop, but there was a time when Yakuza fans had to fight tooth and nail like Kazuma Kiryu for Yakuza games. Back when Yakuza Ishin released as a Japanese exclusive launch title for the PS4 in 2014, PlayStation’s third-party evangelist Gio...
News Yakuza's Addictive Cabaret Club Will Return in Like a Dragon Gaiden on PS5, PS4
Hostess with the mostess
The minigames are a massive part of the appeal in any Yakuza title, and it looks like SEGA will be bringing back a classic for the upcoming Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Those of you who follow the series closely will know that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is currently holding a competition for models to appear...
News Yakuza Developer RGG Studio Announces RGG Summit Event for Next Week
See you at the summit
RGG Studio, the developer behind the Yakuza and Judgment franchises, has announced a digital event that will take place next week, on Wednesday the 14th September. Given that the studio's Western social media accounts relayed this information, it's fair to assume that the so-called RGG Summit 2022 will be aimed at a global...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2 Reveal Could Be Incoming
RGG Studio teases 'sneak peek'
Our first proper look at Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2, or whatever the previously confirmed sequel turns out to be called, could be incoming. Developer RGG Studio is teasing a "sneak peek trailer" for something, as part of its next RGG Studio TV broadcast, scheduled for the 8th September. The stream is set to begin at 8PM...
News PS Plus Extra, Premium Members Get All Main Yakuza Games Before End of 2022
Some part of August PS Plus Extra drop
In addition to the PS Plus Essential lineup for August 2022, Sony has announced every mainline Yakuza game will be coming to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium by t
News Very First Look at Yakuza: Like a Dragon Sequel Surfaces
Ichiban has tied his hair back
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has given us our very first look at Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2 — or whatever the sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon ends up being called. Despite being officially announced back in October of last year, we haven't seen anything of the sequel up until now. All we know for sure is that
News Yakuza Characters Will Be Skins in Rainbow Six: Siege for Some Reason
Play as Kiryu and Sayama
Famous Yakuza faces Kazuma Kiryu and Kaoru Sayama will release as skins for two Operators in Rainbow Six: Siege from Tuesday 24th May 2022. The former will be a skin for Echo while the latter is applied to Hibana, both of which are Japanese. At the end of the announcement trailer embedded above, it's teased that Goro Majima...
News RGG Studio Has 'A Lot' of Unannounced Games in Development Alongside Yakuza 8
Nani
Yakuza and Judgment developer RGG Studio is apparently hard at work on "a lot of unannounced titles", alongside the previously confirmed Yakuza 8. Back in November last year, the Japanese company said it was planning games that have nothing to do with the aforementioned Yakuza or Judgment properties, which makes things very interesting indeed...
News Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown Feels the Heat with Yakuza DLC Pack Next Week
Enter the dragon
Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is getting a meaty DLC pack on the 8th December. The artfully named 'Yakuza Series Collaboration Pack' includes loads of costumes based on characters from the Yakuza games, but that's not all. It also has Yakuza music tracks (we're headbanging already), loads of new customisation items (over 650,...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Sequel Announced and In Development
Take your turn
Just the other day, Yakuza and Judgment developer RGG Studio confirmed the departure of Toshihiro Nagoshi and Daisuke Sato — two SEGA veterans who helped shape the Yakuza series as we know it. The company has been restructured as a result, and the new team has already revealed what it's working on next. We all knew it was coming,...
News Restructured Yakuza Dev Posts Coolest Staff Photo Ever as Series Creator Leaves SEGA
Studio head also exits
The developer that makes the Yakuza and Judgment games, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio for short), has officially reshuffled following the confirmed departure of Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi. His exit was heavily rumoured back in August. The 56-year-old had become something of a legendary figure at SEGA, having...
News Yakuza, Judgment Dev Planning to Have Global Release Dates for All Future Games
Finally
Speaking during the Lost Judgment livestream, RGG Studio head Toshihiro Nagoshi stated that the developer plans on releasing all of its future games worldwide, simultaneously. In the past, we've had to wait months — sometimes even years! — for Yakuza titles to be localised here in the West, so this is great news. Of course, these plans...
News Future Yakuza Games Will Have Turn-Based Combat, Not Action
Action gameplay lives on in Lost Judgment
If the turn-based combat of Yakuza: Like a Dragon discouraged you from checking out that particular entry, then the franchise might not be for you going forward. Creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa have revealed in a new interview with IGN that future instalments in the Yakuza series will...
News Ghost of Tsushima Success Could Be Key to Yakuza Samurai Games Coming West
Kenzan and Ishin mentioned again
Western Yakuza fans have been hounding SEGA to localise historical spinoff titles Yakuza Kenzan and Yakuza Ishin for years now. The two games repurpose the characters and gameplay of the Yakuza series for a samurai era setting, but they've never been released outside of Japan and other Asian territories. Given that...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Cosplay Performance Is Impressively Accurate
I'm walkin' here
Hugely talented cosplayer Enyen has recently been making waves with a very impressive adaptation of Yakuza: Like a Dragon — and we just had to write about it. Enyen's Twitter posts have been going viral over the past few days, with the cosplayer taking to the streets as protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. With the help of fellow...
Soapbox How Yakuza Proves Bigger Open Worlds Aren't Always Better
Size matters
Bigger is not always better – at least, that’s what I try to tell myself every time I hop in the shower. Alright, I’m probably lying to myself: after all, no one orders a single patty from Five Guys, do they? I do believe, however, that in the case of open world games, a smaller, denser environment is preferable to gigantic open...
Poll Have You Played Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and What Review Score Would You Give It?
Enter the dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon finally launched on PlayStation 5 earlier this week, following the end of an Xbox exclusivity period on next-gen hardware. The often insane RPG runs better than ever on Sony's new system, and even though we had already played it to death on PS4, we've been enjoying it all over again on PS5. At its best, we...
Reminder Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Legends Costume DLC Is Free, But Only for a Limited Time
It's all in the suit
The 'Legends Costume Set' for Yakuza: Like a Dragon is currently going free on the PlayStation Store, in celebration of the game's launch on PS5. It includes eight different outfits, all of which are based on existing characters in the series. And yes, it lets you dress protagonist Ichiban up as the infamous Goro Majima. If...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Free PS5 Upgrade Now Available
Go, go Ichiban
Update 3: Hurrah, the free PS4 to PS5 upgrade for Yakuza: Like a Dragon is finally working for digital buyers. Either find the game on the PlayStation Store or in your library, and you should see the option to upgrade for free on the right of the screen. After you've clicked that, just make sure to download the PS5 version and you're...
Reminder Yakuza: Like a Dragon Beats Down PS5 This Week
That's rad
It’s been a long wait, but the turn-based Yakuza: Like a Dragon will finally make its move on PlayStation 5 this week. The game launched on the PlayStation 4 – and various other platforms – last year, but was delayed on Sony’s next-gen console, presumably due to marketing arrangements. Fortunately, those deals have now elapsed,...
News Yakuza Studio Head Wants Ishin and Kenzan Remakes for the West
But no plans for Dead Souls
Fans of the Yakuza franchise have been calling for ports of historical spin-offs Yakuza Ishin and Yakuza Kenzan for quite some time now following the surge in interest the series has experienced in more recent years. SEGA has said it is unsure if the feudal Japan setting would appeal to the western market
News PS Store Sells Yakuza Series for Peanuts, But You've Got to Be Quick
Get those dancing shoes on
If you're reading this and the Yakuza franchise has always piqued your interest but you've never given it a proper chance, you've got roughly 10 hours to take advantage of an outstanding set of deals. Through until midnight tonight, every single mainline entry in the series has been so heavily discounted that a single 30+...
Round Up Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS4 Reviews Justify a New Direction
That's rad
The PlayStation 4 release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon is just around the corner, which means it's time for reviews to hit and share their verdict on this new, turn-based direction for the franchise. These verdicts cover the current-gen release rather than the PlayStation 5 version, which is scheduled to hit next March. And, from what we can...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Pokes Fun at Next-Gen Upgrades
Crustacean AI, anyone?
Listen, we know that this is predominately an Xbox trailer and PS5 players will have to wait until next year to get their free Yakuza: Like a Dragon upgrade, but this is still a fun video. The short but sweet clip starts by highlighting the benefits of next-gen hardware, before listing a bunch of dumb selling points like...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Yokohama Map Is Bloody Huge
Way bigger than Kamurocho
Kamurocho, the infamous red light district that's featured in every mainline Yakuza game to date (and even Judgment), is one of our favourite places in gaming. We love it to bits, but at this point, its gaudy streets burned into our brains. Fortunately, the developer knows how to shake things up just enough, as it...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Looks Positively Barmy in New Trailer
WTF?!
Either Yakuza: Like a Dragon is poised to become the best game ever made, or the person cutting its trailers is a genius. Whatever the case, you’ve got to watch this trailer for the upcoming PlayStation 5 action role-playing game – it’s bonkers! This video showcases many of the minigames you’ll encounter during your quest, some of...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS5 Version Coming March 2021, Free Upgrade Confirmed
Free physical upgrade too
Update: It has now been confirmed that physical PS4 copies of Yakuza: Like a Dragon can also be upgraded to the PS5 version free of charge — you'll just need to purchase the console that comes with a disc drive. However, your save data will not transfer from PS4 to PS5. Original story: Whilst Xbox Series X owners...
News No, There's Probably Not a Yakuza Game Reveal Planned for Sunday
That's not so rad
Update: Oh, that's a shame. It turns out there probably isn't a new Yakuza game planned for reveal during Sunday's SEGA Nama broadcast. The co-host in question has now said that she misunderstood the panel's description, which reads: "there will be new information on the Yakuza series". So, there's going to be new info on something...
News SEGA's Making a Live Action Yakuza Movie
Enter the Dragon
SEGA is bringing Yakuza to the big screen, it seems. The Japanese publisher is teaming up with 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content in order to make the dream a reality. Apparently, they're in the process of looking for script writers right now, so it's still very early days. And er... That's about it. It's going to be live...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS4 Release Date May Have Been Moved
SEGA says "stay tuned"
The excellent looking Yakuza: Like a Dragon has long been one of our most anticipated games of 2020. It was originally set to launch on the 13th November on PS4 with a PS5 version promised at a later date, but now it looks like the release date may have been moved. It's now been confirmed that Like a Dragon will arrive on...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon English Trailer Shows Off Ludicrous Fighting Styles
PS5 version "coming soon"
How can you not fall in love with the Yakuza series? This Japanese franchise has grown to become fairly popular in the West, and we've been seeing a lot of Kamurocho on PlayStation 4. The latest iteration is Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which stars a new hero but looks just as wacky as its predecessors. A new trailer, embedded...
News SEGA's Added Kazuma Kiryu's Karaoke Songs to Spotify
Today is a diamond
With that sleek grey suit and crimson, high collared shirt, Kazuma Kiryu’s always dreamed of being a crooner on the club circuit. And now he may finally get this shot at stardom, as SEGA has added a collection of the character’s karaoke hits to Spotify. You can listen to six full-length songs courtesy of the widget embedded...
Random YouTuber Recreates Yakuza in Real Life to an Eerily Accurate Degree
Plus some GTA and MGS
Japanese YouTube channel 駒沢アイソレーション -- @KaoruGans0 on Twitter -- has done a pretty amazing job of recreating Yakuza in real life. Filmed in Shibuya, the above video nails so many aspects of SEGA's sandbox series. The character animations, the camera movement -- at times it's eerily accurate.
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Finally Comes to the West This November
Feel the power
It seems that Yakuza: Like a Dragon has received an official release date and Sony hasn't even decided to kick up a fuss about it. Available for pre-order on the PlayStation Store right now, the current-gen version is coming to PlayStation 4 on 13th November 2020. Don't forget that there will also be a PlayStation 5 version further...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Looks Superb in New English Dub Trailer, But Still No Release Date
Party time
As gigantic fans of the Yakuza series, we here at Push Square can't wait to get our grubby mitts on Yakuza: Like a Dragon -- and the game's newest trailer has done an amazing job of feeding our hype. Once again, the role-playing title looks absolutely mental. Yakuza has always been wacky, but this latest entry looks to be taking things to...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon English Dub Announced, Stars George Takei
And Greg Chun from Judgment
SEGA has revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will feature an optional English voice track when it launches later this year here in the West. The upcoming role-playing title will follow the same path as Judgment, which released in 2019 complete with a great English dub. Kaiji Tang will voice protagonist Ichiban Kasuga,...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS5 Upgrade Confirmed, Will 'Release at a Later Date'
Timed exclusivity for Xbox
It's old news now that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be enhanced for Xbox Series X. Microsoft has seemingly struck a deal with SEGA to promote the title exclusively on the company's next-gen console, leaving PlayStation fans wondering whether the game will receive any PlayStation 5 support. As it turns out, Yakuza: Like a...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon PEGI, ESRB Ratings Skip Speculated PS5 Version
Back compat it is, then
It is looking increasingly likely that PlayStation fans will have to settle for just a current-gen version when Yakuza: Like a Dragon launches in the west this holiday season. The game has been confirmed for PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and the next-gen Xbox Series X, but a PlayStation 5 version is nowhere in sight. The...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Gameplay Is 15 Minutes of Turn-Based Mayhem
Feel the power
Yakuza: Like a Dragon represents a major departure for the franchise, but according to reviews of the Japanese version at least, it's still a really great game. The western version is currently scheduled to launch at the end of this year, it's even an Xbox Series X launch title, and this lengthy slice of footage is our best look at...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Gets New English Trailer, But No Mention of PS5 Version
Still set for PS4
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a brand new English trailer, which debuted earlier today during the Xbox Series X stream. There, SEGA confirmed that the game will be available at launch on Xbox Series X, but there's been no mention of a PlayStation 5 version. It's safe to assume that backwards compatibility will let you play the PS4...
News 1 Year Ago Today, Yakuza Devs 'Joked' About a Turn Based Yakuza Game
It was no joke
One year ago today, on April Fool's Day 2019, SEGA's Yakuza series development team released an off-screen gameplay video of its next title. The footage showed Yakuza: Like a Dragon in action, except it had... Turn based combat? In a Yakuza game? At the time, we all thought it was just a joke. After all, it was the 1st April -- why...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Charges Just $0.60 for New Game+, But Rises to Nearly $9 in May
Nani!?
This might be the most bizarre and suspect handling we've seen of a piece of DLC in quite some time. SEGA has stripped Yakuza: Like a Dragon of its New Game+ feature in Japan so that it can sell it back to purchasers at a later date after every previous entry had the mode packed in from launch. That's bad enough on its own, but the situation...
Guide Which Yakuza Games to Play and Where to Start
A beginner's guide to Yakuza
SEGA's Yakuza series has been around since the days of the PlayStation 2, but only over the last few years or so has it really began to seep into the consciousness of a wider Western audience. This is largely thanks to 2017's Yakuza 0, which sparked a whole new wave of interest on PlayStation 4. It helped, of course,...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Ships Over 400,000 Units
Breathing fire
Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s sales looked disappointing at first blush in Japan, but between physical and digital copies, the role-playing game’s done okay for itself. SEGA reports that shipments have now exceeded 400,000 copies across Asia, and the publisher is marking the occasion with a 30 per cent discount on the Japanese...
Super hard difficulty, too
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has got off to a good start in its native Japan with some pretty solid sales figures. And despite its dramatic departure in the gameplay department -- swapping action combat for turn based battles -- the title appears to have been well received. However, the release is currently being hounded by fans...
Random Yakuza Remastered Collection Proves Goro Majima Really Is Everywhere
Hiding spot
We all know that Goro Majima is everywhere, but the recent physical release of The Yakuza Remastered Collection has taken things one step further. Goro Majima really is everywhere -- even inside the game's special slipcase itself! Spotted by user Billonel on Reddit, remove the box from its cardboard casing and you'll find Goro Majima...