Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku held a livestream to show off new gameplay of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which included new insights to its combat mechanics, the cinema minigame, and the karaoke feature (via DualShockers).
Firstly, the combat system was shown. Its ‘live command RPG battle’ style has been explained previously, but it became clear that Kasuga and his party will be able to down enemies, and they will do more damage when their foe is prone. Furthermore, there’s a Just Guard system and a Just Action system. These increase Kasuga’s defense against enemy attacks and improve his damage done if the player taps the right button at the right time.
We knew that Kasuga could call on summons, as part of the new game’s JRPG spin on the series, but one more summon was revealed in the livestream. Gary Buster Holmes, Gonda Wara, a crayfish, and a cat are in the roster of summons. Why a cat? Well, producer Toshihiro Nagoshi loves cats. That’s reason enough if you ask me. He also stated that the cat will be incredibly powerful, so I’m hoping that the summon is a cameo of Bilbo the Cat.
Next, the cinema and karaoke minigames were detailed. As reported previously, the cinema minigame will have Kasuga fighting to stay awake during the tediously time-consuming movies. A rhythm minigame, the player needs to shoot the sheep but avoid the roosters so that Kasuga doesn’t succumb to sleepiness. The developers said that there are lots of movies to unlock but the rewards are only given if Kasuga stays awake.
Expectedly, the karaoke minigame is back, as well as hostess bars. Cabaret hostess Saeko Mukouda is a companion character, and it was discovered that she is able to take on a job as a Doctor. This is a job as part of the levelling system in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, wherein different characters are better or worse at different disciplines.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon will release on January 16 in Japan and at some point in 2020 in the west, exclusively on PlayStation 4. Check out the new gameplay footage below.
