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Yakuza: Like a Dragon (also known as Yakuza 7) has six stats that boost Kasuga’s courage, cheerfulness, intelligence, and will even make him popular with the ladies (via Gematsu).
Yakuza 7 turns over a new leaf for the classic action series, in that the combat system has been swapped for a ‘live command RPG battle’ system. This is instead a turn-based system wherein the hero Ichiban Kasuga and his party will take on the goons of Yokohama as the city continues to hustle and bustle. In addition, these combat encounters will award experience points, skills, and money for Kasuga and his friends. These points will affect the characters’ Life Experience, which is the levelling up mechanic calculated from six statistics.
Gematsu has translated the new information from this week’s issue of Famitsu. These six statistics are ‘Enthusiasm’, ‘Mentality’, ‘Cheerfulness’, ‘Kindness’, ‘Intelligence’, and ‘Stylishness.’ The measures by which all human beings should be judged upon. So, Life Experience is gained through lots of different ways. Examples are helping those in need, or completing side-quests, or interacting with Play Spots like Golf, PachiSlot, and Dragon Kart.
Sega was able to provide a few hints on how to develop certain characteristics as Kasuga explores his new stomping grounds. ‘Enthusiasm’ will be boosted by chirpy conduct and completing tasks with a smile. ‘Mentality’ increases in situations that test Kasuga’s emotional strength and bravery. ‘Cheerfulness’ is intensified if Kasuga is kind and lighthearted in conversations. ‘Kindness’ will develop through empathetic interactions with neighbours and the natural environment. ‘Intelligence’ comes from studying, and ‘Stylishness’ is built up when Kasuga exhibits honorable behaviour.
And finally, different character classes lead to different Life Experience. So far, we know that Yakuza 7 will transform the bread and butter mage, warrior, and bard classes into Fortuneteller, Riot Police, and Idol. Each possess different strengths and weaknesses that will assumedly develop as Kasuga brings them into battle. The Life Experience they all collect will also give rise to new opportunities in the game. New quests will become available, new contacts will want to know them, new battle mechanics will be unlocked, and Kasuga will become quite the Casanova.
Yakuza 7: Hikari to Yami no Yukue launches for PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020 in Japan, and later in 2020 for North America and Europe.
