Yakuza: Like A Dragon (review here) was greeted with skepticism by veterans of the series who did not believe such a radical change in the combat system, from beat'em up to the turn-based one typical of jrpg. And yet, once again, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio were able to package a product that practically made everyone agree.
The chapter starring Kasuga Ichiban brought the innovations that perhaps served to rejuvenate a certainly tested formula, but which probably became a burden for the same developers who wanted to experiment something different after seven canonical chapters, plus the Kiwami, a game on Ken the warrior (Lost Paradise) and the spin-off Judgment (which should remain the bulwark of the modern beat'em up concept within Sega).
We use the conditional because there are some problems, related to friction between SEGA and the agency it manages Takuya Kimura, the actor who lends his face and voice to the protagonist, could jeopardize the continuation of the police epic of Takayuki yagami (read our review of Lost Judgment), while we know by now for sure that Yakuza: Like A Dragon will have a sequel.
The future of the "main" series also seemed nebulous after the news of the abandonment of Sega by two veterans, including the director: let's talk about Toshihiro Nagoshi e daisuke sato. On the other hand, when the mind of a beloved series goes away, doubts can come and make us think of something negative, but to sweep away unhappy thoughts come the statements of the new director, Masayoshi Yokohama, who stated that the sequel will be made, not only that, it is already in development:
Those who preceded me passed on their beliefs and know-how to every member of the staff. You can see it in the recent Lost Judgment and you will see it in the next sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon which will continue the story of Ichiban Kasuga. This game is currently in development thanks to the work of producer Sakamoto and directors Horii, Ito and Mitake. I myself, along with Takeuchi and Furuta, am working on the story.
Obviously, turn-based fights are the future of the series, so the sequel will also offer them, however we don't know if these will receive any changes following community feedback or a new vision from a renewed staff.
As the follow-up to Like A Dragon is in development, we might even be looking forward to the 2022, but there is no indication to that effect, only the great desire to get back to beating hands with Kasuga and his rowdy gang.
