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Use these Yakuza Like A Dragon tips to help you make sense of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios' wild, turn-based take on Japanese gang crime. Like A Dragon also has some pretty major differences compared to previous Yakuza titles, so you even the most honed players may find they need some guidance in Yakuza Like A Dragon. There are new characters, a fresh story, minigames, combat, and even a new map. Players will take on the role of Ichiban Kasuga and mostly play around in the bigger, fiercer world of Yokohama's Isezaki Ijincho. Together with Ichiban's companions, you'll be facing new challenges and adventures. Here are 10 essential Yakuza 7 tips and tricks to get you started to becoming the greatest hero that ever graced Yokohama!
1. Resting is a free way to recover HP and MP
Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon is just as unforgiving as previous Yakuza titles. When you’ve taken a beating in battle, you don’t recover your HP/MP - you’re left to either go eat, or suffer. This often means that you’ll need to go to your nearest restaurant or cafe and chow down, which means spending money. That’s fine and all, but what happens if you’d prefer to be frugal? Well, that just means you’ll either have to trek back to your first starting point in Yokohoma, or Survive, the bar that you unlock in Chapter 4. In both of these locations you’ll find a place to rest, filling your HP/MP completely. It may be frustrating to go back and forth, but it helps you save money and that can never be a bad thing!
2. Skills aren’t just for battle and another option to heal
Getting skills is a great feeling, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. While most skills are used in battle, there are a few that can be used outside of combat. One of the very first skills you come across is Nanba’s Healing Powder, a skill that helps heal individual members of your party. All you need to do is pause, go to Skills, choose Nanba’s healing spell and then choose who you want to heal. It will cost MP, like it does in combat, but you won’t have to wait multiple turns to heal your allies. This is particularly helpful in dungeon areas if you’re out of items or struggling to keep up with the constant barrage of enemies.
3. Treasure Hunting is a good way to earn money and find useful items early on
Treasure Hunting is introduced very early in the game as a way for you to scrounge up some pocket change, such as 100 to 500 yen. Nothing much, but something that can help you in a pinch if you’re desperate. You only have to do it a few times before the story progresses, but that doesn’t stop you from going up to vending machines later on in the game to try your luck.
But why should you? Simple. It isn’t just yen that you can get when you look under vending machines and garbage cans. You’re able to get health items, snacks, and more importantly, objects like Silver and Gold plates that can be sold at the Pawn Shop for good money. It’s hard to get money in the early game, so this is very helpful in getting started.
4. Chat with your party whenever you can at Survive to raise your bond with them
Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon introduces a cool new system: bonds. Bonds are the connection between Ichiban and his new friends, and they can be deepened by fighting in combat together, sharing meals, as well as playing minigames like darts. There are multiple ways to raise those bonds, but be warned: raise them to a certain extent and you’ll notice your companions will get a lock around their bonds icon. This means that you cannot raise your bond until you talk to them at your hangout bar, Survive.
Head on over to Survive and you’ll get the chance to talk to your companions and discover more about them. It’ll raise your relationship past the lock, give your friends more EXP regardless of whether they are in the main party or not and, more importantly, will open up more Jobs for your party. Make sure you know how to Recruit Kiryu and Majima in Yakuza Like A Dragon, particularly if you're a fan of previous Yakuza games!
5. Running away can be the smart decision in a fight
Nobody likes running away, but sometimes that’s the only option available unless you want to get your ass beat and all your funds stolen. Maybe it’s because you’ve gone into an area where, to your horror, you’ve discovered almost all of the enemies are at least 20 levels above you, or perhaps you’re out of items and your MP is sorely lacking to the point that healing is impossible. If that’s the case, there really is no option but to get the hell out of there.
Running away also has other benefits. When you run away after getting into combat, the area you’re in will clear of enemies for a while - giving you the chance to explore the map with no real danger. It’s only a short while, but if you repeat the process you’re able to get around most of Ijincho without any trouble.
6. Money making bugs are mostly found at Hamakita Park
One of the ways that you can get money in this game is bug-hunting. However, bugs can be rare in the part of the city where you start your adventure, meaning that unique bugs - such as the silver moth and butterfly - are hard to find in these areas. This can be frustrating when you get Part-Time Hero jobs in Chapter 5 that ask for you to deliver bugs, because sure you can try and get them through reward points with collecting cans, but that’s more time-consuming than necessary.
So head on over to the top right of the map - Hamakita Park. There you’ll find more than enough bugs to sell in the grass and trees and while there will also be tough enemies, you can always run away if the going gets tough.
7. Switch up your Jobs often to see more options
If there’s one thing that’ll kill your excitement quickly, it’s sticking to one Job. Sure you get stronger if you decide to stick to one and nothing else, but you lessen your chance of seeing everything that the game has to offer. Not just that, but you lose out on certain skills and ailments too - and who would want to miss out on that? Not us!
8. Work on Ichiban's personality to access new locations, NPCs, romances and other options
Ichiban having a personality may not seem all that important at first, but as you continue to play you’ll notice that some options - whether it be a location, a Job, an NPC or a romance option - are completely locked off to you due to you not having the right personality to strike up a conversation. This isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, but opening up new locations offers the chance for more minigames, money, romance, and more, so do consider it! You can improve your personality through the Vocational school exams, collecting books and magazines, as well as completing quests.
9. Use the ATMs to avoid losing money if you fail a fight
One of the worst things that can happen to you in Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon is losing a battle. Sure you don’t die and lose a ton of your items, but you do lose half of your money. And we do mean half, no matter how much money you have. So, that 1 million yen you had before? Yep, it’s gone.
So, the only thing to do is put your money in a safe place. Thankfully there’s more than enough ATMs around the city, so you won’t have to go too far in order to find a secure place.
10. Collect CDs when you can, because you can
Survive Bar isn’t just a place where you can talk to your friends, drink, create herbal remedies, and sing karaoke. No, there’s even more things you can do there, and one of those things is listen to music. It’s no game changer by any means, but it lets you listen to KOI NO DISCO QUEEN which, come on, is more than enough reason for you to try and get as many CDs as possible.
