Yakuza: Like a Dragon modder is retooling it into an action-packed brawler

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They've really got their work cut out

Yakuza: Like a Dragon
(Image credit: Sega)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon fans are returning the turn-based RPG to its brawler roots with an upcoming mod. 

The modders have posted the clip seen below to the Yakuza subreddit, showing off a retooled Yakuza: Like a Dragon boss battle. Instead of the usual turn-based RPG combat, which took Like a Dragon in a wildly different direction from the rest of the Yakuza franchise, the mod enables fast-paced brawling action gameplay, more in line with the rest of the series.

Apparently, this is a glimpse at a massive mod project from YouTuber Jhrino, of which you can see one video just below. It looks like the modder is completely reworking Like a Dragon's core combat and movement systems to make it play more like the seven mainline Yakuza games preceding it. 

One major thing the modder has to consider is the party-based RPG system Yakuza: Like a Dragon utilizes. Unlike previous games, protagonist Ichiban is nearly always accompanied by three supporting characters in combat, so this mod has plenty of extra legwork to compensate for them.

Interestingly, this mod is reverting Like a Dragon back to the combat system it ditched deep in development. For those that aren't aware, Like a Dragon was originally announced with an April Fool's video, showing Ichiban and Saeko taking on grunts in turn-based combat.

At this point, Like a Dragon used the combat system of previous Yakuza games. However, the video became so popular that developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio spent the final year of development switching the game's combat to an RPG setting. Talk about changing things at the eleventh hour.

The next game in the Yakuza series is in development, and it'll maintain the turn-based RPG combat used in Like a Dragon. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.