Microsoft’s partnership with Sega to makeYakuza: Like a Dragona next generation timed exclusive comes as a surprise to many fans as it marks the first time in the series' history that a new entry will launch on Xbox and PC on the same day as the PlayStation 4 release. This unfortunately means that fans hoping to playYakuza 7on Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5 console will be restricted to playing the PlayStation 4 version through backward compatibility, at least until the PS5 version releases in March 2021. To hold fans over, Sega has released some footage showing the game running on PlayStation 5.
Yakuza: Like a Dragonfirst released earlier this year exclusively on PlayStation 4 in Japan asYakuza 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness. Since then, Sega has been working hardto port the game to the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PCahead of its November 10th release so it can release as a launch title for Microsoft’s newest consoles.
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While Sega has confirmed that PlayStation 4 players ofYakuza: Like a Dragonwill receive a free upgrade when the game releases on PlayStation 5on March 2nd, 2020, which includes owners of the physical version. it has also commented that PS4 owners will not be able to transfer their save files to the PS5 version. This is a hard pill to swallow for a game that is allegedly up to 60 hours long.
The first snippet of the game running on PlayStation 5 hardware showcases the game running at a smooth 60 frames-per-second, which is double the frame-rate of the PlayStation 4 version. It also showcases the game’s slick combat UI, which is famously based onPersona 5’s. This isthe firstYakuzagame to feature a turn-based combat system, centered around protagonist Ichiban Kasuga’s love for the legendary JRPG seriesDragon Quest. The game is presented at a stunning 4K presentation, far surpassing the PlayStation 4 Pro’s maximum output resolution of 1080p when running other games in the Dragon Engine, such asYakuza 6: The Song of LifeandJudgment.
As previously mentioned,Yakuza: Like a Dragonmarks a huge turning point for the series,replacing the iconic protagonist Kazuma Kiryuwith a new face in Ichiban Kasuga, shaking up the combat system entirely, and taking place outside of the fictional Tokyo red light district of Kamurocho.Yakuza: Like a Dragoninstead follows Ichiban as he is released from an 18-year prison sentence to find himself hunted by his yakuza family, the Tojo clan. The game features a brand new job system based on classic JRPGs likeFinal Fantasy 3’s, the return of the series' bombastic sub-stories, and brand new mini-games,including aMario Kartparody featuringYakuzacharacters titled “Dragon Kart.”
Yakuza: Like a Dragonreleases for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10th 2020. The PlayStation 5 version will release on March 2nd, 2021.
