RGG Wants to Reframing Yakuza’s Clunkiest Game

Okay, here’s a revised version of the text, incorporating verification and corrections based on web searches. I’ve focused on ensuring accuracy regarding game titles, studios, and details about *Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth* (formerly *Yakuza 7* and *Yakuza: Like a Dragon*).

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Image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega via Polygon

The other half of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s “Dark Ties” is a series of coliseum battles where you fight alongside a bunch of mercenaries for hire. It’s almost identical to the coliseum segments of Like a Dragon: Ishin! (previously known as *Yakuza Ishin!*), but Mine’s combo-heavy fighting style kept it engaging. Mine’s combat style reminds me of a fighting-game character even more than Kiryu or Ichiban, a feeling that intensifies in his burst mode. All his combos go out the window then, as every skill input changes in a way meant to simulate “fighting by instinct.” Much as I enjoyed having Kiryu use a stick to beat the shit out of misogynists and thugs with his new Ryukyu fighting style, it still felt pretty much like fighting as Kiryu in every other *yakuza/Like a Dragon* game. Mine’s style feels fresher and more exciting, at least in the small slice I played. The idea of matching a character’s fighting style more closely to their personality is something I’m surprised RGG Studio hasn’t done before now, but it’s refreshing to see here