Yakuza: Like a Dragon Gameplay and Battle System

The other article that i need to post after discussing the story and characters introduction. I think the gameplay is also interesting because its related with real life activities.

Born in the soapland Shangri-La in Kamurocho, Ichiban Kasuga lived an isolated childhood, never knowing his parents. For Kasuga growing up, his only pleasure in life was playing Dragon Quest, which someone had brought to the office several years earlier.

Captivated by the Dragon Quest that kept him company and gave him his first taste of adventure, it became Kasuga’s dream to one day become a hero who fights alongside his friends for justice.

■ New Battle System: Live Command RPG Battle

“Live Command RPG Battle” is a new battle system that combines the series’ signature action with an RPG battle system that all players can enjoy. While it is an RPG battle system, time does not come to a halt for the city that is always in motion, and battles unfold dynamically and in real-time. At the same time, the situation in the city and the enemy’s positioning has a major effect on battle, meaning strategy has also significantly improved.

➣Master Commands in Which Various Action Unfolds

In addition to basic actions such as “Attack,” “Defend,” and “Run Away,” original elements such as “Kiwami Skills” and “Summon” can also be selected during battle. The Kiwami Skills command includes powerful techniques similar to the series’ longstanding “Heat Actions,” and also “Recovery,” and “Support.” Many Kiwami Skills require button mashing or button inputs, so you can enjoy the feeling of playing an action game even though it is an RPG.

➣Attack Any Enemy, But with Potential Hindrances

When attacking distant enemies, the enemy in front of you may block your attack. Or in a situation where an ally is nearby, they may unleash a followup attack on the enemy you attack. The positional relationship between enemies and allies, which change in real-time, will significantly affect your strategy in battle.

➣Use Objects in the City as Weapons

As you might expect from a game in the Yakuza series, you will still be able to pick up and use objects in the city as weapons. If an item such as a sign or bicycle happens to appear within range, the action of picking it up to wield it, or kicking it at the enemy to attack them is automatically activated. 

■ An Overview of Each Character’s Battle Style

➣Kasuga: “Hero”

Kasuga wields a bat in battle. From his standard “Bunt Attack” to his wide-range “Mega Swing,” he can learn a variety of flexible Kiwami Skills to use accordingly in battle. He has Kiwami Skills to give orders to other party members, which increases their attack power or heals them, making his battle style one suited to the name “Hero.”

➣Adachi: “Detective”

Adachi fights with a powerful battle style, where he wields a baton in his left hand to beat down enemies, while using his right hand to grab-hook enemies. As a former detective, he makes use of various apprehension techniques. Striking a powerful blow from his baton, he can also withstand multiple enemy attacks or immobilize the enemy.

➣Namba: “Homeless”
Namba wields weapons like umbrellas and canes in battle. While his normal attacks are not strong at all, he can overwhelm enemies by commanding pigeons to attack them, and use alcohol and a lighter to spray a scorching mist, somewhat like magic. He also has various skills seeming of a homeless person, such as “Begging” to persuade enemies to give him items.

➣Saeko: “Junior Mama”

Saeko fights wielding a handbag and props only a cabaret club junior mama would have. She has a variety of Kiwami Skills, including swinging her handbag like a hammer, blinding the enemy with makeup powder, and self-strengthening through yoga.

➣Eri Kamataki: Clerk (Cant find any information about her except the initial job)

➣Joon-gi Han: Hitman
Joon-gi Han’s initial job, “Hitman,” fights with a boxing battle style through which he beats his enemies down with brass knuckles. Like a hitman in the underworld, the job comes complete with assassination-style Kiwami skills.

➣Tianyou Zhao: Mafia
Tianyou Zhao’s initial job, “Mafia,” is a battle style that fights wielding a broadsword. He chops up enemies with acrobatic movements and can deal even further damage by inflicting the “bleeding” status ailment.

■ Summon

By paying money on your smartphone in battle, you can summon help. Summons can support you in battle through attack, recovery, and more. You will be able to summon more and more characters as you clear the sub-stories that occur in the city and as you progress through the main story.

■ Play Spots

➣Dragon Kart
A racing game set on a course in the streets of Yokohama. Pick up boxes to obtain boost items and weapons like a rocket launcher or gatling gun. By using these, you can crash your rivals’ karts. Karts can be swapped and customized.

➣Traditional Movie Theater
You can see various genres of movies on Uminekoza. But during the movie, “sleepiness” will attack Ichiban Kasuga many times. Repel it by quickly pressing the buttons indicated on the screen. The game is cleared when you have watched the movie until the end.

➣PachiSlot
A popular play spot in the series thus far, which can be played at PIA, Espace Nittaku, and Maruhan in Isezaki Ijincho and Kamurocho. Each pachislot machine has a mode that lets you play with your favorite settings. Machines located closer to the entrance have higher rates, which reflect the settings of real life parlors. This is the only PachiSlot simulator running on PlayStation 4.

➣Ocean Qualification School
A Play Spot that significantly increases Kasuga’s Life Experience (Check below for this system). In here, you can take exams with questions in a variety of genres, from “History,” where you can get a general education on Japanese and world history, to “Isezaki Ijincho Certification,” which is filled with questions for Isezaki Ijincho enthusiasts. Exams are four-choice quizzes where you must answer the questions within the allotted time.

■ Job System

Ichiban Kasuga and his allies can change to various jobs at Hello Work. Since each job offers vastly different battle styles, techniques, and ability values, determining which job to choose and whether to develop that job is a key strategy.

Job Development
Each job has a “Job Rank,” which similar to character level increases as you gain experience through battle. As your Job Rank rises, you can learn new techniques unique to that job, as well as increase your character’s base ability values. Some of the techniques you can learn are special skills that can be used by all jobs. Also, since your base ability values increased by your Job Rank carry over when switching to other jobs, experiencing and mastering various jobs is a shortcut to character enhancement.

➣Dancer
A high-spirited job that unleashes rhythmic and cool attacks while dancing. The Dancer possesses many tricky techniques, and it is said to showcase its skill through the combination of these techniques.

➣Fortuneteller
A job that fights with a crystal ball in hand. This class would play the role of a "Wizard" in RPG which can deal heavy damage (casting thunder through its “fortunetelling”) and status ailments to enemies. But its defense power is low

➣Riot Police Officer
A job with a full-body armor and a large shield. This class would play the role of a “Knight” in an RPG for its high defense power.

➣Idol
A job that is exclusive to female characters and uses a microphone to fight with direct attacks. The Idol charms its enemies and heals its allies, and would play the role of a “Priestess” in an RPG.

➣Bodyguard
An attack-type job that wields a katana. Its sword-type attacks have a fixed chance of inflicting the “bleeding” status ailment, which causes additional damage with each turn.

➣Host
Fights wielding a sake bottle. It has a number of tricky skills including an attack that shoots ice-cold sake at the enemy and inflicts the “cold” status ailment, supporting party members with exciting calls, and “charming” enemies to make them unable to attack. The “cold” status ailment may cause the enemy to catch a cold that deals additional damage with each turn. However, be careful as party members who get close to that enemy may also end up catching a cold.

■ Life Experience

“Life Experience” consists of six parameters that represent Ichiban Kasuga’s characteristics and human nature which will develop through playing, learning, and interacting with the people you encounter. Every Play Spot increases Kasuga’s Life Experience.

Here is an outline of each parameter in details:
Enthusiasm – The source of “willingness” and “romance.” Develops through enthusiastic conduct and doing things with utmost effort.
Mentality – The source of “mental strength” and “concentration.” Develops through situations that test your courage and emotional strength.
Cheerfulness – The source of “sociability” and “brightness.” Develops through actions that lighten the mood.
Kindness – The source of “broad-mindedness” and “empathy.” Develops through kind interaction with people, animals, and nature.
Intelligence – The source of “education” and “memory.” Develops through logical suggestion and studying.
Stylishness – The source of “charm” and “character.” Develops through clever exchange and dignified behavior.

■ Bonds

“Bonds” are a new element that reveal the relationship between protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and his friends. By interacting with your friends, your bonds will deepen which will greatly increase your friends’ abilities, allowing them to change jobs, learn new skills, initiate follow-ups on Kasuga’s attacks, and so on. All of this will benefit you in battle.

➣How to Deepen Your Bonds

Spending Time Together at Play Spots: You can watch a movie with a friend at “Traditional Movie Theater” Play Spot, and if you choose their preferred movie, you can deepen your bonds in a sitting.

Eating Together: When eating out at a restaurant in Yokohama, you can trigger a special meal conversation event with your friend called “Table Talk” by choosing the right order from the menu. Through Table Talk, you can further deepen your bonds.

➣Bond Dramas
As you deepen your bonds with each of your friends, you will get side stories called “Bond Dramas”. Your friends will place their trust in you and open up to Kasuga in a variety of ways, e.g. revealing their secret pasts, worries, and troubles. By hearing out their stories and resolving their worries, you can develop their abilities in a major way.

➣Bond Skills
By clearing Bond Dramas, you can learn cooperative attack skills called “Bond Skills.” A Bond Skill’s contents and effects differ for each character, but each one is a feat of its own and boasts the highest-class power in the game.


■ How to Make Money at the Beginning of the Game
At the beginning of the game, protagonist Ichiban Kasuga starts off penniless at the garbage dump homeless town of Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama. Therefore, he will have to start earning money in ways such as:

➣Rummaging Around Vending Machines
By looking around near vending machines, you can pick up items and money. Kasuga, who was dumped in Yokohama without a penny to his name, does not have any equipment, so winning battles will be difficult. If lady luck is on your side, you may even come across big amounts like 500 yen.

➣Survival Can Collection
After Namba introduces you to a can collection job, you can play the “Survival Can Collection” play spot, where you collect cans on a bike. Collect the required amount of cans or more and reach the goal within the time limit to clear the game. However, you will lose a large quantity of cans if you collide with garbage trucks, other homeless, or drum cans. Also, by drinking the nutrition drinks that fall all over town, you can enter a “boost state” to move at a higher speed for several seconds.
Collected cans are converted into “Eco Points,” which can be exchanged for various items or turned into money

➣Part-Time Job Quests
Part-Time Job Quest is a new element that sees Kasuga register as a member of “PartTimeJobHero.com,” a service he learns via a certain event. By taking care of the quests from the quest list, you can obtain rewards such as money and items. There are various types of quests, e.g. going out to rescue someone, defeating specific enemies loitering the streets, obtaining or delivering specific items and more.
By clearing quests, you will earn “Membership Points,” and once you save up a specific amount or more, your “Membership Rank” will increase, allowing you to take on higher difficulty quest with stronger items as rewards.

■ How to Make Money Midway Into the Story
When you get to the middle of the story, enemies will have become significantly stronger, so things will be difficult unless you have expensive equipment and items. One way to earn that sort of money is through “Company Management.”

➣Kasuga’s Encounter with Number One Confectionery President Eri Kamataki

Kasuga and company get to know Eri Kamataki after finding her collapsed in the city and nursing her back to health. After she regains her composure, Eri reveals herself to be the president of a rice crackers shop called “Number One Confectionery,” which she inherited from her late father, but repeated troubles and misfortune have driven her company to a state of near-bankruptcy. Realizing the limitations of her management, she has decided to shutdown the company. Kasuga, who cannot turn a blind eye to the exhausted Eri, decides to save Number One Confectionery.

➣Working Company Management
“Company Management” is a new element where Kasuga, who becomes the new president of Number One Confectionery, manages property and personnel, raises funds from financial institutions, and conducts business activities to grow the company.

Since sales vary greatly depending on property potential and abilities of engaged employees, precise management in business activities is essential. There are all sorts of business properties you can purchase, you should analyze the state of your personnel and capital to make a buy that is appropriate. Find out the property’s room for growth, and earn management funds with profits from fundraising and business activities to acquire them.

Properly invest in the talented personnel that carry the weight of the company. Winning over and nurturing said personnel is a shortcut to achieving your goals. The chicken Kokekokko, who Eri has been raising, is a mascot-esque character for Number One Confectionery.

➣Shareholder Meetings

As you conduct business activities, you will hold shareholder meetings at fixed intervals. Shareholder meetings are debate battle games where you must persuade dissatisfied shareholders in question and answer sessions. Firmly refute shareholder proposals and persuade them to increase your shareholder approval rating. By gathering majority support, your shareholder meeting will be a success.

Shareholder meeting are real-time question and answer session battles where you must persuade shareholders who have different opinions from management with rebuttals from company employees. Shareholders will attack with speech bubbles containing dissatisfaction towards the company’s personnel, property, and funds.

Company employees on the rebuttal side have personnel, property, and funding attributes. If they refute with a compatible attribute, they can destroy speech bubbles with a small number of attacks. Develop your strategy considering the amount of cost available to you and the cost required for your company members to attack. Shareholders whose speech bubbles have been destroyed will be temporarily defenseless, and from there your company members can deal even further rebuttal attacks, allowing you to lower the shareholder’s HP. When a shareholder’s HP becomes zero, they will no longer be able to attack, allowing you to proceed the shareholder meeting with an advantage.

As a question and answer session becomes more lively, Kasuga’s gauge will accumulate, and when it reaches a fixed amount, he can activate his “Extreme Apology” skill. Can Kasuga calm down the shareholders with a full-power apology!?

Persuade all the shareholders within the question and answer session time limit, or keep your approval rating at at least 50 percent to clear your shareholder meeting.

➣How to Earn Money in Management Mode and Shareholder Meetings

After a shareholder meeting ends, you can acquire “executive remuneration,” which is remuneration acquired by Kasuga himself to used as personal spending money. Since the amount of remuneration varies based on the results of the shareholder meeting, you can gain more money by managing your company well and dominating shareholder meetings. It should be noted that “management funds,” which are acquired through fundraising and business activities, are “funds for company management” that cannot be used by Kasuga personally.

■ Forging and Upgrading Weapons and Armor

Equipment can be purchased at shops, but for even stronger equipment, it is essential to go to the “Romance Factory” repair shop to forge and upgrade equipment. Sumire Sawa, the factory manager Kasuga meets there, is a young lady and remarkable engineer who can forge any equipment.

How to Forge and Upgrade Weapons and Armor

If you have materials or money, you can upgrade existing equipment or forge new equipment at the Romance Factory. Materials can be found scattered about the city, obtained in battle, purchased at stores, or gathered by clearing play spots. Additionally, by funding the Romance Factory, you will be able to forge strong weapons that cannot be obtained in the city.

Source: Yakuza: Like a Dragon Official Site (JP), Gematsu