SEGA confirmed today on Twitter the release date for Yakuza: Like A Dragon on next-gen consoles, and it arrives first for Xbox Series X and Series S. PS5 users won’t be able to play the game on PS5 until March 2021, although a free upgrade is available for those who buy the game on PS4.
With the latest rumors that Microsoft was looking to snap up as many game studios as possible, it does seem that the console exclusive wars have already begun. PlayStation and Sony are well known for their hit exclusive titles and it’s clear Microsoft wants a piece of that pie. It should be noted that this isn’t confirmed – it could be that the game requires further work before being released on PS5.
Players will be able to pick up Yakuza: Like A Dragon on the Xbox One, Series X, and Series S as early as this November. A Steam/Windows 10 release will happen at the same time.
PlayStation users can buy the game on PS4 but won’t be able to play the upgraded next-gen version until next year. People in the community have claimed this an attempt by Microsoft to make the Xbox appear a little bit more valuable at launch, and it’s likely this is not the only timed exclusive to be announced over the coming weeks.
However, like many other studios/titles, there is a free upgrade for those who buy a copy of the game on an older console. Although the sales of the next-gen consoles are expected to be massive (as already proven by the pre-order chaos) many will continue to play the older consoles for years to come.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon was originally released in Japan early this year and received positive reviews. It’s the latest in the long-line of Yakuza titles, many of which have never made it to Xbox or PC.
Like A Dragon is the 8th game in the Yakuza series and follows the pattern of many of its predecessors. There are random mini-games (or sub-stories) throughout the game, and much of the strange humor makes a return.
One huge difference for Like A Dragon is the change of its combat system. Unlike previous Yakuza games – which were primarily focused around a beat em’ up style of combat, this game focuses on a turn-based system reminiscent of Final Fantasy. It definitely feels more like an RPG.
