Ichiban Kasuga is a lovable fool with a heart of gold from start to finish. He's a great protagonist who makes friends quickly and treasures each one. The switch from brawler to turn-based party combat emphasizes that quality in an inspired use of videogame mechanics. It's a good representation of the direction of the Yakuza series since 4, which has been more about overcoming obstacles together than it is about a single hero.
However, there are some qualities that still need some work. I would have liked substories to grant XP in addition to their other rewards and the game could do more to give a spotlight to its own job system. As it went for me, there was also some repetition and lost hours to some unlucky dungeon deaths. That unfortunately distracted from the story and its characters, which are ultimately the bigger draw than the combat. All the same, Like A Dragon has some of the most lovable characters in videogames and it gave me plenty of time with them. Here's to the friends we made along the way!
