An adage goes, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Well, Yakuza certainly isn’t broken. It’s been getting stronger with each passing game. The well-regarded SEGA franchise is set to launch its next major title, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, later this year for the Xbox Series X, and fans are itching with eagerness.
Rightfully so. The series has been a longstanding staple of the JRPG genre and has been reaching a wider western audience through remasters and new installments. Judgment, a 2018 Yakuza spin-off, was received well by both fans and critics alike. Given the franchise’s growing success outside of Japan, Xbox and Microsoft are pushing to take advantage of all the fun.
Yakuza launches with Xbox Series X
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Kicking Off Next-Gen
Yakuza: Kiwami was added to the Xbox Game Pass lineup last month. And now, Xbox has more awesome news regarding SEGA’s Yakuza series. Not only will Yakuza: Like a Dragon be coming to Xbox Series X, but the upcoming title will arrive on (wait for it) day one.
In layman’s terms, Like a Dragon will launch on the same day that the Xbox Series X becomes available for purchase. Though there isn’t a set date for the Series X’s arrival, this news remains uplifting. Most could’ve assumed the game would arrive later in 2020 or at some point in 2021.
Instead, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has positioned itself as one of the premiere next-gen launch titles.
Cross-Save and Smart Delivery
The news came via last week’s Inside Xbox event. On top of revealing the game’s launch date, Inside Xbox also added some other news involving the game. Like a Dragon will be available across multiple platforms upon its launch. Most notably, the next Yakuza game will be available on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and will support Xbox’s smart delivery service. The game will also ship for PC and PS4, though no news has come regarding a next-gen PlayStation 5 version. As expected, Yakuza: Like a Dragon will come with a $60 price point.
Cross-save functionality will also be available for Xbox One players. Meaning, players who upgrade to Series X will be able to keep their pre-existing save data.
The next Yakuza game could be the top next-gen launch title.
What Else Happened At Inside Xbox
Yakuza: Like a Dragon wasn’t the lone star at the recent Inside Xbox. Several new trailers and in-game footage clips were featured. The most notable of the bunch was Assassin Creed Valhalla and its first gameplay trailer. The Assassin’s Creed footage didn’t meet the expectations of fans, sadly. The revealed trailer primarily consisted of cut and pasted snippets and avoided actual gameplay.
A handful of other games made some noise. The most prominent among them, EA’s Madden 21 was announced. An interesting Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 trailer was of note and the racing sim DiRT 5 made its world premiere as well.
On top of well established franchises, some brand new series made an appearance. One of the coolest among the crowd, Bandai Namco’s Scarlet Nexus, debuted with an exceptional first look.
