Summary
TheLike A Dragonseries has slowly established itself as one of the most lucrative game franchises around courtesy of its incredible combat, memorable characters, and a tendency to switch from serious story moments to hilarious side activities in no time. It’s easy to see why fans would want to get into this series, but the sheer number of games can make it daunting for players to figure out where they should start. WhileYakuza 0may seem like an obvious mention because of its perfected gameplay loop and its position as a prequel, there’s no reasonwhy fans can’t enjoyYakuza Kiwamias their first title too.
This remake modernizes everything from the graphics to the gameplay, integrating a bunch of fun side content to keep fans coming back for more. The combat side of things is expanded considerably, allowing players to mess around with four different combat styles that are viable for a whole host of situations. Thankfully, one aspect of the game that is recreated faithfully is the story, allowing players to enjoy an authentic experience with modern gameplay mechanics as players switch their combat styles to take out enemies in style.
4Brawler Style
A Jack-Of-All-Trades Style Decent For Both One-On-One And Group Battles
In the early going, most players would prefer to stick to the Brawler Style. It’s a beginner-friendly combat style with numerous Heat Moves at its disposal that strike a balance between speed and power. Players will love taking on groups of enemies before focusing all their attention on a single enemy and taking them out with a resounding Heat Action. However, once playersbecome attuned toYakuza Kiwami’s combat, the flaws of Brawler Style start rearing its ugly head.
Fans of theYakuzaseries know that this stance is just an unrefined version of the Dragon Style, which can be upgraded if players spend a decent chunk of time making progress in the Majima Everywhere mode. Switching styles isn’t a huge deal and players would prefer to use either blinding speed or impressive power in combat, and the Brawler Style falls short in both departments. However, the access to a wide array of Heat Actions ensures that players will always be incentivized to switch to this raw combat style from time to time, making foes pay once Kiryu builds up a decent chunk of Heat.
3Rush Style
Swift, Deadly, And Satisfying
When players get their hands on Rush Style, the damage can seem so underwhelming that players would prefer to just stick to another stance instead. Thankfully, it won’t take long for players to gather a decent chunk of experience and show enemies who’s boss by hitting them with a Rush Attack before darting out of attack range in a flash. This simple yet effective gameplay loop is a huge reason why the Rush Style is such a joy to use in the game’s latter stages.
Players who want a fighting chance against the game’s toughest bosses will start relying on Rush Style to maintain a steady offense while darting out of harm’s way. The mobility afforded in this style is incredible, withupgrades enhancing its Quickstep effectivenessand damage-dealing capacity. While Heat Actions may be harder to trigger because of the lack of a grab, players won’t mind setting up their enemies to execute complex yet rewarding Heat Moves.
2Beast Style
Kiryu Becomes A War Machine Who Sacrifices Speed For Pure Damage
A slow and lumbering Kiryu can be frustrating to control in battle when players switch to Beast Style. It’s a decent learning curve, and it’s great that the game encourages players to become comfortable with this style more often by making weapons readily available in and around Kamurocho. From the moment players automatically pick up weapons to bombard enemies with attacks, they’ll understandwhy veterans ofYakuza Kiwamican’t get enough of this fighting style.
Crowd control is a must inYakuza Kiwami’s one-versus-many battles, and Beast Mode is perfect for this. To make things even better, most of the Heat Actions in this style target multiple enemies at once, which is a must-have when players have to take out multiple enemies as quickly as possible. With enough upgrades in Beast Style, it can potentially become a player’s go-to combat stance for most regular encounters in the game.
1Dragon Style
Takes A Lot Of Majima Fights To Become One Of The Best Fighting Styles In Kiryu’s Arsenal
After coming back from prison, Kiryu is tested by Majima only for the latter to realize that his skills have deteriorated considerably in prison. The Mad Dog of Shimano is saddened by this fact and decides totest Kiryu throughout the gameby ambushing him in ridiculous encounters where the player must take out this tough fighter to slowly remember the Dragon Style moves.
It takes a while, but a fighting style that initially starts as the weakest stance in Kiryu’s arsenal can grow to become the best one of the lot that dwarfs the other three by quite some margin. The grind may be immense, but it’s worthwhile for players to gain access to Kiryu’s signature move, including the awesome Tiger Drop, which is nothing short of a cheat code that can end boss fights in a few seconds.
