Best RPGs of 2020
First Runner-Up: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Staff Writer Keenan McCall: When Yakuza: Like a Dragon was first revealed, there were many who were skeptical of how well the series would transition to a traditional turn-based RPG framework. After spending even a few hours with the game though, it’s clear the Yakuza franchise and RPGs are a match made in heaven.
Offering a fluid, lightning-fast take on turn-based battles, the combat is a joy to play. The player can – and will – spend hours tearing their way through some of the series’ zaniest combat encounters.
Using everything from junk scattered around the battlefield to modified home-made weapons, one can target the weaknesses of seasoned Yakuza and inebriated degenerates of the night alike, earning experience toward leveling up all the while.
Speaking of which: The game’s leveling and character customization options are surprisingly diverse, thanks in no small part to the game’s job system.
Players can assign their party members a variety of roles and classes, changing up said members’ movesets and stats according to the situation they’re facing.
And that’s not even mentioning the story the game provides. Equal parts a fresh new entry into the Yakuza mythology and a JRPG epic for the ages, it’ll grab even the crustiest of RPG die-hards and not let go until they’ve reached its conclusion, drawn into its world whole-heartedly.
Truly, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an exemplary RPG experience. It drives its franchise forward in some amazing ways, and is well worth noting as one of the best of the RPG genre to come out this past year.
