In 2001, Masumi Arakawa persuades Ichiban Kasuga to confess to a murder that his captain, Jo Sawashiro, allegedly committed, to protect the latter’s reputation. Kasuga, feeling indebted to Arakawa, agrees to shoulder the blame for the crime. Arakawa promises to greet Ichiban upon his release. 18 years later, after serving his sentencing, Kasuga is released from jail, but Arakawa is nowhere to be seen. He was picked up by police officer Koichi Adachi, who reveals that the Tojo Clan has perished, and in its place, Kamurocho has become the territory of its rival, the Omi Alliance. Adachi also informs Kasuga that Arakawa was responsible as he betrayed the clan to join the Omi, while Arakawa’s son Masato, whom Kasuga once chauffeured, has died due to his deteriorating health. Seeking to expose the truth together, they crash an Omi Alliance meeting held by Arakawa. Adachi is arrested for trespassing whilst Arakawa shoots Kasuga.

Recently, there’s been a prevalent trend of ‘Gaming ED’ within the community. Despite new game releases every month, there’s a lack of enthusiasm. As I was reaching a point of gaming apathy, I stumbled upon this title while browsing RPGs on XGP. This is my first encounter with the Yakuza series, and interestingly, it marks Yakuza’s first transition into the RPG genre. It feels like meeting the right person at the right time; although this installment doesn’t surpass the position held by Persona 5, it outperforms ‘Fishing Fans 15’ (FF15) in certain aspects.

In terms of being an RPG, there are still some issues with combat balance. In the later stages, battles are mostly managed through high-level techniques from China, Japan, and Korea, while female characters focus on providing support. The most crucial aspect of an RPG, the story, is generally commendable and well-developed.