As well as revealing what platforms it’s heading to, the rating gives us some more details about the game. We already know some bits, since the game has been out in Japan for a while, but it’s nice to see it down in English. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a departure for the series, leaving its action game roots behind in favour of turn-based RPG combat. That means more stats. One of those stats, according to the rating, is called “Shitfaced”, which is amazing. There’s also a special move called Extreme Bondage Attack.
Elsewhere, there’s all the other stuff you’d expect from the series, such as characters selling porn to minors and people cleaning up wank rags. Standard, really. Here’s the full description from the ESRB: “This is an action role-playing game in which players follow the story of a low-level yakuza (Ichiban Kasuga) involved in a feud between rival clans. Players perform quests, level-up combat skills, and fight enemy clans in turn-based combat. Players select attack moves/spells from a menu before watching characters punch, kick, and throw each other; spells/special moves include blasts of fire and over-the-top assists (e.g., a man attacking with a giant grater). “Finishing moves can trigger slow-motion effects and camera zooming that highlight violent acts. Blood effects accompany several moves (e.g., stabbing/slashing). Cutscenes also depict intense acts of violence: a man poking out the eyes of a rival with his thumbs; a character shot in the head; a bound man beaten with pipes and bats—blood effects sometimes embellish these acts.
“The game contains some sexual material: characters discussing selling porn videos to underage kids; a special move (Extreme Bondage Attack) depicting a woman in lingerie tying up the targeted enemy; characters cleaning up soiled tissues in a brothel (e.g., “Bodily fluids really aren’t my thing.”). During the course of the game, players can visit bars to order alcoholic beverages, regaining health during battles (character status is sometimes listed as “sh*tfaced”); characters are sometimes seen stumbling and slurring their speech when drunk. The word “f**k” appears in the dialogue.” Yakuza: Like a Dragon is coming later this year, likely around the launch of Xbox Series X.
