For a game that is often tongue-in-cheek and occasionally pretty crass, Yakuza: Like a Dragon contains some very thoughtful critiques of various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the treatment of the elderly, perspectives on sex work, the enforcement of rules or laws that were imposed on the Japanese by foreign powers (i.e. US occupation of Japan), homelessness, and so …
For a game that is often tongue-in-cheek and occasionally pretty crass, Yakuza: Like a Dragon contains some very thoughtful critiques of various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the treatment of the elderly, perspectives on sex work, the enforcement of rules or laws that were imposed on the Japanese by foreign powers (i.e. US occupation of Japan), homelessness, and so on. This is on top of its very clever and entertaining metacommentary on Japanese RPGs and action games. Not everything it does is always a hole in one, but it is often clearly done thoughtfully and with heart. Could it be better in some areas? Yes, most certainly. Sometimes the conclusions it arrives at, or the explanations if employs, in regard to certain social norms or deviations form the norm are a bit too simplistic, sometimes even a little naïve. But it strikes me a game that was made by devs who were trying pretty hard not to punch down, and some of the weaker aspects are due to their entrenchment within the systems that uphold the norms they are critiquing.
Crucially, in contrast to something like GTA a series that thinks equal opportunity punching down is the sole source of satire, Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels like deep and significant social commentary. There is just something super appealing about Kasuga, a person who genuinely seems to care about people, is empathetic, generous and frequently prone to rather intelligent reflections on the world around him. Again, he's not perfect, but the combination of winning traits and failings make him feel like more like a person than simply a flat video character. He's more than a caricature, and that makes the experience of Yakuza: Like a Dragon unlike many of the games in this space. Maybe the closest is Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV, but as much as I enjoy the characters in those games, they are designed as very specific satirical caricatures (and not without good reason) that don't really ever reflect the kind of depth that we find in Kasuga.
I didn't go into Yakuza Like a Dragon expecting to feel many of these ways, and am pleasantly surprised by what I have found so far.
