Recent reviews by Bogieman

Just wrapped up the game and I gotta say, I'm pretty underwhelmed. Across the board – story, combat, music – it feels like it needed more time in development. It's not terrible, but it's definitely not up to the usual RGG standard.

Let's start with the music. Usually, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games have killer soundtracks, but this one? Forgettable. The only tracks that stand out are Mad Dog's combat theme, which is pretty hype, and that one sea shanty. The rest of the music just kind of fades into the background, which is a real bummer.

The combat system...it's okay, I guess. Maybe a slight improvement over Gaiden in terms of juggling enemies, but it feels like we took a step back in other areas. Where are all the cool ground heat actions? Mad Dog's heat actions feel really limited, and having only one heat bar is super restrictive. It feels like they were trying to make the combat more button-mashy to deal with the bigger groups of enemies, but that gets old fast. Especially in boss fights or when you're just fighting a few dudes, which is like 90% of the encounters in the game. It just feels repetitive.

And then there's the story... Honestly, nothing really happens. It's supposed to be a fun, lighthearted adventure, but everything feels so inconsequential. Majima and the gang always get their way in the end, and there's no real sense of danger or stakes. The protagonist is always right, and the story just keeps repeating the same formula. Saejima is just...there. He doesn't really contribute anything to the plot, and anyone could have filled his role in the finale. And the final boss? What a joke! No cool QTE, no real challenge, just a boring fight.

I'm starting to think these smaller "side game" releases are actually hurting the quality of the series. We're paying full price for these games, and I know RGG is capable of so much more. I'd much rather go back to the fuller, more complete experiences we got with the Judgment series or the older Yakuza games. Those games felt like they had something to say, while this one just feels like filler.

Overall, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is a decent game, but it's definitely not one of the best in the series. It's worth playing if you're a die-hard fan, but if you're new to the series, I'd recommend starting with something else."

Fun