For the seventh entry in the main series, we have a new protagonist and rather more controversially, an entirely new genre. Instead of the beat-em-up brawler gameplay of the previous six iterations it's now a turn based SJRPG. For most companies pulling it off would be a tall order; for Ryu Ga Gotoku on the other hand the result is a masterpiece.
Remarkably the game doesn't innovate much. The small(ish) open world maps stuffed with things to do is still the core of the game. Most of the old side activities like Karaoke, golf and mahjong are there along with some new ones, like a mario-kart style street race and a cinema minigame. The arcades still carry old Sega classics too. The combat, while new to the series, is still fairly standard SJRPG fare - on a characters turn they choose between attacking, using an item or skill; there's a smattering of damage types and status effects like burning or poison plus some positioning rules. Aside from the set-piece battles random enemies roam the map and trigger combat if you get too close. Nothing outside the wheelhouse of a Fire Emblem/Disgaea fan in other words.
Theme still veers sharply between extremes - one minute it's a serious crime and corruption drama, the next minute you're trying to sneak a naked man through the city to find some pants. Touching heart to heart conversations with companions and side characters are immediately followed by watching a woman dressed as an idol singer beat a giant Roomba to death with an oversized lollipop. At times the juxtapositions can seem jarring, though when it works it's possibly the only game that'll make you laugh, cry, and cry with laughter, often at the same time.
The side characters, companions and NPCs are all remarkably well rounded and well written, in fact it's the first RPG I've played in years where choosing which companion to include in the party has extended beyond their abilities or class. The writing as a whole is excellent; whether it's the tongue in cheek conceit of Ichiban seeing the world through the eyes of a Dragon Quest fanatic (complete with numerous callbacks to that series) or the more serious tale of betrayal in the underworld and political corruption.
Most of the complaints I have are minor quibbles. There's no real way to reposition in combat which can be slightly irritating given some things, such as environmental attacks and follow ups, depend on it. In addition you can occasionally whiff attacks due to the pathfinding getting stuck on a street bollard or similar. As with many games of this type, you do occasionally run across a group so weak relative to your party that they're no threat, however time is still sunk into watching the combat animations.
On the whole, a much appreciated game which doesn't take itself too seriously and insists you have as much fun with it as it's clearly having. Wholeheartedly recommended whether you're new to the series or a Yakuza veteran - it's not only one of the best games in the series, it's one of the best games I've played for some time.

For the seventh entry in the main series, we have a new protagonist and rather more controversially, an entirely new genre. Instead of the beat-em-up brawler gameplay of the previous six iterations it's now a turn based SJRPG. For most companies pulling it off would be a tall order; for Ryu Ga Gotoku on the other hand the result is a masterpiece. Remarkably the game doesn't innovate much. The small(ish) open world maps stuffed with things to do is still the core of the game. Most of the old side activities like Karaoke, golf and mahjong are there along with some new ones, like a mario-kart style street race and a cinema minigame. The arcades still carry old Sega classics too. The combat, while new to the series, is still fairly standard SJRPG fare - on a characters turn they choose between attacking, using an item or skill; there's a smattering of damage types and status effects like burning or poison plus some positioning rules. Aside from the set-piece battles random enemies roam the map and trigger combat if you get too close. Nothing outside the wheelhouse of a Fire Emblem/Disgaea fan in other words. Theme still veers sharply between extremes - one minute it's a serious crime and corruption drama, the next minute you're trying to sneak a naked man through the city to find some pants. Touching heart to heart conversations with companions and side characters are immediately followed by watching a woman dressed as an idol singer beat a giant Roomba to death with an oversized lollipop. At times the juxtapositions can seem jarring, though when it works it's possibly the only game that'll make you laugh, cry, and cry with laughter, often at the same time. The side characters, companions and NPCs are all remarkably well rounded and well written, in fact it's the first RPG I've played in years where choosing which companion to include in the party has extended beyond their abilities or class. The writing as a whole is excellent; whether it's the tongue in cheek conceit of Ichiban seeing the world through the eyes of a Dragon Quest fanatic (complete with numerous callbacks to that series) or the more serious tale of betrayal in the underworld and political corruption. Most of the complaints I have are minor quibbles. There's no real way to reposition in combat which can be slightly irritating given some things, such as environmental attacks and follow ups, depend on it. In addition you can occasionally whiff attacks due to the pathfinding getting stuck on a street bollard or similar. As with many games of this type, you do occasionally run across a group so weak relative to your party that they're no threat, however time is still sunk into watching the combat animations. On the whole, a much appreciated game which doesn't take itself too seriously and insists you have as much fun with it as it's clearly having. Wholeheartedly recommended whether you're new to the series or a Yakuza veteran - it's not only one of the best games in the series, it's one of the best games I've played for some time.