Like A Dragon: 11 Details In Yakuza Games That'll Blow Your Mind

Almost two decades of Kiryu and his associates being rad.

By Richard C Shaffer /

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios' Like A Dragon: Ishin, a remake of their 2014 game of similar name, has been received very well in the West – the first of the Like A Dragon spin-offs to achieve such a feat. While still suffering from some outdated issues – such as an over abundance of menus - it has made many improvements.

Advertisement

Coming in with Ryu Ga Gatoku's usual visual, narrative and musical flair, Ishin has some really cool little details that may, at first, go unnoticed.

In recognition of that, let's take a look at some of the cool little things RGG Studios has done across all the Yakuza games, now officially being named the Like A Dragon series, here in the west.

We're pulling from all the Like A Dragon games to give you as many cool features as we can think of. And with 18 years of the Ryu Ga Gotoku franchise, we've got some fun stuff to share.

11. Majima "Fifty-Six" Goro

Majima Goro is a regular character of the series - playable in several games and a boss fight in most others. His name, Goro, can be construed as referring to the number Fifty Six.

Advertisement

Numerous games in the series have subtle references to this fact. None more blatant than Yakuza 0, which sees Majima attempting to scam Kiryu out of exactly ¥560,000 with the phrase "Five for the 'Go', Six for the 'Ro'."

Dead Souls, a what-if spin-off positing the Like A Dragon universe in a zombie apocalypse scenario, also has Goro wielding a pair of shotguns dubbed versions of an 'MJM-56' model. Likewise in the remake of the second game, called Kiwami 2, there is a mode where you play as Majima and he starts with exactly ¥56,000.

Advertisement