Chapter 10: The End of the Yakuza
Chapter 10, titled "The End of the Yakuza," is a pivotal point in Ichiban Kasuga's story, as he continues to uncover a vast conspiracy within the Yakuza after his release from prison. This chapter is part of the 15 main story chapters in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The game's narrative, while serious and emotional, is often interspersed with the series' signature absurd humor and side activities.
The game marks a significant shift for the series, moving from its traditional real-time beat-'em-up combat to a turn-based JRPG system. This change was designed to attract new players, particularly JRPG fans, and allows for strategic team building using a job class system. Players control a party of up to four characters, each with unique skills and stat growth based on their chosen job. Examples of character default jobs include:
- Ichiban: Hero (balanced, physical and elemental skills)
- Nanba: Homeless Guy (debuff-focused, fire and environmental attacks)
- Adachi: Detective (tanky, draws aggro, absorbs damage)
- Saeko: Barmaid (supportive, healing and buffs)
Experimenting with different job combinations is crucial for tackling challenging encounters. The game encourages grinding and exploration to master multiple roles, extending gameplay longevity. The Battle Arena, accessible from Chapter 12, is an excellent location for quickly gaining job levels and experience, which will be beneficial for the difficult boss fight in Chapter 12 and subsequent endgame content.