DualShockers' Game of the Year 2020 — Third Quarter Discussion

It's that time, everyone. Welcome once again to our third quarter deliberations for Game of the Year 2020!

In case you're unfamiliar with what the heck is going on here, we've been doing things a bit differently in regards to GOTY at DualShockers this year. Rather than waiting until the final month of 2020 to talk about the biggest releases of the year, we've been breaking things down and giving our thoughts on every major title that has launched on a quarter-by-quarter basis. We already posted our discussions for the first and second quarter earlier in the year, and now, we've got the third quarter talks all ready for you.

This quarter's conversation centers around all of the games that launched between July and September 2020. As such, our staff gives our thoughts on titles like Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Fall Guys, Spiritfarer, and a litany of others that have come out over that period of time.

And in regards to who you can find in this episode, we have a pretty vast lineup. Mario Rivera, Otto Kratky, Charlie Wacholz, Kris Cornelisse, Cameron Hawkins, Scott White, Nick Blain, Ricky Frech, Gabe Moss, and I are here to break down everything and tickle your ears with our sultry voices. Also, yes, we do know that Mario's mic wasn't picking up his voice in the opening few minutes of the show! Sorry about the mistake.

If you want to find our entire conversation, you can watch it in the video down below. Once again, I have brought this up every quarter, but we're absolutely looking for feedback when it comes to this series! What can we do better? And do you like this format? If you end up checking out our talks and have some valuable insight, we'd love to hear it from you down in the comments or over on YouTube.

And as for the future, we'll be posting our Q4 discussion in mid-December with our final Game of the Year deliberations coming soon after. See you then!

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Smite Adds the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Next Month

Smite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hi-Rez Studios

Recently, Smite finished up an Avatar crossover event, but the crossovers aren't stopping any time soon. Today, the team announced that the next IP up is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As part of next month's battle pass, players will be able to slap TMNT skins on top of their favorite heroes. Plus, via the prestige track, you'll unlock a secondary skin that throws back to the series' 90s cartoon. Check it out below.

This continued crossover with Nickelodeon properties makes a ton of sense. Avatar seemed to be a big hit for Smite back in July, so it's not a surprise to see them move to TMNT. Of course, all we know for now is that the four turtles are all making their way over. That said, they are teasing a few other surprises lurking in that battle pass.

For now, the four-character skins are probably enough for most people. At least they are for me. If you're wondering, Leonardo,  Donatello, Raphael, and Michelango replace Osiris, Sun Wukong, Loki, and Mercury respectively. Oh, and it's important to note that they are riding their skateboards around the battlefield. Unfortunately, we don't see any pizza-based ultimate in the video above. You know it's there though.

In a follow-up tweet, the team confirmed that both Shredder and Master Splinter will make their way onto the battlefield. However, we don't know which character their skins will belong to. We should know more later this week when the Smite team fully reveals the battle pass.

Smite is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles battle pass arrives sometime in November.

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Star Wars: Squadrons Streamed for 88,900,000 Minutes in its First Week

Star Wars: Squadrons released on October 2 and has been met with favorable reviews from critics with DualShockers' own Ryan Meitzler giving the game an 8 out of 10 saying that, "Squadrons manages to not only faithfully recreate the sights and sounds of Star Wars in a thrilling way, but is also one of the most purely fun Star Wars games that I've played in some time." To celebrate the one-week milestone, the official EA Star Wars Twitter account shared some numbers.

In the tweet from October 9, EA says that in its first week Star Wars: Squadrons was streamed for a whopping 88,900,000 minutes. To put that in perspective, 88,900,000 minutes is equivalent to over 169 years. That's clearly a big number, but it makes sense as the game was number one in digital sales for the week.

Additionally, the tweet says that 15% of players played in VR and the most popular ships for the Rebellion and the Empire were the X-Wing and the TIE Interceptor respectively. Both are pretty classic picks so it makes sense that players would flock to them the most.

In terms of destruction, there have been 97,855,884 Capital ships destroyed and 599,481,422 Starfighters destroyed. Half a billion wrecked Starfighters is quite the number especially for a game that has only been out for a week.

Finally, the tweet says that a total of 15,970273 drifts have been performed by individual players.

It's too soon to say how the sales for Star Wars: Squadrons will look when compared to EA's last multiplayer Star Wars game, Star Wars: Battlefront 2. However, as Squadrons doesn't have the infamy and controversy surrounding it, it's not far out to assume that it might perform better than its predecessor.

For more on Star Wars: Squadrons, make sure to check out this article on the lack of DLC and post-game content planned for the game.

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PS5 is Releasing a Week Later in the UK but the Games and Accessories Will Seemingly Arrive Earlier

PS5 PlayStation 5

Even though it's a pretty major region, Sony won't be releasing the PS5 in the UK until one week after the console's November 12 launch date for the United States, Japan, Australia, and a handful of other countries. Despite having to wait seven days longer than some other folks, however, it sounds like the PS5's accessories will be released the week prior.

Spotted by VGC, UK retail storefront SimplyGames has stated that the release date of the accessories and some games for the PS5 have been pushed forward and will now be hitting store shelves on November 12. This means that if you wanted to pick up items such as a PS5 headset, remote, charging station, or even the DualSense controller itself, you'll be able to do so before even snagging your actual console. Some games, including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls are also said to be released on the 12th. Assuming that this ends up being true for all retail chains in the region, the move is a bit of a strange one, but it's also not unprecedented.

Those who remember the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One might recall that things went down in a similar capacity. Personally speaking, I remember buying my release day games and other items for both the PS4 and Xbox One days before either console actually dropped.

What will be interesting to follow over the coming weeks is whether or not this early launch for games and accessories for the PS5 will end up happening in regions around the globe other than just the UK. Could PS5 games and other items release here in the States on November 5, for instance? That remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be shocked if it were true.

With exactly one month left until the release of the PS5, it still seems as though there are some final key details we're waiting to hear and see from Sony. Expect more reports from us as we continue to near the platform's launch.

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Dirt 5 Continues to Look Phenomenal on Xbox Series X

Dirt 5

We're just a month out from the launch of Dirt 5 and the Xbox Series X, which means it's time to start seeing more. Fortunately, today several outlets posted some new footage from the next-gen game to show off the different choices you'll have for how the game looks. Codemasters is giving you the ability to switch to frame-rate mode, image quality mode, or 120Hz mode. Each comes with their own set of features and considerations, which we'll get into below.

The first thing to note is that Dirt 5 is actually running off of an improved Onrush engine that Codemasters Cheshire built. Of course, Onrush didn't light the world on fire, but the tech was there. It makes a ton of sense to bring that foundation to this arcade-style rally game. And the team has done quite a bit to ramp up the engine for this release.

You can see that immediately when you watch the footage. Dirt 5 looks great, especially in motion. The procedural dirt collection and car damage are top-tier and the shadows look exceptional. Plus, you can tweak settings to get the exact experience you're looking for.

Frame-rate mode seems to stick to 4K pretty consistently while targeting 60fps. Image quality doesn't just up the resolution. It's also working to improve shadows and bring in a greater crowd density, among other visual touches. And, of course, 120Hz mode brings things down to 2K but lets you play at a silky smooth 120fps. It's probably not something I'll use too much; however, I can easily see it becoming the go-to mode for fans who really get into racers.

Dirt 5 comes to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 6. It will then come to Xbox Series X on November 10 and PS5 on November 12. If you want to see a more in-depth look at Dirt 5 on Xbox Series X, check out the Digital Foundry video below.

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FIFA 21 is the UK's Top Seller for the Week but Physical Sales Have Sharply Declined

FIFA 21, EA Sports

If you follow video game sales around the globe whatsoever, you're likely well aware that those folks over in the UK really like themselves some FIFA. With the latest edition in EA's ongoing series, FIFA 21, releasing this past week, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the game is getting off to a quick start, even if sales seem to be a bit down this year compared to last.

FIFA 21 in its debut week has already shot to the top of the video game sales charts over in the UK, surpassing that of Star Wars: Squadrons and Crash Bandicoot 4 in the process. Ukie, which tracks the sales information in the region, states that 3.6 million players were already in the game within the first 24-hours of FIFA 21's launch. By all accounts, EA has seemed to find early success with this year's entry, although there are some other interesting developments.

In a report from GamesIndustry.biz, it is said that FIFA 21's physical sales actually took a pretty sharp dive in the game's debut week this year. Compared to last year's installment, FIFA 21 had physical sales that were down by 42%. That's a pretty hefty margin, although there are a variety of reasons as to why it could make sense.

For starters, digital sales are always on the rise, so many more could have opted to purchase the title in this manner this season. Additionally, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X both set to drop in about one month, more prospective players could be holding off on snagging FIFA 21 until the next-gen consoles finally release.

Whatever the reason, though, FIFA 21 is surely not in trouble. In fact, if you keep following these weekly sales charts in the UK specifically over the next year, FIFA will likely be the most reoccurring title in the top spot, perhaps other than this year's Call of Duty entry.

To check out the full top-40 list from last week, you can find it below.

LW TW Title Age Rating Label
1 FIFA 21 PEGI 3+ EA SPORTS
2 2 STAR WARS: SQUADRONS PEGI 12+ EA GAMES
1 3 CRASH BANDICOOT 4: IT'S ABOUT TIME PEGI 7+ ACTIVISION
4 4 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
3 5 SUPER MARIO 3D ALL-STARS PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
6 6 MARIO KART 8 DELUXE PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
8 7 MINECRAFT PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
7 8 MINECRAFT DUNGEONS PEGI 7+ MOJANG
5 9 MARVEL'S AVENGERS PEGI 16+ SQUARE ENIX
13 10 RING FIT ADVENTURE PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
12 11 GRAND THEFT AUTO V PEGI 18+ ROCKSTAR
11 12 TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 1 + 2 PEGI 12+ ACTIVISION
15 13 SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
10 14 MAFIA TRILOGY PEGI 18+ 2K
24 15 51 WORLDWIDE GAMES PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
18 16 LUIGI'S MANSION 3 PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
22 17 JUST DANCE 2020 PEGI 3+ UBISOFT
19 18 POKEMON SWORD PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
17 19 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
14 20 CRASH BANDICOOT N.SANE TRILOGY PEGI 7+ ACTIVISION
23 21 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U DELUXE PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
20 22 LEGO HARRY POTTER COLLECTION PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
30 23 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 PEGI 18+ ROCKSTAR
29 24 SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE PEGI 12+ NINTENDO
37 25 EA SPORTS UFC 4 PEGI 16+ EA SPORTS
25 26 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
9 27 MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION PEGI 18+ 2K
38 28 SUPER MARIO PARTY PEGI 3+ NINTENDO
32 29 CARS 3: DRIVEN TO WIN PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
26 30 FIFA 20 PEGI 3+ EA SPORTS
33 31 PLAYSTATION VR WORLDS PEGI 16+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
36 32 SHAUN THE SHEEP: HOME SHEEP HOME – FARMAGEDDON PEGI 3+ PLAY IT
31 33 PGA TOUR 2K21 PEGI 3+ 2K
21 34 WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS PEGI 12+ 2K
35 SONIC MANIA PLUS PEGI 3+ SEGA
35 36 PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING PEGI 7+ NINTENDO
28 37 GHOST OF TSUSHIMA PEGI 18+ SONY COMPUTER ENT.
40 38 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 2 PEGI 7+ WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
39 RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD PEGI 18+ CAPCOM
40 MARIO + RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE PEGI 7+ UBISOFT

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Xbox Series X Unboxing Video Leaks, and as You'd Expect, Someone Takes It Out of a Box

Xbox Series X launch

We're a month away from being able to jump onto the next-generation Xbox Series X / S and experience the Quick Resume feature alongside other fancy features such as ray-tracing and more. While the console itself has been passed around by people in the industry the last week or so, it seems as if the first unboxing video has been leaked.

Earlier today, Daniel Ahmad shared an image someone had taken of the Xbox Series X consoles that have arrived at warehouses and ready to ship to stores ahead of the November 10 release date.

However, a video has surfaced from "Willy Crow" that shows someone unboxing the console from start to finish, including pulling the tape off and more. The leak seems legitimate although a bit odd? The desk area the unboxing takes place seems to be a streamer set-up styled area with decent lighting. It would have made sense to have done an unboxing video properly rather than through a vertical mobile recording. Eh, each to their own.

The video is still online at the time of writing this, and I suppose there's a chance Microsoft may get it taken down at some point. Either way, the video, if it's to be believed, shows the Xbox Series X console coming packaged inside in a neat way, instructions on how to set it up, cables, a controller that seems to also come with batteries included.

The consoles recently got a brand new trailer with its marketing phrase, "Power Your Dreams." There's also the Xbox Series S on the way, which if you're wondering what's the difference between the two, we have a brief guide.

The Xbox Series X / S is to be launching on November 10, 2020.

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Rumor: Obsidian Working on an Outer Worlds Sequel

If this one pans out, we may have to wait a bit longer for New Vegas 2. According to Daniel Ahmad, a gaming industry insider and analyst, a sequel to Obsidian's The Outer Worlds is currently in the works.

"Last I heard a new entry in the franchise [The Outer Worlds] is being explored, currently in pre-production," wrote Ahmad in a Tweet. Although apparently nothing is set in stone, as whatever's currently in development over at Obsidian "could change into something else."

Development on a sequel to The Outer Worlds would put a lot on Obsidian's plate, although the developer may have more resources to work with since being purchased by Microsoft as part of the tech giant's acquisition of Zenimax Media. Obsidian is currently working on its latest release, Grounded, which is still in early access, and assumedly is still working on Avowed, a first-person fantasy RPG first shown at the Xbox Games Showcase this past July.

Support for The Outer Worlds also isn't over just yet. Besides the game's recent trip to Switch and the release of its first DLC, Peril on Gorgon, this past September, Obsidian has confirmed that more content will be coming to The Outer Worlds.

Needless to say a sequel to The Outer Worlds would be more than welcome. The game was subject to critical acclaim for its characters and story (Parvati is still one of my favorite characters ever), although held back by lackluster combat mechanics. A larger budget and more time to polish the game up would leave fans of the series with a sequel vastly improving on everything The Outer Worlds got right.

The Outer Worlds is also set to release on Steam on October 23.

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Super Mario 3D All-Stars Footwear Collection Announced by Nintendo and Puma

Mario celebrated its 35th Anniversary this year and to go along with the special event, Nintendo announced a host of Mario-themed swag that included a new clothing collaboration with BlackMilk. We also saw the return of the popular retro handheld device the Nintendo Game and Watch that will feature a full-color version of Super Mario Bros and you'll be able to get your hands on it when it releases as a limited edition on November 13. To celebrate the recently-released Super Mario 3D All-Stars and more of Mario's 35th anniversary, Nintendo has teamed up with PUMA for collaborative takes on the Future Rider, Clyde, and RS-Fast sneakers with each shoe in the pack giving a well-deserving nod to one of the three classic games included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and all three are rife with Mushroom Kingdom-centric details.

The Future Rider, with details inspired by 1996's Super Mario 64, comes in a white and tan color and then decorated with the unmistakable blue and red Mario signature hue. The midsole bricks feature a fitting brick print, while a winged embellishment on the heel and a special hangtag nod to Mario's Wing Cap. Clyde takes inspiration from Super Mario Sunshine, a GameCube title that debuted in 2002. The sneakers shows off a tan and red upper with a water-printed Formstripe that acknowledges the game's tropical nature and heavy use of water mechanics. These water mechanics come into play further on the hangtag, which sees Mario sporting his F.L.U.D.D. water cannon.

Last on the Mario-themed sneaker list is the RS-Fast looks to 2007's Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii. A running-style sneaker that mixes black, white, purple and metallic silver with an astral star print, the RS-Fast also boasts a silver iteration of the game's signature star on the quarter panel. The Nintendo x PUMA Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection will release via the PUMA webstore and retailers like Foot Locker on November 27, with the Future Rider retailing at $90 USD, the RS-Fast at $120 USD, and the Clyde (a Foot Locker exclusive) at $80 USD. There's been no mention at the moment of a release date confirmed for Europe but hopefully in a later announcement.

If you've yet to pick up Super Mario 3D All-Stars and would like to know if you should or not, check out our review of the game.

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon Preview — Still a Yakuza Game, Still Amazing

I went into my preview of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (otherwise known as Yakuza 7) with a set goal in mind. As a series fan — and arguably the guy most responsible for our relevant 2019 Game of the Year choice — I've played through each of the numbered titles and most spinoffs in the franchise. Well… the ones released in English, anyway (localise Kenzan and Ishin, you cowards!). Up until this point, each Yakuza game has been a brawler with RPG elements. Yakuza: Like a Dragon made rumblings among fans when it was revealed to be trading that in for a turn-based JRPG battle system. Crucially, however, every other aspect of the series looked to be intact; the serious crime drama interspersed with utterly ridiculous side stories still remains, mixed in with a wealth of minigames and open-world shenanigans.

My goal was simple, then: I wanted to see if Yakuza 7 still felt like a Yakuza game regardless of the genre shift. Well, that answer is unequivocally a yes.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the first mainline Yakuza entry to be made after the conclusion of series mainstay Kiryu's story arc. As such, it features both a new protagonist in afro-sporting Ichiban Kasuga, and a new city in Yokohama where the story is focused. The iconic Kamurocho is still present as a secondary stomping ground, mind you, but I didn't get to experience that in my preview. Instead, I was dropped a few chapters in and given leave to roam Yokohama with Ichiban and his cohorts.

Despite having no real context in the story events and character backdrops, I was instantly drawn in to this new adventure. From the second I loaded up and hit the streets of Yokohama, the immediate feel of a Yakuza game returned. It looked, felt, and sounded familiar, even with a new location and protagonist. At this point, the series is comfortable to me, and any chance to return is a welcome one. So, then, how did the genre change affect it?

It didn't take me long at all to find out. The wandering bands of thugs and goons that you'd normally fight in Yakuza are still present in Like a Dragon, but engaging them triggers a quick battle transition. You still fight on the streets and interact with the environment, but the entire thing plays out as Kasuga — a Dragon Quest fan — imagines it in his head. The enemies become more exaggerated, with the sort of naming puns that'll have Level 5 taking notes, and the battle begins.

In practice, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is reasonably traditional in its turn-based battle system. You'll pick your actions from a series of Persona-esque menus, select your targets, and let fly. What makes Yakuza's battles stand out is how these actions play out and interact with one another. Characters in the battle don't just stand still and instead move about the battlefield while waiting for their turn. If there are objects around to use as improvised weapons, they'll pick them up and do an extra strike before committing to their main action. AoE attacks can vary in effectiveness depending on how still the target might want to remain (or occasionally the path your party member takes to get to them). An enemy knocked to the ground will be susceptible to a guaranteed critical hit, should the next attack be input before they can get back to their feet. Even if the battles are conventional genre fare, they feel delightfully dynamic.

Your actions and attacks will be familiar to anyone who knows JRPGs, particularly Dragon Quest. There are buffs and debuffs, attacks that can inflict ailments, and some abilities have elemental attributes. Still, you've never seen them framed or presented like Yakuza: Like a Dragon. A fire spell might be a party member chugging alcohol before spitting it through their lighter at someone, or a water spell has you shake up a champagne bottle before spraying it on foes. The way these abilities are displayed is frequently hilarious, and I was always keen to try out new jobs or combinations just to see them all.

Speaking of jobs, Yakuza 7 does have a job system to allow for heaps of customisation. Framed as picking up literal part-time jobs, these will see your characters donning appropriate outfits and new weapons to hilarious effect. Some examples include Musicians, who beat people up with guitars while singing songs to buff/debuff, or the Enforcer, who dons SWAT gear and charges through crowds of opponents. Using the jobs will see the characters rank up within it, increasing stats and gaining new abilities. This means that swapping to a new one might see you decrease in strength for a while, but your character's main level increases separately so this is mitigated somewhat. As such, I was keen to keep switching things up and find the best (or most hilarious) combos I could.

But it wouldn't be a JRPG battle system without some form of Summons! As Ichiban makes friends and gains allies, he'll be able to literally call them on the phone and gain their aid in some spectacularly over the top animations. These abilities are extremely powerful, but using them comes with a money cost; friends aren't cheap, but it keeps their use from being too unbalanced. Besides, the price is worth it to see crayfish rain down from the sky to claw enemies up, just because I befriended a literal crayfish in a side story.

These side stories are also true to the Yakuza experience. The sincere and heartfelt moments are constantly interlaced with (or quickly become) utterly ridiculous experiences. In addition to my crayfish escapades, I received a parenting lesson from a diaper-wearing yakuza patriarch who likes to act like a baby. I helped escort a guy clothed only in soap suds through a network of puddles and people spraying water to get to a clothing store. And this is only scratching the surface.

Yakuza games have always laughed in the face of ludo-narrative dissonance, shifting rapidly in tone from insane to completely serious. Yet somehow, that ridiculousness rarely becomes too much. Mostly, this comes down to the absolute sincerity with which the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio sells every scene. The presentation, writing, music, and voice acting is always top-notch no matter the situation. This has carried over to the English localisation too, as Yakuza 7 is the first mainline Yakuza game (thus excluding Judgment) to receive an English dub. Normally I keep the Japanese dubs when given the choice, but for the preview, I kept the English voices on, and I was thoroughly impressed. Kaiji Tang's performance as Ichiban Kasuga is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, and I'm sorely tempted to play the dub for the full release.

This extends to the additional cast members, too. I kept a consistent party of four characters in my playtime, ranging from Kasuga's homeless friend Nanbu, the ex-detective Adachi, and the fiery barmaid Saeko. Each of them was well-written and acted. Even without the context of previous chapters, the few story segments I played still carried strongly. There's plenty of little conversations, optional dialogues, and other moments in which they get to shine and really present themselves as interesting characters.

It is to Yakuza: Like a Dragon's credit that I seriously didn't want to stop playing the preview. I did my best not to look into the plot too much, but what was there still has me wanting to learn more and see how the story progresses. I like the characters, and I'm enjoying what I've experienced of the battle system. There's so much more that I barely got to experience in my time with it, such as the full extent of gear crafting. Dragon Kart is shaping up to be as hilarious and enjoyable a side activity as the drone races of Judgment. It's gonna be a good time.

Whatever you might say about the genre shift, becoming a turn-based JRPG hasn't really changed the Yakuza DNA at all. I'll certainly miss the brawling combat of old, mind you; there's really not much else like it, especially when compared to the wealth of RPG alternatives. But everything else that contributes to the style and feel of a Yakuza game is present, and the quality is as strong as the series has ever been. Between the no doubt interesting crime drama story, as well as the usual selection of minigames and side content on hand, Yakuza 7 is likely to keep me enthralled. I'll leave the Cyberpunk 2077 release to everyone else; instead, I'll be busy playing Yakuza as soon as I can.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and current-gen consoles (excluding Switch) from November 10. PS5 owners will have to wait until March 2, but will get a free upgrade from the PS4 version when available. In the meantime, if you've still yet to play a Yakuza game, you should really get on that. It's always a good time to start.

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