Video game adaptations no longer have the bad reputation they had years ago. Fallout, The Last of Us, and Super Mario have demonstrated that playable material can be successfully translated to television and the big screen. Now, a series from SEGA has been announced, and MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes couldn’t be happier.
Nowadays, I am actually looking forward to video game adaptations. Recently, Fallout has shown that it works really well. The latest announced Amazon series makes me really happy, because as RGG Studio announced on x.com, a series about Yakuza is coming. Or rather, Like A Dragon, which is set to be released on October 24, 2024. A film based on the first installment of the games was already released in 2007.
What is Yakuza anyway? The game series from SEGA started in 2005 on the PS2 and continues to receive new installments even today. Until the seventh part, it was a mix between a beat ’em up and an RPG, featuring many mechanics from both genres.
The story is the major highlight, as the main quest is a typically Japanese melodrama that takes itself far too seriously and tells a modern mafia story set in Japan. In the side quests, however, it is the exact opposite. There are karaoke, dance battles, or Animal Crossing-style mini-games.
A mix of melodrama and absurdity
Why do I love the series so much? It is this absurd mix that somehow fits together and can only come from Japan. The serious mafia story works just as well as the big nonsense surrounding it. There are countless mini-games and gameplay mechanics that can keep you entertained in the Japanese city.
As @Genki_JPN reported on x.com, the series is to be directed by Taka Masaharu. He has previously worked on absurd series like The Naked Director. The choice of the lead actor also seems perfect, as it is Takeuchi Ryoma, who has already appeared in a Kamen Rider series. Kamen Rider can be most closely compared to Power Rangers, a genre that is very popular in Japan.
In my opinion, this is a good choice, as the director seems to be someone who can create great absurdity, and Kamen Rider series take themselves so seriously that it creates a certain humor. Both fit perfectly with Yakuza.
I hope the series manages to combine both components. The mafia genre has a strong tradition in Japan, with names like Takeshi Kitano, so I have fewer worries about that.
Integrating the side stories appropriately will be a bigger challenge, as finding the right balance will be difficult. Nevertheless, I am even more excited for Yakuza than for Arcane, because the atmosphere of the games can only be found there, and through such a series, more people can enjoy the franchise.
Objectively, it probably won’t be better than Arcane, but for me, it will be a very personal series that could perfectly match my taste.
The series is set to be released in 6 episodes and will tell a story separate from the games. The episodes will be released in groups of three on October 24, 2024, and November 1, 2024. If anyone wants to try the series by then, almost all parts can be found on PC, PS5, and Xbox. It’s even available on Game Pass. You can find another video game adaptation on Amazon here: A new series on Amazon is the next good video game adaptation – it’s a mix of Fallout and Mad Max
