Will Yakuza 8 embrace its new turn-based destiny?

As a long-time fan who has eagerly followed every fist-flying twist of this iconic Japanese series, I can conclusively say yes – Yakuza 8 will indeed continue the franchise‘s brave new era as a turn-based JRPG.

The series‘ history hints at an identity crisis

With its debut on PS2 in 2005, the original Yakuza game wowed players with its free-roaming urban streets and cinematic brawls. Its fluid combat let you kick, punch and grab gangsters with savage glee. [[Embed debut gameplay video]]

Over the PlayStation 3 era, entries like Yakuza 3-5 continued refining this brutal action formula. But the series was always about story first – with labyrinthine crime drama plots spanning multiple engaging protagonists.

So when 2012‘s prequel Yakuza 0 opted to double down on Tokyo‘s bright, bubbly personalities rather than technical gameplay innovations, something changed. [[Embed Yakuza 0 nightlife video]] As the PS4 gave the franchise a new lease on life with the well-received Kiwami remakes and Yakuza 6, the devs seemed to be itching to experiment beyond just enhancing resolutions.

Speaking to IGN in 2019, chief creative officer Toshihiro Nagoshi revealed their motivations:

"We felt we really needed to change things up if the series was going to continue appealing to fans."

The Like A Dragon gamble pays off

In 2019, to the shock of many fans, Sega announced the next numbered entry would take the Yakuza name in an totally new direction – turn-based JRPG combat.

It sounded absurd – like transitioning Call of Duty or Assassin‘s Creed to a chess simulator overnight.

But the gamble paid off tremendously. Like A Dragon earned rave reviews for its silly, sincere crime caper vibe… and most agreed the thoughtful new combat system marked an evolution rather than betrayal of the series‘ core spirit.

Check the critic verdict at OpenCritic below:

Fan approval was just as enthusiastic, making Like A Dragon the fastest selling entry in Yakuza history!

With such glowing feedback, Nagoshi-san and Ryu Ga Gotoku studio finally felt vindicated in reinventing their precious creation to keep things fresh.

Speaking again to IGN after Like a Dragon‘s launch, the legendary dev reaffirmed:

"We want this to be the basis for the future of the series moving forward"

So turn-based combat is here is to stay! But how will it actually play with Kazuma Kiryu as our warrior instead of Ichiban Kasuga?

Kiryu brings the heat to JRPG battles

Yakuza 8‘s 2024 launch brings the long-awaited return of beloved series icon Kiryu as a playable character once more. But he‘ll play VERY differently to his button-mashing PS3 prime.

Trading street brawling for more calculated turn-based warfare is a big change, but early behind closed doors previews reassure us that the Dragon of Dojima still brings plenty of signature flair.

Destructoid‘s Chris Carter witnessed Kiryu in action and confirms a varied ability set that incorporates his most famous kicks and combos like you‘d hope:

“Kiryu has access to long reaching physical attacks as you‘d expect from his kick-centric repertoire…Let‘s just say HEAT mode Kiryu lives up to the name”

But while combat will remain recognizable, Kotaku‘s Sisi Jiang points out that embracing the structure of turn-based RPGs opens storytelling opportunities too:

”The slower pace of battles, with time to plan Kiryu‘s next move, mirrors his wiser, more patient Dragon now. And should allow characters to banter more during fights – unlocking great narrative potential”

So with the possibilities of Ichiban‘s zany new band of misfits meeting Kazama‘s stoic swagger, this genre mashup may spawn new life for the franchise yet!

How the community perceives the seismic shift

With such a wholesale reinvention of a beloved institution, fan opinion is inevitably divided online as to whether turn-based is the right fit for Yakuza‘s hard-boiled drama going forward.

Negative contrarians will always shout the loudest on forums like Reddit. But analyzing the numbers tells the true story that most players ultimately embraced the new direction.

Like I highlighted earlier, Like a Dragon converted critics and recorded series-best sales. Over on YouTube, you only need to scroll through reactions to the Yakuza 8 reveal trailer to feel the buzz and hype is still palpable for a turn-based sequel.

I‘ve created a quick snapshot sentiment analysis using key metrics below:

With such strong engagement from its core community, I believe Sega‘s bold gamble has been thoroughly vindicated.

Now the evolution to JRPG-inspired combat can continue without controversy as the reins are passed from Ichiban to Kiryu.

Genre pivots that paid off

Yakuza is far from the first beloved gaming franchise to risk reinventing its formula. Let‘s examine precedents from history that similarly paid off with an unexpected new style:

• Fallout – The classic PC RPG series took on action elements with 2008‘s Fallout 3 to huge acclaim
• Resident Evil – RE4 shifted the iconic survival horror towards kinetic gunplay and regeneration, saving the franchise
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Abandoning rigid structure for open world exploration brought the series into the modern era
• Metal Gear Solid – The fifth (chronologically final) entry controversially embraced full open world freedom

In each case, by respecting franchise fundamentals while allowing necessary gameplay growth, fans eventually embraced bold new directions once seen as sacrilege.

Yakuza is now firmly a part of this pantheon. And Like a Dragon 8 can potentially perfect a refined culmination of the series‘ disparate strengths on PS5 hardware for a new generation.

The future of Kamurocho chaos is turn-based

As this analysis shows, Yakuza pivoting permanently to classic JRPG mechanics is overwhelmingly supported by stakeholders that matter: critics, creators and community.

Will every longtime fan enjoy some Control-style reboot back to pure action in Judgment spinoffs? Sure.

But Like a Dragon 8 continuing the series‘ mainline story forward as an RPG indicates SEGA committing to a vision. And based on the first game‘s smash success already, it should build beautifully on foundations now nicely laid on PS5.

With series icons Kiryu and Majima soon entering the fray with Ichiban‘s motley crew, mixing gorgeous next-gen visual flair with the methodical strategy of anime-inspired combat seems a perfect way to honor Yakuza‘s rich legacy while evolving.

I for one can‘t wait to see my favorites in a fresh new light when I boot up the emotive crime drama turned flair-filled JRPG again next year! This brave new direction has me more excited than ever to revisit the tangled web of Kamurocho chaos once more.

Are you on board with Yakuza embracing its turn-based destiny? Share your thoughts below!