If you’re hoping for the zaniness of a Yakuza game to still stay intact since Yakuza: Like A Dragon (Yakuza 7), then you’re in luck. The location of the latest Like A Dragon game -Like A Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth- has changed, from the streets of Kamurocho to the game’s version of Hawaii- but the elaborate sidequests, side story, and turn-based over-the-top violence-filled RPG combat remains and are amped up.

Bash At The Beach

In the Tokyo Game Show 2023 demo we played for half an hour plus, my playable RPG party consisted of main character Ichiban with his signature bat moves and cheer, Kiryu Kazuma, and newcomers Chitose and Tomizawa. Kiryu Kazuma’s default job (yes, you can change classes in the full game) has three fighting styles to choose from, each with their stats and advantages/disadvantages, as well as movesets. Chitose’s default job has her dishing out buffs and kicking butt with her ballet and dance moves. Tomizawa the ex-cab driver has wrench moves, electric battery shocks, and car-related attacks in his default job.

And yes, there are new classes to unlock throughout the game like Samurai, Desperado, Geodancer, Pyrodancer, Action Star, and Housekeeper. The latter lets you blow the competition away with vacuums and dusters. I am not making this up.

But the fun doesn’t stop there: while each character’s Super move is bombastic and over-the-top in their own right like Chitose’s “pas de deux” which ends with a strong elbow on her dance partner and Tomizawa’s ride to hell, Kiryu’s ultimate move takes the cake. When you unleash Kiryu’s Dragon Burst (by building up Heat via attacks), the game turns into a regular Like A Dragon/Yakuza title where Kiryu is controlled in real-time, beating up enemies without them retaliating. So if you miss the old Like A Dragon/Yakuza’s action combat, just activate this move when Kiryu’s in your party.

Shakedown: Hawaii

I was given the task of hunting down a corrupt police officer who framed Ichiban for a crime he didn’t commit. So I ended up exploring the whole of the Hawaiian town I’m in using a segway to get around, beating up American gangsters wherever I go, and earning extra income by delivering food Crazy Taxi style in a minigame called Crazy Eats. You drive from customer to customer and deliver food to them for cash. Seriously, once you start, you just cannot stop.

Other Like A Dragon/Yakuza shenanigans include side stories, spots where you can unlock party banter to find out more about your new teammates (like Chitose’s househunting obsession to Tomizawa’s past), and a lot more. 30 minutes is too little time to see what part 8 has in store, but it just goes to show that Sega’s RGG Studios team aren’t showing signs of declining talent and imagination when it comes to putting Ichiban and co. in zany situations. As for the game’s plot? Well, it’s anyone’s guess at this point in time, so let’s hope that the dramatic flair of past games are intact here despite the sunny new setting.

Like A Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth will be out on 26th January for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.