The English voice cast of Yakuza: Like A Dragon has some major star power, as Sega of America announced that the legendary George Takei will be lending his voice to one of the characters central to the game's narrative development. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a dramatic departure from the kind of gameplay that has characterized the series' previous installments, eschewing action-driven combat for RPG-style battles instead. The game will also see a new protagonist step into the spotlight, shifting the focus away from Tokyo and into Yokohama.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon has already released in Japan and was given an extremely positive review score from Famitsu, the most well-known critical publication for video games in the country. The dramatic restructuring of the series remains a hot topic for dedicated fans of the series, but the game's sales in Japan were steady, and its performance in North American and European markets has often lagged behind the series' potential. Providing the mainline games with a new protagonist and a new gameplay style could be the shot in the arm the franchise needs to begin gaining traction ahead of next-gen console releases, and the game will also appear on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
Adding legendary talent doesn't hurt, either, and that's why the addition of George Takei to the English voice cast of Yakuza: Like A Dragon is such an important detail to the game's Western release. Takei, who is most famous for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, will lend his considerable talents to Masumi Arakawa, a powerful figure who is central in the dismantling of a yakuza empire that spurs on the beginnings of the conflict that will ultimately come to be a central part of Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Takei's involvement was announced in conjunction with a brand new Yakuza: Like A Dragon trailer, "Heroes of Tomorrow," which also showcases some of the game's preorder bonuses:
Sega of America also provided more details on the game's voice cast, which will also include Kaiji Tang, Andrew Morgado, Greg Chun, and Elizabeth Maxwell in main roles. Yakuza: Like A Dragon will have three different package deals, with the Day Ichi Edition, Hero Edition, and Legendary Hero Edition all offering various bonuses and collectables to fans.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon's get of George Takei as a voice actor is likely to bring more attention to the title from those who may not have heard about it previously, which is obviously a boon for a niche franchise like Yakuza. It's also a demonstration of the talent present within the game's English voice cast. Whether or not it's enough to generate more interest than the title previously had when it comes to sales will be another thing, but it's a promising inclusion that will certainly make the days of more than a few Yakuza fans who also have a soft spot for sci-fi.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon releases in November 2020 for PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and PC. An Xbox Series X version will release on day one of that console's release, while a PlayStation 5 version will release at a later date.