Video: enjoy the mean streets and cool suits of Yakuza: Like A Dragon's first chapter

I've been looking forward to Yakuza: Like A Dragon ever since the RPG combat was first shown off. Sure, I thought it was an April Fool's at first, too, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. There needed to be a clean break between the old protagonist and coolest dad in the world, Kazuma Kiryu, and the new boy in town, with the coolest hair in the world, Ichican Kasuga. And what better way to do that then with a couple of absolutely massive changes.

If you're unfamiliar with Yakuza, all you need to know is it's the perfect mix of melodrama and karaoke. And it makes me a very happy boy. And, for that reason alone, I thought it would be nice – given the hell year that refuses to end – to share that joy with you.

So, welcome to LollaYakuza. Obviously the name was the first thing I thought of.

Essentially, this is a relaxed, weekly let's play series, where I'll be playing through the game for the first time and then publishing chunks of it on the internet for you to watch. I say ;let's play', but this is a Yakuza game, so there's a decent amount of just watching in this first episode. The game is introducing a new cast of characters and setting up the plot... and it's a Yakuza game, so it's to be expected, really.

If you're thinking of picking the game up yourself, then you can look at this first episode as a little preview, because you'll get to see the entirety of chapter one. I've only cut out the non-essential stuff. It's all meat, all the time.

I hope you enjoy this first episode and that you'll come on this journey with me. I also really hope you enjoy the theme song.