Yakuza: Like a Dragon may play differently than its predecessors, but that doesn’t make it easier. Ichiban Kasuga and the gang square off against some formidable foes, and they can only negate so much of the damage dealt across countless battles.
Eventually, the party is going to need to recover some of those crucial health points, whether currently engaged in combat or dragging themselves around Yokohama after a rough scuffle. Here’s how to get your team back into fighting shape.
How to Heal Outside of Combat
If healing outside of combat, the process is more relaxed and offers up a greater number of solutions for the injured party members. Inventory items, such as Salmon Onigiri, can be selected from the Items section of the pause menu. Select the desired HP-boosting item and the game will ask which character is the desired recipient. Choose the debilitated individual to give them a much-needed boost.
There may come a point when you have expended the team’s health recovery items. Restaurants, notated by a yellow fork and knife icon, can be visited for a quick meal. Sit down with the crew to enjoy spicy deep-fried octopus and wash it down with a highball to say goodbye to troublesome wounds.
Of course, you can always restock your stash to better prepare for injuries on-the-go. Seek out the orange shopping cart icons on the map for stores selling crucial items. A corner shop may let you stuff your pockets with HP-granting french fries, whereas a pharmacy is likely to be stocked with powerful Toughness ZZ.
The last option comes in the form of recovery stations sparsely placed on the map (ex: the homeless camp in Yokohama) and throughout missions that pull the characters from the normal map. During missions, they can often be found between bouts of action and are identified by the sparkling heart icon stemming from a short drink dispenser.
How to Heal During Combat
If healing in combat, the options are a tad more limited. You can’t exactly break away from battle to dash into the nearest restaurant for a revitalizing plate of noodles. Preparation beforehand is key for effective mid-fight healing.
The first option is to use an item. In battle, select Etc. and then Items. This will pop up a menu with all available items currently stored in your inventory. Highlight and select the team member in need of aid. Keep in mind that expending an item in combat does count as the action for that turn, meaning it’s important to be strategic in their use.
The remaining route involves having the proper party composition. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is more of an RPG than the previous installments ever were, sporting jobs that push characters into specific roles. Having a character with a healing ability is likely to be a must for the three-man party. Nanba, for example, can select Skills and use Healing Powder with the same application method as administering items. However, only MP (Mental Points) is depleted upon use. Keep an eye on healing-capable jobs to ensure that the party has an alternative to eating through items.
Now you stand a better chance at staying alive through the challenging encounters awaiting Ichiban.
