Awesome Yakuza Cosplay Recreates Like a Dragon Selfie

Yakuza: Like a Dragon took the series in a new direction by bringing RPG mechanics to the streets of Kamurocho. With new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga proving the strength of the Yakuza franchise is its narrative elements, fans immediately took to Like a Dragon. Not only is the game a sales success, but fans are showing how much they enjoy the game by cosplaying out in the real world. A great example of this features one cosplayer mimicking the game's photo mode and going for the perfect selfie.

A number of video games have added in camera features for players to capture moments, run them through filters, and post right to social media. Red Dead Redemption 2's beautiful game world has been captured on digital film and shared more extensively than any other title on platforms like Instagram. A fun camera mechanic becomes a way to document a player's journey through a game, creating a highlight reel of moments that mean something to an individual.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon fan Enyen takes the game's camera mode and brings it into the real world with a quality imitation of what it is like to take a selfie in game. As his friends crowd into frame, moving along with the camera, Enyen's Kasuga tilts and adjusts, trying to get the perfect angle. In game, the player's party members will try and strike a pose if they are in frame behind Kasuga, and shift somewhat awkwardly attempting to stay in the shot - something the cosplay group gets just right.

The Yakuza franchise has always been an over-the-top send up of Japanese yakuza films, and that outlandish tone has caught on with fans. It has inspired fans to produce elaborate parody videos based on Yakuza that nail specific mannerisms, and capture the level of nonsense the franchise deals in. Not every series can generate this kind of love from its fanbase, but Yakuza really strikes a chord with a number of people.

Photo modes are here to stay, providing players with a fun and creative way to personalize their gaming experience. Final Fantasy 15 brought the camera experience to the forefront, with players encouraged to snap photos of Noctis and the gang on their road trip, and now games like Yakuza have taken up the mantle. Fans taking the in-game camera experience and reenacting it in the real world is a great spin on a typical cosplay.

Sega’s fiscal year is coming to a close, and it has released a report detailing just how much of an impact Yakuza: Like a Dragon has had for the publisher.

Despite the Yakuza series' continued growth in sales, selling roughly 3 million games in about two years, Sega still considers Yakuza a niche franchise. Sega attributes much of the game’s western success to the series’ in-depth depiction of Japanese life and culture. That may change, however, if the series' critical and commercial success continues to boom at its present pace.

In a new report released last week, Sega named Yakuza: Like A Dragon as one of three games that boosted its third-quarter sales. The report specified that its western release is what provided that boost, alongside Sega’s ever-popular Football Manager and Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster. The quarter in which Like A Dragon released is one of Sega’s strongest in the past three fiscal years.