Yakuza 6 introduced the Dragon Engine, Ryu Ga Gotoku’s newest game engine for the series and its spin-off, Judgment. The engine was arguably a big improvement over what the prior games had used, but it also introduced ragdoll physics to the series, which seemed to have led to some oddities that crop up from time to time, like in this case.
RELATED: Yakuza 5 PC Problems Fixed Courtesy of Fan Patch
The short clip was uploaded by swooper_d on Twitter, who wondered how hard Kazuma Kiryu must have hit his opponent to send him catapulting through the air. Simply sending an opponent flying wouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with the Yakuza series, but this is a physics glitch that’s bizarre. After a final kick on his opponent, the enemy starts spinning rapidly through space, gradually ascending into the air. It’s an extremely weird moment to see, and even Kiryu stops and stares at the body as it flies away, adding to the humor of the scene.
Long-time fans of the Yakuza series have likely seen some odd moments pop up in the game physics from the time to time like this. Sometimes the funny moments happen in combat, with otherwise capable and physical opponents suddenly crumpling into a pile upon a single hit. Outright glitches like these don’t happen all the time, but the physics can definitely become odd like this, even after the series shifted away from the beat-’em’-up format and became a turn-based RPG. The games have been chock-full of remarkable physical feats and choreography through the years, but seeing a body fly away breaks the immersion a bit.
It’s worth pointing out that these kinds of glitches seemed to be the most common in Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2, the first two games to utilize the (then) new Dragon Engine. Since then, Judgment, Lost Judgment, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon have been further refined, and there’s a good chance that the next mainline game entry will see even fewer physics glitches. Chances are it’ll still be full of bizarre moments that are intentional, though, so fans don’t have to worry about a lack of humor in the game.
Yakuza fans are likely in for a treat soon, as the development studio is holding an event to announce its next projects shortly. While the exact reveals are unknown, Yakuza 8 is in development and likely to be the big showstopper. Only time will tell if the inevitable follow-up to Like a Dragon contains as many enemies floating away at the end of the fight.
Yakuza 6 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE: Yakuza 6: 8 Funniest Substories, Ranked
