Play as a man with a little plaster on his cheek

Newcomers just hearing about the Yakuza series, you’re in luck: not only are the Japanese crime epic’s early instalments available on Xbox Game Pass, but the latest chapter begins afresh with a new character, a new location and a completely new combat system.

You play as Ichiban Kasuga, a lowly yakuza thug fresh out of an 18-year prison sentence for a murder he didn’t commit… only to find his sacrifice was in vain as he’s shot and left for dead by his old boss. Stranded in the port city of Yokohama, his search for the truth will lead to clashes with local Chinese and Korean gangsters; but where past Yakuza games have been

OTT beat-’em-ups, Ichiban’s imagination transforms these bouts into battles resembling a turn-based RPG – like a Dragon Quest, you might say.

The radical shift does make sense as you’re now controlling a party of four, while battles continue to have the dynamism of a real brawl instead of just pressing menus and watching numbers (although there is plenty of that too). What’s fascinating is how the game gives a modern twist to classic RPG tropes, from summoning allies with an app to finding new roles at the job centre.

More importantly, the core Yakuza experience is fully intact. So while there is a cinematic melodrama to sink your teeth into, you can also play around at the local Sega arcade or get into side quests that are as bizarre as they are heartwarming.

This is a launch title for the new Xboxes, but you’ll also be able to experience Ichiban’s saga on current-gen platforms.