A massive and historic upgrade was recently done on the PC version of Yakuza 5 Remastered that added a full co-op feature to the widely acclaimed game. Dubbed “Intertwined Fates,” the free-to-download mod on Nexus Mods is the creation of prolific Yakuza series modder Jhrino. It faithfully reworks the game to include two-player playthrough from its opening scene to its final one, with a new take on a fan favorite game in the series.
“Intertwined Fates” allows the player to experience the vast story of Yakuza 5 alongside a companion. Perhaps most significantly, the second player will play as Ichiban Kasuga, the colorful protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This is a canonical anachronism, as Ichiban appears later on in the series. That said, this seems like a calculated move that is probably based on the character’s popularity over time. Even for single players, the mod improves gameplay by adding an AI-controlled Ichiban to participate in each combat battle, with some welcome relief and hopefully taking a few of the game’s difficulties away.
The mod goes further than combat support, however. The “Intertwined Fates” has managed to remake some of the Yakuza 5’s classic mini-games to permit two-player interaction. For example, dance battles feature Haruka juggling button inputs and Ichiban handling directional controls, providing a true cooperative rhythm play experience. Hunting missions are similarly enhanced through the dual-player format. Ichiban is also woven into various cutscenes, taxi mini-games, idol battles, and handshake events effortlessly, with visual visibility of the second player present throughout the experience, often with some extra humor as he looks on as the drama happens.
Gameplay-wise, Ichiban has his own moveset based on his fighting skill in the Like a Dragon franchise, and it works as a great twist on the native Yakuza 5 fighting system. Compatible, the mod will disable Ichiban’s custom moveset elegantly if other compatible moveset modifications are present. Though its main application lies in local co-operative play, “Intertwined Fates” also has tutorials created by itself on the Nexus Mods website for those interested in applying it to online co-op games as well, adding to its availability and popularity. This mod is proof of fan-sourced upgrade and provides fresh life to Yakuza 5 Remastered into a completely different gameworld.
