Maverick encountered this problem when fighting Lau Ka Long in his Legend playthrough of Yakuza Kiwami.
Why the Lau Ka Long Fight Can Get Stuck (And How to Fix It)
The fight against Lau Ka Long in Yakuza Kiwami has 3 phases. Some fighting animations do not allow him to transition to the next phase, however. If you’re in this situation, you can wail on him all you want. Even if his HP bar is empty, he’s still not going down. Essence of Sumo Slapping enjoyers, for example, may run into this issue.
The solution is to throw in some regular punches in between of your favorite Heat moves. This will allow Lau Ka Long to switch phases, after which you can continue fighting as normal. You can force him to move to Phase 2 after depleting his first health bar, then to Phase 3 after depleting his second health bar. If you prefer, you can also move him to his second and third phase while he is already on his last health bar.
The Phases of the Lau Ka Long Fight
The phases of the Lau Ka Long Fight are as follows:
- At the start of the fight, he fights with a spear
- After you deplete his first health bar, he switches to dual-wielding swords
- At the end of the fight, he fights hand-to-hand
Depending on your stats and fighting style, it is also possible he will be unarmed for a while between the first and the second phase.
Why This Bug Goes Largely Unnoticed
Most animations that prevent Lau Ka Long from switching phases require Heat. Because of this, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter this bug unless you loaded up heavily on consumables. Even then, your stats may not be high enough to finish the fight without normal actions.
On the Legend Difficulty, however, it’s a different story. First of all, your stats are likely maxed out unlike on your first playthrough. Secondly, you may have earned the War God Talisman from the Climax Battles, which generates an endless amount of Heat. That is why most players who do encounter this bug, do so on Legend difficulty.