Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Developer(s)Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Ryosuke Horii
Producer(s)Makoto Suzuki
Artist(s)
  • Daishi Kanaya
  • Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s)Tsuyoshi Furuta
Composer(s)Chihiro Aoki
SeriesLike a Dragon
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 9, 2023
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name[a] is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. Taking place between the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016), Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020) and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024), Like a Dragon Gaiden focuses on the series' original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, as he embarks on a new adventure in Osaka under the guise of a secret agent.[1]

Like a Dragon Gaiden was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 9, 2023.

Gameplay

In Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, players control Kazuma Kiryu as they explore the Sotenbori district of Osaka. The Isezaki Ijincho district of Yokohama, a location prominently featured in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Lost Judgment, is also partially available during parts of the story. A third location, known as the Castle, is a hub area where players can participate in side activities. Minigames such as karaoke, Pocket Circuit racing, cabaret club, and fighting arena also return. A new character named Akame acts as an informant, providing Kiryu with sub-missions.[1]

Kiryu has access to two fighting styles, Yakuza and Agent. The Yakuza style features aggressive brawler combat movement similar to Kiryu's classic fighting style from previous games, while the Agent style is described as having "absolute speed and precision", relying on high-tech gadgets.[1]

Similar to Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon Gaiden features several Master System games which Kiryu can play: Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alien Syndrome, Enduro Racer, Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa, Galaxy Force, Global Defense, Maze Hunter 3-D, Quartet and Secret Command, as well the SG-1000 version of Flicky,[2] among other arcade titles, such as Daytona USA 2 and Fighting Vipers 2.[3]

Plot

Characters and settings

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name takes place after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and before, during, and after the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon leading into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Following the ending of Yakuza 6, Kazuma Kiryu (Takaya Kuroda/Yong Yea) has faked his death and gone into hiding, in order to protect his foster children. Having signed a pact with the Daidoji faction to become their disciple, Kiryu now operates as one of their secret agents, codenamed "Joryu". However, after one of his missions go awry, Kiryu would soon be drawn into a new conflict as he is forced out of hiding by a mysterious figure.[1]

New characters introduced in Like a Dragon Gaiden include: Kihei Hanawa (Hiroki Tōchi), a handler of the Daidoji faction; Homare Nishitani III (Kim Jae-wook), patriarch of the Kijin Clan, a subsidiary of the Osaka-based yakuza organization Omi Alliance;[b] Kosei Shishido (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Yuki Tsuruno (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi), respectively lieutenant and captain of the Omi Alliance's Watase Family; Akame (First Summer Uika), an informant residing in Sotenbori;[4] Yoshimura (Mitsuaki Kanuka), a ruthless Daidoji faction manager who has contempt for Kiryu; the head priest of the Daidoji Temple (Ikkyu Juku), one of the few people Kiryu confides in; and the Boss (Hiroshi Naka), a mysterious high-ranking Daidoji officer operating the faction from the shadow.[5]

Several characters from previous Like a Dragon titles also return, including: Masaru Watase (Rintarō Nishi), patriarch of the Watase Family and captain of the Omi Alliance; Daigo Dojima (Satoshi Tokushige), sixth chairman of the Tojo Clan; Goro Majima (Hidenari Ugaki) and Taiga Saejima (Rikiya Koyama), senior Tojo Clan members who accompany Daigo; Ichiban Kasuga (Kazuhiro Nakaya/Kaiji Tang), a former Tojo Clan yakuza who would eventually become acquainted with Kiryu;[2] and Haruka Sawamura (Rie Kugimiya), Kiryu's adopted daughter.

Synopsis

In 2019, Kazuma Kiryu is requested by his handler, Kihei Hanawa, to undertake a new mission for the Daidoji faction: to provide security for a smuggling operation in Yokohama. The operation, however, turns out to be a trap, as an unidentified yakuza group ambushes the agents and attempts to kidnap Hanawa. Kiryu manages to drive the yakuza away, though one of them recognizes him. The next day, Kiryu investigates the local Seiryu Clan in Isezaki Ijincho, but soon discovers that it was the Omi Alliance's Watase Family who ambushed the Daidoji agents. A group of Watase Family members, lead by their captain Yuki Tsuruno, corners Kiryu and persuades him to help them. Tsuruno kidnaps Hanawa, while demanding Kiryu to meet with him afterwards. Kiryu is later reprimanded by Daidoji manager Yoshimura, who suggests that they abandon Hanawa to maintain the Daidoji's secrecy. He refuses, and manages to escape after defeating Yoshimura and other agents.

Kiryu meets with Tsuruno in a bar in Ijincho, where the latter reveals that his patriarch, Masaru Watase, has requested his men to investigate Kiryu's supposed death since 2016, believing it to be fabricated.[c] Tsuruno asks Kiryu to cooperate with the Watase Family, and in exchange they would help him fake his death once more, freeing him from the Daidoji and allowing him to reunite with his foster children in Okinawa. Kiryu, however, rejects the proposal when Tsuruno suggests killing Hanawa. Tsuruno relents, and tells Kiryu to go to Sotenbori, Osaka and find Akame, a jack-of-all-trades handyman. After helping Akame with a few of her jobs, she takes Kiryu to the Castle, a secret adult entertainment hub located on a ship outside of Sotenbori governed by the Omi Alliance's Kijin Clan. At the Castle, Kiryu signs up to fight in the Coliseum arena in order to prove his worth to Watase Family lieutenant Kosei Shishido. Afterwards, Shishido reveals that Hanawa is kept at a building in Sotenbori, with Tsuruno waiting for him. Kiryu defeats Tsuruno and various Watase Family members, then frees Hanawa.

In defeat, Tsuruno reveals Watase's true intentions for requesting Kiryu's help: to oversee the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan, alongside him and Tojo Clan's Sixth Chairman Daigo Dojima. Regardless, Kiryu refuses to help them, and leaves Tsuruno to the Daidoji.

Development and promotion

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was originally conceived during the development of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama suggested to the development team to expand further on Kazuma Kiryu's backstory in between the events of the prior titles, rather than restricting to an interlude for Infinite Wealth. It was discussed that the project be done in downloadable content format, before eventually evolving into a full game. The game was developed in parallel with Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and was finished within six months.[6]

Like a Dragon Gaiden was announced in September 2022 during RGG Studio's Summit livestream, alongside a debut cinematic trailer.[7] Yokoyama explained that the game would be shorter in length compared to usual mainline entries. Gaiden's playtime was roughly estimated to be 10-20 hours, while Yokoyama promised that there would be an ample amount of activities for players to do.[8]

In early 2023, RGG Studio hosted a Cabaret Club Grand Prix competition, in which five models were chosen to appear as live-action hostesses in the cabaret club minigame in Like a Dragon Gaiden, while the Grand Prix winner is given an in-game role in Infinite Wealth. Among the five finalists, the livestreamer and VTuber Kson ultimately won the Grand Prix.[9]

The first story trailer premiered at Summer Game Fest 2023, showcasing new characters as well as gameplay footage of the new Agent fighting style, in addition to confirming the release date.[1] Additional gameplay was shown at RGG Summit Summer 2023, alongside an introduction of the main cast members.[4] In June 2023, RGG Studio revealed that Yong Yea would voice Kiryu in the English dub, replacing Darryl Kurylo who previously voiced Kiryu in Yakuza (2005) and Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020).[10]

The second story trailer premiered in August 2023, showcasing more characters in the story, including returning characters from previous Like a Dragon titles, in addition to a first-look at the various minigames.[2] In September 2023, RGG Studio revealed the main theme song for the game, "Katatoki", performed by singer Yojiro Noda and rapper JID.[11]

Release

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was released worldwide on November 9, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.[1] A pre-order bonus downloadable content pack includes recurring Like a Dragon characters Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima as additional characters for the Arena minigame.[1] The game will also include a special demo for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, available after clearing the game.[2] Like a Dragon Gaiden is currently only planned for a digital release, with a limited physical edition available in select Asian territories.[12] Unlike recent releases, Gaiden's English dub is not included at launch, and instead is slated for a future update.[13]

Reception

Like a Dragon Gaiden received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[28]

VG247 gave praise to the improvement in narrative approach, the shorter but more focused story, as well as the introduction of the Agent combat style that shakes up the gameplay formula.[27] In a mixed review, Digital Trends praised the character writing but criticized the use of repetitive plot points. They also criticized the tedious nature of the game's side mission system, compared to previous Like a Dragon titles.[18]

Notes

  1. ^ Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku 7 Gaiden: Na wo Keshita Otoko (Japanese: 龍が如く７外伝 名を消した男, lit. "Like a Dragon 7 Side Story: The Man Who Erased His Name")
  2. ^ Nishitani's name is a title, inherited from the first Kijin Clan patriarch, who previously appeared in Yakuza 0.
  3. ^ As depicted in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Romano, Sal (June 8, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches November 9". Gematsu. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Ramsey, Robert (August 18, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden Looks Awesome, Includes Trial Version of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth". Push Square. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Croft, Liam (8 September 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden Reveals Its Mini Games, from the Fights to the Kinky". Push Square. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Ochoa, Raul (June 15, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Reveals Japanese Voice Cast". FinalWeapon.net. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  5. ^ "Characters | Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Official Website | SEGA". ryu-ga-gotoku.com. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Takenaka, Kosuke (October 30, 2023). "The Like a Dragon series producers talk about the "Don't change anything" policy they upkeep and fandom behavior that has surprised them". automaton-media.com. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  7. ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (September 14, 2022). "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Announced, Follows Kiryu's Life After Yakuza 6". Game Informer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Tu, Trumann (September 18, 2022). "Like a Dragon Gaiden Will Be A Smaller Scale Game Than Other Yakuza Games". Game Rant. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Lada, Jenni (May 28, 2023). "VShojo's Kson Wins Yakuza Grand Prix To Be in 2 Like a Dragon Games". Siliconera. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  10. ^ RGG Studio [@RGGStudio] (June 21, 2023). "Yong Yea (@YongYea), voice actor, popular YouTuber and NEW English voice of Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden is the last panelist at our Dragons of Japan panel at Anime Expo!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 21, 2023 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Kratiuk, Anton (September 20, 2023). "An introductory trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, the next Yakuza spin-off, has been unveiled". gagadget.com. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  12. ^ Damian, Arthur (August 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden to Get Physical Release Through Playasia". The Escapist. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ^ Tai, Anita (October 17, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden Game Won't Have English Dub at Launch". Animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  16. ^ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. ^ Van Allen, Eric (November 6, 2023). "Review: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". Destructoid. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Franzese, Tomas (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name review: playing the hits". Digital Trends. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  19. ^ Hester, Blake (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review". Game Informer. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  20. ^ Higham, Michael (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden Review - The Man Who Can't Escape The Yakuza". GameSpot. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Hashimoto, Kazuma (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name review: "Yet another swansong for Kiryu"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Ogilvie, Tristan (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review". IGN. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Savage, Phil (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden review". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Ramsey, Robert (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review (PS5)". Push Square. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ^ Logan, Jonathan (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". RPG Fan. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  26. ^ Luddy, Lexi (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name review: The man behind the myth". Shacknews. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Broadwell, Josh (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden review: The shortest Yakuza game is also one of the best". VG247. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  28. ^ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". Metacritic. Retrieved November 7, 2023.

External links