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
Designer(s)
  • Jun Orihara
  • Daisuke Takahashi
Artist(s)
  • Daishi Kanaya
  • Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s)Masayoshi Yokoyama
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[lower-alpha 1] 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 during the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), 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 the first chapter 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, Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa, Galaxy Force, Global Defense, Maze Hunter 3-D, Penguin Land, Quartet and Secret Command, as well the SG-1000 version of Flicky,[2] among other arcade titles, such as Virtua Fighter 2, Sonic the Fighters, Motor Raid, Daytona USA 2 (also known as Sega Racing Classic 2, due to licensing issues) and Fighting Vipers 2.[3]

Like a Dragon Gaiden features a special trial version of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is unlockable after beating Gaiden's main story for the first time. The trial includes two demos: a "Story Demo", which continues from the end of Gaiden and features exclusive scenes not included in Infinite Wealth; and a "Hawaii Demo", which features a limited free-roam map of a fictionalized version of Honolulu, Hawaii for the players to explore and engage in side activities.[2]

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/Jake Eberle), a handler of the Daidoji faction; Homare Nishitani III (Kim Jae-wook/Tyler Yamabe), patriarch of the Kijin Clan, a subsidiary of the Osaka-based yakuza organization Omi Alliance;[lower-alpha 2] Kosei Shishido (Yasukaze Motomiya/Matt Bushell) and Yuki Tsuruno (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi/Eugene Nomura), respectively lieutenant and captain of the Omi Alliance's Watase Family; Akame (First Summer Uika/Holly Chou), an informant residing in Sotenbori;[4] Yoshimura (Mitsuaki Kanuka/Alain Uy), a ruthless Daidoji faction manager who has contempt for Kiryu; the head priest of the Daidoji Temple (Ikkyu Juku/Kirk Thornton), one of the few people Kiryu confides in; and the Boss (Hiroshi Naka/SungWon Cho), 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/James C. Burns), patriarch of the Watase Family and captain of the Omi Alliance; Daigo Dojima (Satoshi Tokushige/Tim Friedlander), sixth chairman of the Tojo Clan; Goro Majima (Hidenari Ugaki/Matthew Mercer) and Taiga Saejima (Rikiya Koyama/Ron Yuan), 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/Xanthe Huynh), Kiryu's adopted daughter. Gaiden also features minor appearances of characters from the spin-off title Judgment and its sequel Lost Judgment: Masaharu Kaito (Shinshū Fuji/Crispin Freeman), Toru Higashi (Yoshihisa Kawahara/Steve Blum), and Fumiya Sugiura (Junta Terashima/Mark Whitten).

Synopsis

After faking his death in late 2016,[lower-alpha 3] Kazuma Kiryu continues to live in secrecy, operating as an agent for the Daidoji faction under the codename "Joryu". He undertakes various tasks for the Daidoji via orders from his handler Kihei Hanawa, in exchange for anonymous funding to the Morning Glory Orphanage. Outside of his job, he spends time meditating in a Buddhist temple with the help of a priest, it being a Daidoji front.

In 2019, Kiryu is tasked with providing security for a smuggling operation in Yokohama. The operation 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, led by their captain Yuki Tsuruno, corners Kiryu and persuades him to help them. With the help of Watase Family lieutenant Kosei Shishido, Tsuruno kidnaps Hanawa and demands Kiryu to meet with him later. Kiryu is reprimanded by Daidoji manager Yoshimura, who suggests that they abandon Hanawa to maintain the Daidoji's secrecy. Kiryu refuses, and with the help of the temple's head priest, he escapes after defeating Yoshimura and the 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. Tsuruno asks Kiryu to cooperate with the Watase Family in exchange for freeing him from the Daidoji and allowing him to re-fake his death and reunite with his foster children in Okinawa. Kiryu, however, rejects the proposal when Tsuruno reveals part of the deal was to kill Hanawa. Tsuruno relents, and tells Kiryu to go to Sotenbori, Osaka, and find Akame, a jack-of-all-trades fixer. 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 to prove his worth to Shishido, who then reveals Hanawa's location to Kiryu. Kiryu returns to Sotenbori, confronts Tsuruno and other Watase Family members, and frees Hanawa after defeating them.

Tsuruno reveals Watase's true intentions for requesting Kiryu's help: to oversee the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan, alongside the Tojo's Sixth Chairman Daigo Dojima.[lower-alpha 4] Regardless, Kiryu refuses to help them and leaves Tsuruno to the Daidoji. Kiryu later visits a Daidoji hideout in Sotenbori, where he is ordered by the Boss, a high-ranking Daidoji officer, to kill Tsuruno, Watase, and the rest of the Watase Family to maintain his cover. Kiryu holds Hanawa at gunpoint, allowing Tsuruno to escape. Hanawa threatens to harm the children at Okinawa, forcing Kiryu to surrender. Three days later, after a lengthy test to see if Kiryu and Hanawa have truly bonded beyond an agent-handler relationship, the Boss lets go of Kiryu, with Tsuruno revealing to have made a deal with the Daidoji to lend Kiryu's services to the Watase Family.

Tsuruno later calls Kiryu to come to the Castle, where he reveals his intention: to lure out the Kijin Clan Patriarch, Homare Nishitani III, from the Castle and kill him in time before Watase is released from prison, to ensure no high-ranking officers of the Omi Alliance rally the members to rebel against the dissolution. Kiryu, rejecting the proposal, strikes a deal to incapacitate him instead. Nishitani, having an interest on Kiryu, puts the Castle on lockdown, forcing Kiryu to punch Tsuruno to maintain the latter's cover and escape, knocking down Nishitani in the process. Later, Nishitani sends the Kijin Clan to find Kiryu in Sotenbori. At Kiryu's behest, Tsuruno obtains 30 million yen to be used to lure Nishitani out by throwing lavish parties and debauchery spending throughout Sotenbori. Under Hanawa's advice, Kiryu and Tsuruno then mobilize the Watase Family to take over the Castle by force and leak its existence to the media. Having angered Nishitani enough, the two agree to a showdown in Nishitani's hideout on a shipyard outside Sotenbori. Kiryu and Shishido battle Nishitani and his goons while Tsuruno sets the hideout on fire. Nishitani is incapacitated, but Shishido, under orders from Tsuruno, stabs Nishitani to death before they can escape the building.

Several days later, Kiryu and the Watase Family arrive at a construction site outside Sotenbori to greet the recently released Watase. Shishido betrays the crew, having planned all along to stop the dissolution and take over the Omi Alliance. He rallies the Watase Family against Kiryu, Tsuruno, and Watase, and reveals that he faked Nishitani's stabbing. The three manage to fend off the attack, albeit Tsuruno and Watase are injured in the process. Hanawa, having been tipped off by Akane about Nishitani's survival, runs over Nishitani with a limo, leaving him unconscious. Hanawa escorts Kiryu, Tsuruno, and Watase to the meeting at the Omi Alliance HQ, where the latter announces the joint dissolution of the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan. A riot breaks out in the process, and Tsuruno and Kiryu team up with Ichiban Kasuga and his team to protect Watase and Daigo.[lower-alpha 4] As Watase is escorted outside, Shishido, having survived the earlier battle, arrives, rallying up the remaining Omi Alliance members. Daigo, alongside Goro Majima and Taiga Saejima, fend off against the last of the Omi Alliance, while Kiryu confronts Shishido alone and defeats him. The latter is ultimately subdued by Yoshimura, who decides to keep him alive as a potential Daidoji agent, alongside Nishitani.

In 2020, Hanawa reveals that the Daidoji wants to reward Kiryu for his efforts in helping Watase, as well as aiding Kasuga in stopping the Tokyo Governor Ryo Aoki.[lower-alpha 4] The former shares a recording of a hidden camera overlooking Kiryu's grave, where two of his adopted children, Taichi and Ayako, update Kiryu on everyone at the Morning Glory Orphanage. Hanawa also shows a picture of a drawing by Haruka Sawamura's son, Haruto, causing Kiryu to break down in tears. Kiryu is then told by the priest that he's allowed to go on a vacation, provided he maintains his cover. Hanawa informs Kiryu of his new alias, Taichi Suzuki, revealing that Hanawa had encountered him years ago in Fukuoka using said name.[lower-alpha 5] The two bid farewell as Kiryu sets off.

In a post-credits scene, three years later, Kiryu enters Nanala Hill Church in Honolulu, Hawaii, and leaves a ring on the altar as a parting gift to his former lover, Yumi Sawamura, who died several years ago.[lower-alpha 6]

Infinite Wealth Story Demo

Note: As the following content is from a demo version, details of the story may be different from the final product.

After visiting the church, Kiryu is contacted by Hanawa, who reminds him of his mission in Hawaii. The former meets with a local informant, who notifies him of an individual resembling Kasuga, who was arrested by the police for indecent exposure. Kiryu manages to find Kasuga, who escaped captivity, and is told by the latter of his circumstances, including how he ended up in Hawaii in order to find his mother, Akane Kishida, who he thought had died shortly after giving birth to him.[lower-alpha 4] The two of them return to the city and rest at the Revolve Bar.

The next day, Kasuga and Kiryu go to Akane's house and find it empty. Kiryu reveals that he is on a mission from the Daidoji to find a woman, who happens to be Akane. A local yakuza organization, the Yamai Syndicate, arrives at the house, also intending to find Akane, but finds Kasuga and Kiryu instead. One of their members, Eric Tomizawa, hesitantly threatens the two of them, but Kasuga convinces him to turn against his patriarch, Yutaka Yamai. Kiryu, Kasuga, and Tomizawa battle against Yamai and manage to fend him off long enough to escape. Yamai, however, recognizes Kiryu.

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] It was also announced that characters from the Judgment spinoff series would appear in the game as part of its side content.[12]

Professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held a "Like a Dragon Gaiden Street Fight" to promote the game on the November 15, 2023, episode of Dynamite, between the Golden Dragons of Dojima (The Golden Jets (Kenny Omega and "The Ocho" Chris Jericho), "The Golden Star" Kota Ibushi and "No More BS" Paul Wright), and the Don Callis Family (Mogul Embassy's "The Machine" Brian Cage, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher and Powerhouse Hobbs). Omega would win the match for his team by pinning Cage after he and Jericho taped up Hobbs to the ropes, allowing Ibushi to join AEW following the match. The game was advertised on the ring apron for that episode of Dynamite and the week beforehand.[13]

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] Like a Dragon Gaiden is currently only planned for a digital release, with a limited physical edition available in select Asian territories.[14] Unlike recent releases, Gaiden's English dub was not included at launch, and instead was added via an update on December 14, 2023.[15]

Reception

Like a Dragon Gaiden received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[30]

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.[29] 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.[20]

Sales

The PlayStation 5 version of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name sold 63,319 physical copies within its first week of release in Japan, making it the second bestselling retail game of the week in the country. The PlayStation 4 version sold 60,134 physical copies in Japan throughout the same week, making it the country's third bestselling retail game of the week.[31]

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.
  4. 1 2 3 4 As depicted in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
  5. ↑ As depicted in Yakuza 5.
  6. ↑ As depicted in Yakuza and Yakuza Kiwami.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Romano, Sal (June 8, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches November 9". Gematsu. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 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. ↑ Tu, Trumann (September 29, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden Has a Surprising Connection With Judgment Spin-Offs". Game Rant. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (8 November 2023). "AEW Promotes 'Yakuza Like A Dragon' SEGA Game In Crossover Ad For 11/15 Street Fight". Fightful. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  14. ↑ Damian, Arthur (August 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden to Get Physical Release Through Playasia". The Escapist. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  15. ↑ Tai, Anita (October 17, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden Game Won't Have English Dub at Launch". Animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (November 6, 2023). "Review: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". Destructoid. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  20. 1 2 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.
  21. ↑ Hester, Blake (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review". Game Informer. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  22. ↑ Higham, Michael (November 6, 2023). "Like A Dragon Gaiden Review - The Man Who Can't Escape The Yakuza". GameSpot. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Ogilvie, Tristan (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review". IGN. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ Savage, Phil (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden review". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  26. ↑ Ramsey, Robert (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review (PS5)". Push Square. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  27. ↑ Logan, Jonathan (November 6, 2023). "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". RPG Fan. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  28. ↑ 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.
  29. 1 2 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.
  30. ↑ "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name". Metacritic. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  31. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 16, 2023). "Famitsu Sales: 11/6/23 – 11/12/23 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
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