Summary
- Like a Dragon Gaiden connects the stories of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, helping to establish the timeline of both games.
- Kiryu explores a portion of Ijincho in Like a Dragon Gaiden, giving players a familiar setting and introducing key events and characters.
- The finale of Like a Dragon Gaiden provides a new perspective on an important scene from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, adding more context and fleshing out the story.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name serves as a parallel adventure to the events of Like a Dragon 7, known officially as Yakuza: Like a Dragon, helping to explain how Kiryu got to the place he was in for his appearance in the latter game. It is also the perfect title to connect the stories of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon together ahead of the release of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. As such, Like a Dragon Gaiden includes several connections to Yakuza: Like a Dragon to demonstrate exactly how the games' events intersect.
Given that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is set to see the stories of protagonists Kiryu and Kasuga crossover, Like a Dragon Gaiden has the important duty of successfully tying the events of the previous games together. Understanding how and why Kiryu and Kasuga end up intertwined in the same conflict is a central part of Like a Dragon Gaiden' s purpose. For the most part, Like a Dragon Gaiden tells its own story, but it does feature several key references to Yakuza: Like a Dragon's plot in order to establish the connected timeline of both games.
Like a Dragon Gaiden Leaves the Door Open for Two Villains to Return
Two of Like a Dragon Gaiden's prominent antagonists are abducted by the Daidoji Faction, making their return only a matter of time.
Like a Dragon Gaiden and Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Major Connections
Kiryu Explores Ijincho
The early hours of Like a Dragon Gaiden give fans who have previously played Yakuza: Like a Dragon a nice treat, as Kiryu gets to explore a portion of Ijincho, Yokohama, which served as the central map for that game. Here, Kiryu can enter many of the shops Yakzua: Like a Dragon players will be familiar with and even visit the headquarters of the Seiryu Clan. The end of this section has Kiryu converse with some of Ijincho's homeless population who reveal to him that one of their cohorts, a former nurse, recently helped save a man who had been shot and left for dead, referring to how Yu Nanba saved Kasuga and cluing players into the timeline of this game's events.
The Daidoji Have Their Sights Set on Ryo Aoki
Ryo Aoki serves as the primary antagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but is also briefly mentioned in Like a Dragon Gaiden as well. Kiryu's Daidoji handler, Hanawa, informs him that Aoki has killed his predecessor in the Citizens' Liberal Party, who had a close relationship with the Daidoji Faction, and that he is now a threat to their operations. Hanawa also mentions that Ichiban Kasuga and his party have infiltrated the Omi headquarters to meet with Masumi Arakawa as part of their quest to stop Aoki, noting that they could be useful allies.
Kiryu and Kasuga Meet in Like a Dragon Gaiden's Finale
The finale of Like a Dragon Gaiden shows a different perspective on one of Yakuza: Like a Dragon's most important scenes. This ending shows the announcement of the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and Tojo Clan, where Kasuga and Kiryu meet for the first time in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. In the previous game, this scene was treated as a big reveal for longtime fans as it showcased Kiryu in a game that he was missing from as a playable protagonist.
Aside from getting to see this sequence from Kiryu's perspective, players also get to see a new aspect of this event that was not shown in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, giving more context to both games. Following the brawl that ensues after the announcement of the two clans' dissolution, Kosei Shishido shows up to challenge Kiryu and the other legendary yakuza like Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima, who accompany him. This fight gives the game a climactic final showdown that was not shown or referenced from Kasuga's perspective in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, helping to further flesh out the stories of these two games.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 81%
- Released
- November 9, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Dragon Engine
- Franchise
- Yakuza
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 11 Hours
