Summary
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a spin-off game that follows Kazuma Kiryu's story after Yakuza 6.
- The game was originally conceived as DLC for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but was developed in just six months to introduce Kiryu to new players.
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been incredibly busy this year, releasing a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin and detailing the upcoming mainline entry Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth set in Hawaii.
Just a week before the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has shared that the game has been developed in only half a year. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name picks up the story of fan-favorite character and the face of the franchise Kazuma Kiryu in between the events of Yakuza 6 and 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon. A smaller spinoff, Gaiden will also look to bring back the series' beloved action gameplay.
2023 has been an incredibly busy year for Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Earlier this year the studio released a remake of its 2014 spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin, which also brought the title to fans in the West for the first time. Set in mid-1800s Kyo, Ishin tells the story of the legendary Japanese samurai Sakamoto Ryoma and the vicious group of feared swordsmen the Shinsengumi. Stepping back into the franchise's modern timeline, RGG Studio also stamped Like a Dragon Gaiden with a November 9 release date and detailed next year's mainline Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth title, which picks up Ichiban Kasuga's story in Hawaii and is set to release on January 26.
A handful of days before Like a Dragon Gaiden's launch, RGG's Director Masayoshi Yokoyama did an interview with Automaton revealing that Gaiden was originally conceived to be DLC for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Considering Gaiden is releasing three months ahead of Infinite Wealth in January, it's interesting to know that it was originally meant to be released after the Hawaii-set mainline entry. Yokoyama went on to state that Like a Dragon Gaiden was developed in a shockingly short six-month timeframe.
A six-month development cycle is incredibly rare within the realm of AAA game development, however, it makes more sense coupled with the fact that Like a Dragon Gaiden began as a small DLC side story. In the interview, Yokoyama added that the team could've simply caught new players up on Kiryu's story with a brief interlude as part of Infinite Wealth. Since the ultimate purpose of Like a Dragon Gaiden is to introduce Kiryu and his past to newer players, it wouldn't have made much sense as a post-launch DLC. Yokoyama also expressed that RGG, which is a single team, had worked on Like a Dragon: Ishin, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth all at the same time and that Gaiden and Infinite Wealth sharing the same engine led to Gaiden's production moving along much quicker.
We could have just told of Kiryu's past through a 30-minute interlude as part of [Infinite Wealth]...but we decided it would be a lot more interesting as a game of its own. - Masayoshi Yokoyama, RGG Studio Director
Fans of Like a Dragon who enjoyed Ishin earlier this year still have much to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead as Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name prepares to launch on November 9. It'll be interesting to see exactly what Gaiden's size and scope will look like now that it has been confirmed to have begun as DLC for Infinite Wealth.
-
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
ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE: Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding. Under the codename “Joryu,” Kiryu embarks on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities.
ULTIMATE COMBAT WITH TWO HIGH-IMPACT FIGHTING STYLES: Dynamically switch between the Yakuza and Agent fighting styles in visceral melee combat. With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair. Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying. Strategically adapt to the situation and leverage both styles to dominate and destroy hordes of enemies.
ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT
Whether you're brawling in the secret Battle arena, singing a new karaoke song, enjoying a drink at the live-action cabaret club, or racing in the pocket circuit, the world offers a variety of immersive experiences. An intriguing informant named Akame also provides thrilling sub-missions, drawing you into an epic showdown that unfolds the more you explore and enjoy Sotenbori and Yokohama.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
