Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room. As much as I love this series, who thought it was a good idea to give this game the long name ofLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name? Seriously, this isn’t going to do our URL any favours. It’s a good thing that I absolutely love this SEGA series.
Like a Dragon Gaidentakes place three years after the events ofYakuza 6: The Song of Life, but also during the events of 2020sYakuza: Like a Dragon. During the dramatic conclusion ofYakuza 6, our beloved protagonist Kazuma Kiryu was shot and left for dead, saving those he loved - or so we thought. Kiryu used this moment to not only ensure the safety of his loved ones but also to fake his own death and live a quiet, Yakuza-free life.
Check out the Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Nametrailer below!
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Like a Dragon Gaidentakes place in Osaka and Yokohama, as part of the deal to fake his own death, Kiryu now works for a faction called Daidoji under the false identity “Joryu” as a secret agent. Unfortunately for Kiryu, the proverbial sh** hits the fan and Kiryu’s once iron-clad pact is no longer the buried secret that he thought.
At its core,Like a Dragon Gaidenplays almost identically to all the previous games (formerly known as Yakuza) starring Kiryu. The combat is easy to pick up and play, and only really challenges you with some of the latter boss fights. Granted, you do have the option of the harder difficulty settings, other than Normal which is my default preference on first playthroughs.
SEGA
Kiryu has two fighting styles that you can switch between on the fly during combat. You can choose from ‘Agent’, which is high-octane where speed is of the essence, handy for fighting extra large mobs. When using ‘Agent’, Kiryu also has access to a Wire Gadget which almost acts likeIndiana Jones’swhip as you tangle enemies, pull and throw them about to your heart’s content. The Wire Gadget can also be used when exploring to acquire out-of-reach items.
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As with previous games, both of the two fighting styles can be upgraded, as well as other abilities, such as improved fighting and health stats, and new moves to unlock. Yet, unlike previous games in which XP earned can be spent on upgrades, instead you’ll have to use in-game cash, which means that you will want to spend your money wisely, especially when you’ll also need to buy health items, gear and of course, partake in the many minigames thatLike a Dragon Gaidenhas to offer, including classic games at theSEGAarcades.
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The SEGA arcades feature machines such asSonicFighters,Virtual Fighter 2.1,Daytona USA 2(called SEGA Racing Classic 2, likely due to an expired licence), the UFO Catcher and more. Other minigames outside the arcades include awesome karaoke, darts, pool, the cabaret club, and a battle arena to name but a few. What’s more, as withLost Judgment,Like a Dragon Gaideneven features SEGA Master System games a little further into the campaign with a personal favourite of mine beingAlex Kidd in Miracle World.
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Prior to the release ofLike a Dragon Gaiden,during an interviewon Automaton, writer Masayoshi Yokotama confirmed that the game was intended to be a DLC prelude to the upcomingLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but morphed into a standalone game. This is likely why it has a low launch RRP of £44.99/$49.99 USD and can only be purchased digitally (at the time of writing). Yet, I wouldn’t hold that againstLike a Dragon Gaiden, because if this news wasn’t made public, I doubt I would have known otherwise. Regardless, you can probably expect to spend a little less time playingLike a Dragon Gaidencompared to other mainline entries before you see its conclusion, but that time will vary from gamer to gamer.
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Like a Dragon Gaidendoesn’t do much to challenge the tried and tested formula of this series. Yet speaking as a devoted fan, this is what I’m here for. I love the character Kiryu and I’ve always enjoyed the easy-to-pick-up gameplay of this series. For that reason, I’m happy that this series continues to be my creature comfort of video games. After all,Yakuza: Like a Dragonand its upcoming sequelLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthoffers an alternative to this series with its turn-based combat.
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Don’t go intoLike a Dragon Gaidenexpecting game-changing mechanics, though I suspect that’s not what you’re here for anyway.Like a Dragon Gaidenis the video game equivalent of a cosy night in, whether you’re punching street thugs in the face or partaking in a spot of karaoke.Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Namebrings us a heavy dose of Kazuma Kiryu with an abundance of joy that will have you grinning from ear to ear and I wouldn’t want it any other way, ridiculously long title and all.
Pros:Fun gameplay, loads of great side-activities, wonderful voice acting, Kiryu is forever charming
Cons:Doesn’t do much to change the series formula
Fans of:Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Lost Judgment, Shenmue
Topics:Sega,Yakuza,Like a Dragon,PC,PlayStation,Xbox
