It is a good time to be a fan of the Yakuza franchise, as not one but two new titles in their Like a Dragon series are coming to consoles and PCs everywhere in the space of mere months. Originally planned to be released as additional downloadable content, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name might be a mouthful to say, but it delivers a short and punchy story that bridges the previous and next title as a preview of what’s to come. A welcome return to the action-brawler that fans know and love, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio packs a thrilling narrative and a plethora of extra-curricular activities to keep gamers preoccupied and well and truly satisfied beyond the chapters of the story.
Following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the franchise’s leading man Kazuma Kiryu is continuing to live in the shadows after faking his death to save his family, including his foster children. However, after being discovered and finding himself stuck between a rock and a hard place to keep his family safe, Kiryu, who goes under the name of Joryu as a Daidoji agent must battle the seemingly insurmountable odds and beat up an absurd amount of thugs to make it out alive.
The one thing that really stands out about Like a Dragon Gaiden is how approachable the game is. It’s another instalment of a long-standing, highly-celebrated series that may seem intimidating for those who are new to the franchise, but Ryu Ga Gotoku made it incredibly easy to follow so that anyone who is interested in the game will be able to pick it up with little trouble. The story is littered with a number of flashbacks that provide context to Kiryu’s situation and offer a refresher of his life before the title, which is clever on the developer’s part as it’ll draw more people in for the next game coming in early 2024, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Returning to the action-brawler style that fans know and love, Like a Dragon Gaiden moves on from the turn-based structure of the previous game. The combat mechanics follow the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) model so players can focus on beating up 8+ thugs at a time without having to refer to the manual for complex button combinations. You can get through most battles by button mashing if you please, but there are also several simple-to-learn but tough-to-master additional combat sequences that’ll add the bloodied icing on the cake of a smooth fighting experience. Your environment has a part to play as well, given you can throttle your foes with anything from a wooden sword to a traffic cone, but it’s the introduction of fighting stances that adds a whole new element to the experience.
For the first time in the series, Kiryu has more than just his hard-nosed, bash ‘em, smash ‘em Yakuza fighting style. His time with the Daidoji has taught him a more elegant form of combat, known as Agent Style, that’ll break just as many noses but includes a welcome bonus in the form of weaponised gadgets. Shortly after getting into the story, you’ll be introduced to this new concept, whereby your available attacking manoeuvres will be determined by the stance you use. From the availability of environmental interactions in combat to the style of counter-attack, the introduction of Agent Style offers a whole new depth to the simple-but-effective fighting mechanics of Like a Dragon Gaiden.
Despite being a short game that you’ll likely get through within 10-20 hours, Like a Dragon Gaiden has plenty more than just a few brawls to keep you occupied. There are a wide array of additional activities that really add to the game’s value. Old favourites like karaoke and pocket circuit racing are back, as well as the option to visit cabaret clubs, do additional favours for NPCs and even help out citizens with tasks that range from getting a boy’s ball out of a tree to beating up a bunch of bullies picking on an old man. If you’re not in a hurry to get to the end of the narrative, you can kick back and kill some time with a bunch of extracurriculars and get rewarded for it.
Visually, Like a Dragon Gaiden remains consistent with the artistic style that it is famous for. While it is good to see it stick to what it knows best, I was left feeling that the graphics could have been a little sharper to coincide with the advancements in tech. While it certainly doesn’t need to change its winning formula, a few tweaks to the visuals would’ve elevated the game to an elite level, particularly in combat and its ragdoll mechanics on knocked-out foes. In saying that, it does offer a level of satisfaction to kick a dude so hard that he nearly becomes one with a wall.
The length of Like a Dragon Gaiden may be a little jarring for the regular player but, given it is the entree before Infinite Wealth hits the table as the main course, it packs a surprising amount of content into such a small package. Like a Dragon Gaiden delivers on the old adage that it’s not about the size but what you do with it and does so with flair and style that’ll have you picking fights in the streets of Japan and singing a show-tune for the masses for hours.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by the developer.
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