ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE
(Trailer: Sega.com)
Following Yakuza 6: Song of Life in 2018, players bid farewell to Kazuma Kiryu as the series protagonist. In 2020, Yakuza: Like a Dragon positioned the charismatic Ichiban Kasuga as the franchise’s new face and flipped the series’ gameplay conventions on its head, signaling a new era for the series (even though Kiryu still played a big part in that game). In the West, Sega even officially rebranded the franchise from Yakuza to Like a Dragon in 2022 to have the name more closely fit its original Japanese title. However, Kiryu didn’t step out of the spotlight for long, as he returns to lead the newest spin-off, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
Kiryu, now going by Joryu, has chosen Osaka and Yokohama over the bustle of Kamurocho, Tokyo. The kind former yakuza may have put some of his troubled past dealing with organised crime behind him, but if my hands-on demo is any indicator, he’s reverting to his old ways.
The Castle, a sizable cargo ship in international waters off the coast of Japan, is where I perform. The Castle is the yakuza’s neon-lit playground where anything goes and where law enforcement cannot intervene. The name of this adult-themed park comes from the well-known Osaka Castle, which also happened to play a significant role in Yakuza 2.
Joryu and a smart woman take a chopper to The Castle. She tells Joryu about all the things he can take part in before leaving for the major event: the Coliseum.
Joryu was unfortunately left behind in hostile terrain with no one to speak for him. When the yakuza see him, they inform him right once that they don’t just let anyone in. If you’ve watched the series before, you already know what happens next.
As the thugs surround Joryu, I assess his skill in battle. The series’ original action-based brawler combat is still there in Like a Dragon Gaiden. You have two combat techniques at your disposal: Agent, a new speed-based approach that enables our hero to use gadgets to defeat opponents, and Yakuza, an aggressive style that harkens back to our hero’s early years. I decide to play around with the Agent style. I operate devices by depressing each of the four face buttons. Serpent activates Joryu’s jet shoes to charge opponents, Spider allows Joryu to hurl a wire to tie up and throw adversaries, Hornet summons AI battle drones, and Firefly is a bomb in the shape of a cigarette that feels like it belongs in a secret agent movie.
When Joryu battles for money in the Coliseum, this style is advantageous. However, you have a list of combatants from earlier games if you feel like letting someone else have blood on their hands. You can dispatch a variety of combatants to carry out your wicked deeds, including series muscleman Gary “Buster” Holmes and Yakuza 2 patriarch Gondawara. Naturally, I decide to take on the role of Goro Majima, a fast-attacking fan favourite. You can also take part in chaotic team fights where a large number of players engage in combat.
Oicho-Kabu, Koi-Koi, Poker, and Blackjack are just a few of the card-based minigames available at The Castle outside the Coliseum. The Cabaret is a relaxing place to unwind while you can personalise your attire there. Here, you engage in live-action first-person dates, which add an unsettling level of immersion because you are choosing dialogue options while on a date and gazing at close-up FMVs of actual women on your display. If someone enters the room when you’re acting out one of those scenes, it can be the kind of thing that needs some explaining. Although I was unable to venture outside of The Castle or witness any of the series’ signature hilarious side quests, Like a Dragon Gaiden’s tone is in line with what fans have come to anticipatefrom the series.
While most people are thrilled to see Kiryu back in the lead role, fans of the endearing Ichiban Kasuga from Yakuza: Like a Dragon need not fret; next year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will feature Ichiban in another adventure. While waiting for that to happen, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name seems like a fantastic return to the series’ beginnings featuring the protagonist most people are familiar with from the long-running saga.
