It will come as no surprise to hear – both for those happily having taken the plunge into the series' rabbit-hole of antics, as much those still looking in from the outskirts – that Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name makes no apologies for how ridiculous and outlandish it can get. And while I’m sure an army of sarcastic expressions of shock are bound to arrive at the doorstep of such an absurdly-evident claim as this, one of the key take-aways from this somewhat irregular form of a release in the series – neither mainline, nor self-standing spin-off – is how unhinged and almost celebratory Gaiden feels.
That an interquel of all things is the one where these sentiments feel the strongest. An entry set shortly after the events ofYakuza 6– attempting to bridge the gap between Kazuma Kiryu’s seemingly final escapades and his post-series rebrand reemergence as a main protagonist via the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is nothing if not delightfully indulgent. A fond reminder that long before Ichiban and company helped reign in aradical yet equally-terrific reinventionfor the IP in 2020, Kiryu, the streets of Kamurocho and wherever beyond that, had long established [then named] Yakuza as a series was one you could rely on again and again. Reliant not only on the basis of a game that provided a wealth of content with each passing iteration, but more importantly, a game that wasn’t afraid, nor ashamed, to mix the gritty with the giddy. The lauded with the laugh-out-loud ridiculousness of it all.
Funnily enough, the more I gave it thought, the more Gaiden started to strike an odd similarity to something likeTrails of Cold Steel IV. Two games that yes, take liberties at retreading all-too-familiar ground – and all-too-familiar systems during bookmarked encounters and set-pieces – and while they won’t be remembered for being the greatest strides for their respective series, still make the journey forth one that’s satisfying to conquer. Or as the case may be here: the journey forward, backward, down a side-alley or two – tossing another hour into something as addictive as Pocket Circuit, Billiards, Blackjack – and forward again so as to progress the main story.
It’s a welcome sign then that Ryu Ga Gotoku have not lost their long-standing talent for convincing their player-base their time has been well spent with Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Even if the game feels as much like an unashamed doubling-down on the series' least-gratifying tropes from a design standpoint as much its most-pleasing equivalents tonally and mechanically alike. This despite the game’s modest attempt to inject a sense of identity with small tweaks to combat as well as how upgrade progression is handled. At worst, Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name feels like a case of one step forward, one step backward in as much it’s more take it or leave it with how these minor differences will fair in the fanbase’s mind.
You could argue Gaiden doesn’t necessarily take that figurative step forward to begin with, not that remaining static post has been a complete disaster either. But it’s telling that even for a tale, albeit shorter by series standards, of Kiryu dealing with the aftermath of 6’s events – and naturally, as you do, falling into a deeper conspiracy than initially suspected – Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is still a delightful trek of tense one-on-one duels and all-too-addictive side activities. That at its arguably least-innovative here Like A Dragon Gaiden remains an absolute treat of a package should be telling.
It’s perhaps owed in part to Gaiden’s slightly more visible trait as a Yakuza/Like A Dragon entrant that isn’t just unafraid of getting lost in its own ridiculousness, but here doubles down on it to the point of literal self-indulgence. That at one point in the tale, main protagonist Kiryu is put in a Gladiator-style arena, facing off against not just two fully-grown tigers, but two fighters cosplaying/performing as Kiryu himself and the main villain ofYakuza [Kiwami] 2at one point. That I was loving every second of it was one thing, that this was merely the second chapter of the story is another. Yet even when the game finds a will and a way to turn things to 11 (arguably finding a figurative 12 on that dial), Gaiden still makes sure to balance the audacity of its set-pieces with a combat system as satisfying to master. More satisfying when you finally nail the crucial counter-attack prompts down and the tables can so quickly turn on those bosses with large health bars.
With that said, Gaiden does make the effort to try a few new tricks to throw into the standard affair of light and heavy attacks. One of which is the inclusion of an equipped, wire-like tool dubbed the Spider, which can be used to toss and even entangle foes amid a given space. The flimsy nature of its execution, however, as well as how little it meaningfully adds to the flow of combat, means that admirable an attempt it is, Gaiden’s notably “new” features don’t have the same pulling power as say, an entirely new fighting style to switch to a laLost Judgmentfor example. The consolation, though, is that the presence of a long-range, whip-like tool means hidden collectibles now utilize more of the setting’s vertical properties. That collectibles can be tucked away atop street-lights, signs, rooftops and generally in hard to reach places, small a change it may be to an otherwise optional endeavor, does mean players are encouraged to look high and low amid these brightly-colored, densely-packed spaces.
The other notable change comes in the form of upgrading one’s skills and stats. Here, Gaiden places emphasis on both accruing money and what’s referred to as Akame Points. The latter essentially being a currency paid out for completing one of countless activities, achievements and general accomplishments that are as standard in these games. What this does however, is further encourage players to invest in everything the game has to offer outside the main campaign. More importantly, given Akame points can be used for more than simply upgraded skills – instead allowing for better inventory items to purchase, improved drop rates and other such passive bonuses – it provides a welcome dilemma as to how quickly and thoroughly players may want to level up. That the asking prices for upgrades and new bonuses may look steep is predominantly cancelled out by just how charitable the game is with money. A currency that can so easily and quickly accrued upon a few repeat visits to the fighting arena. The arena being arguably Gaiden’s most fleshed out and as such, shockingly-addictive side activity of any of the mini-games on offer this time round.
Not that the return of something like Pocket Circuit (that fans ofYakuza 0will surely gravitate to) or Darts or even the toy crane arcade machines you can waste money on in the pursuit of some prized plushie to snag aren’t welcome. A mix of fan favorites, returning classics and those where rivals can be invited to play against so as to gain even more Akame points. It’s hard not to see why the series' past commitment to side content is so beloved and once more, Like A Dragon: Gaiden is an easy sinking of ample hours checking-off every possible objective, achievement or gold rank grade alike. Even if the very reintroduction of side content – and why it may be worth one’s time – is again delivered in that familiarly somewhat-tedious manner of interrupting the main story. Forcing you to go on a detour to some mandatory location or two before the game deems you worthy to keep progressing. Even so, a tad frustrating this series trope remains, it still provides a delightful mix of content that even without the incentive of upgrade currency is worth it for the accompanying cinematics, dialogue and spectacle alike. Kiryu expressing anguish at a lost Pocket Circuit race, never fails to muster a smile.
Closing Comments:
Treading the path well-traveled, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – far from the most radical of entries in the series – remains a delightful example of Ryu Ga Goktoku’s knack for high drama, wild antics and all-round time thoroughly well spent. A tad harsh it would be to so quickly denote this a “more of the same”-type of release, even with its status as an interlude between more pivotal, mainline outings, that the reliance on what has worked wonders – as much what has been so integral to the series' structure, for better or worse – is so apparent does limit how far Gaiden will reach in the series' hierarchy. Even so, that what this game professes is nothing short of lovably eccentric and a touch more on the unashamedly-indulgent side is far from a bad thing. The kind of writing, presentation, content and all-round execution that, even at its seemingly “least-brilliant,” still stands leagues above a vast majority of games. Put it this way, that Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name can take the concept of self-indulgence and make it one you happily grin at, applaud and ask for more of is an accomplishment in of itself.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a spin-off game that focuses on Kazuma Kiryu’s actions after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Unlike the main entries' shift to turn-based combat, Like a Dragon Gaiden returns to the franchise’s classic beat ‘em up combat.
