Software:Like a Dragon Gaiden

Short description: 2023 video game by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name
Developer(s)	Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)	Sega
Series	Like a Dragon
Engine	Dragon Engine
Platform(s)	PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Release	WW: November 9, 2023
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows platforms. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series, formerly and commonly known in English localization as Yakuza.

Taking place between the events of the titles Yakuza 6 (2016), Yakuza (2020) and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024), Like a Dragon Gaiden focuses on the series' original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, as he embarks on a new adventure in Osaka and Yokohama under the guise of a secret agent.

Like a Dragon Gaiden is set to release worldwide on November 9, 2023.

Gameplay

In Like a Dragon Gaiden, players control Kazuma Kiryu as they explore the Sotenbori district of Osaka and Isezaki Ijincho district of Yokohama. A third location, known as the Castle, is a hub area where players can participate in side activities. Minigames such as karaoke, Pocket Circuit racing, cabaret club, and fighting arena also return. A new character named Akame acts as an informant, providing Kiryu with sub-missions.

Kiryu has access to two fighting styles, Yakuza and Agent. The Yakuza style features aggressive brawler combat movement similar to Kiryu's classic fighting style from previous games, while the Agent style is described as having "absolute speed and precision", relying on high-tech gadgets.

Premise

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name takes place after Yakuza 6 and between the events of Yakuza and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Following the ending of Yakuza 6, Kazuma Kiryu (Takaya Kuroda) has faked his death and gone into hiding, in order to protect his foster children. Working for the Daidoji faction under the guise of a secret agent, codenamed "Joryu", Kiryu is now drawn into a new conflict as he is forced out of hiding by a mysterious figure.

New characters introduced in Like a Dragon Gaiden include: Kihei Hanawa (Hiroki Tōchi), leader of the Daidoji faction; Homare Nishitani III (Kim Jae-wook), patriarch of the Kijin Clan who inherited the name from the first Nishitani, who originally appeared in Yakuza 0; Kosei Shishido (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Yuki Tsuruno (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi), respectively lieutenant and captain of the Osaka-based yakuza organization Omi Alliance's Watase Family; and Akame (First Summer Uika), an informant residing in Sotenbori.

Development

Like a Dragon Gaiden was announced in September 2022 during Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Summit livestream, alongside a debut cinematic trailer. RGG Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama explained that the game would be shorter in length compared to usual mainline entries.

A second trailer premiered at Summer Game Fest 2023, showcasing new characters as well as gameplay footage of the new Agent fighting style, in addition to confirming the release date. Additional gameplay was shown at RGG Summit Summer 2023, alongside an introduction of the main cast members.

Release

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set to release worldwide on November 8, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. A pre-order bonus downloadable content pack includes recurring Like a Dragon characters Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima as additional Arena fighters.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official website (in English)