When Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was announced, I was a little bit confused. After the release of Like a Dragon, it seemed like a weird choice to create an interquel between Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon. Having played a substantial amount of Like a Dragon Gaiden though, it feels like the next evolution of more traditional Yakuza titles.

I could talk about how the Like a Dragon franchise is now split into two varieties, but that’s a conversation for another article. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name puts players back in the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Due to various plot reasons, he denounces his name and becomes an agent for the Daidoji faction. In the process, he discovers the Omi Alliance is doing things behind the scenes, leading up to (and intersecting) the events of Like a Dragon.

Interestingly enough, Like a Dragon Gaiden feels like a solid mix of the gameplay style of Judgment, mixed with classic Yakuza gameplay. Of course, this isn’t too surprising considering Judgment is a spinoff, but the side quest/substory setups are very similar. Putting Kiryu in the role of someone who is practically a secret agent, going by the name Joryu, makes for some interesting storylines and subplots.

Unlike previous games, there are only two major fighting styles involved. Yakuza style focuses on hard-hitting attacks, while Agent style involves the use of faster attacks and spy gadgets. I really like the spy gadgets introduced here, from the spider that works like Peter Parker’s webs, pulling and slinging enemies, to the Firefly which is a small, localized explosive. It feels like an extension of Yagami’s more modernized skillset in Lost Judgment, while also being just wild enough to feel campy and fun for Kiryu.

I won’t spoil who, but there are some connections to the Judgment series in side-content. As such, it gives me hope that we might see more of these action-focused games in the future, even if I adore the RPG side of the newer games. Regardless, there is a lot of content here, even if Like a Dragon Gaiden is shorter than the average Yakuza game.

At the time of writing this review, the English dub for Like a Dragon Gaiden was not available yet. However, there are a variety of text-based accessibility options, so if you start playing and the English dub isn’t available, there are some options to help you. Like other franchise entries, Kiryu’s latest adventure also has multiple difficulty options, so you can tailor your experience accordingly.

The game is also kind enough to allow you to clear certain mini-game-based substories without actually winning the mini-game. As someone who has a hard time with the Karaoke mini-games in all of the Yakuza games, this was a big relief. There are still a few issues of course, such as progression being tied both to side quest “Akame points” and money. I’ve never been shy about my distaste for using in-game currency as a leveling system, but in Like a Dragon Gaiden you can at least make money plentiful enough that it isn’t too much of a problem.

I also had a mild issue with Like a Dragon Gaiden’s new Cabaret Club feature. While the main series has always had a dating-sim-esque Cabaret Club option, using footage of real women feels strange. Maybe it is because I’m more interested in Kiryu than the ladies involved, but it feels a bit too realistic for me.

Beyond that, there really isn’t much to complain about with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. It sets up what I assume will be the conclusion of Kiryu’s story in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and provides a fun, engaging story set between Yakuza 6 and the end of Like a Dragon. The controls are solid, the visuals are gorgeous, and if you’re a Like a Dragon fan this is more of what you already enjoy.

Kazuma Kiryu’s next adventure (with our pal Ichiban Kasuga) isn’t all that far away. You can actually play a demo of Infinite Wealth in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Regardless, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a great game to hold us all over for the impending culmination and conclusion of Kiryu’s story.

A PlayStation 5 Review Copy of Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was provided by Sega for this review.

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Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

$49.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Smooth, flawless combat
• Great controls
• Lots of side content
• Interesting yet campy storyline
• Accessiblity options and Accessible mini-games

Cons

• New Cabaret Club mini-game is a little too realistic
• Money has too many uses