HomeReviewsLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
The colosseum is fantastic, though
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Sega
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Sega
When Kiryu’s tale “ended” inYakuza 6, it left me in absolute tatters. A faked death finally saw him freed from the shackles of the yakuza with one big catch: he couldn’t ever see his family again. Since then, we’ve had the plucky Ichiban take on the mantle of Tojo Clan nastiness inYakuza: Like A Dragon(7), with its sequelLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealth(8) set to wash up on Hawaii’s shores next year. What do we know about Infinite Wealth? Kiryu is set to return as a protagonist alongside Ichiban, with an all-new haircut. And more importantly, what hasLike A Dragon Gaidengot to do with any of this? Well, it’s a shorter stop-gap between the events ofYakuza6 and Yakuza 8 that fills us in on what Kiryu’s been up to this whole time.
LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN | Opening Cinematic Theme Song “Katatoki” | Yojiro Noda x J.I.DThis goes incredibly hard.Watch on YouTube
LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN | Opening Cinematic Theme Song “Katatoki” | Yojiro Noda x J.I.D
Since his “death”, Kiryu now works as an agent of the ruthless Daidoji faction having adopted a new codename Joryu. Kiryu does their dirty work and they keep him in the shadows with a roof over his head… and a knife nestled in his spine. Of course, Kiryu gets caught up in a shady Daidoji deal that steers itself towards an unsurprising truth: wahey, the yakuza are involved! For newcomers, brief flashbacks to Yakuza 6’s ending and some references to LAD help add a smidge of context to Kiryu’s story so far. But as someone who’s played every Yakuza game, Gaiden feels like a rebirth that can’t capitalise on Kiryu’s turbulent past as a clan leader and father figure (see also: fishing legend, taxi driver king, the list goes on).
While there’s some classic setpieces, like busting through multiple office floors and clattering lads with sofas, Gaiden has Kiryu solve almost every problem with his fists. Before you come at me with, “But isn’t that Yakuza?!”, I’d argue that it’s not, actually. In streamlining Gaiden as a stop-gap, it’s portrayed Kiryu - and the series as a whole, actually - as simplistic to newcomers and as a step back for longtime fans.
Early on, for example, you’ll meet the plucky Akame, an information broker who grants you access to the Akame Network, a set of side missions and minor fetch quests that’ll grant you money and Akame Points. These replace Yakuza’s traditional side missions that kickstart when you cross paths with people, and act a bit like the side cases in Yakuza spin-offJudgment. Again, many of these are fun additions that offer a breather from the story, but they lack the usual emotional weight or bonkers twists of the rest of the series. And they always race to a conclusion, and that conclusion is always a fight. Guaranteed.
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Sega
That said, I do reckon Gaiden’s streamlining has ended up lending its main side activities some extra weight at the same time, not to mention giving you an easier route into making big bucks. Money and Akame Points can be poured into upgrading Kiryu’s abilities or buying parts for your Pocket Circuit Racers or financing horny chats with hostesses. Money flows easily in Gaiden, which makes it easy to get hooked on grinding out Akame’s missions and investing in your favourite things, one of my faves being on a dodgy boat.
As you earn Akame Points and win matches in the Colosseum, you’ll earn greater privileges in the Castle. New lounges, people who’ll introduce you to stronger fighters for a fee, more options in the casinos and outfits for Kiryu. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Sega
I’d say the web-slinging Spider gadget is the best of the bunch, as the others aren’t quite as impactful on their own. Use them all in quick succession, however, and they’re a good laugh combined with Agent’s snappier, more technical punches and kicks. It gives the impression that Kiryu’s honed a “Don’t even try it” style of his own over the many years he’s battered lads on the street.
Ultimately, though, great Colosseum fights, sometimes funny Akame missions, and occasional story wins can’t quite make up for Like A Dragon Gaiden feeling like a hurried excuse to resurrect Kiryu. Yes, it ties into his upcoming role in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and it’s lovely to be in his shoes again, but the story pales in comparison to previous offerings. Motoring between endless fights in the game’s story doesn’t represent what Yakuza stands for, and throughout I couldn’t help but wrestle with the idea that it might be erasing not just Kiryu’s own name, but the series' wider legacy.
