Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like A Dragon Gaiden has one of the better stories of the series, acting as a love letter to Kiryu that fans are going to fall in love with.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a reminder as to why Kazuma Kiryu will always be the biggest name in the franchise. The return to action adventure provides the best combat the series has seen and the story shows a Kiryu that regardless of the trials and tribulations he's been through, remains true to his ideals. The game is obligatory to any fan, even if it doesn't bring many innovations and a gameplay structure that is more of the same.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name may not be as long as other games in the series, but it still provides a deep sandbox in which to lose yourself for hours, whether it’s in the arena, the arcade, or simply helping out around the neighborhood.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a game from the Like a Dragon franchise that offers us a new story of Kiryu Kazuma and Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonists of Like a Dragon 8. The game has Beat’em Up mechanics, nostalgic moments and an original plot that will delight the fans of the series.

Like a Dragon: Gaiden - The man who erased his name might not be the longest entry in the saga, but it's definitely one the fans of Kiryu wouldn't like to miss.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a game that was developed in just six months, but it absolutely does not feel like it. The title, which was intended to make players' wait for the release of the next full instalment in the series more pleasant, is a surprisingly sizable product, although definitely aimed at fans who are familiar with the previous instalments.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another fine slice of Yakuza action from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio thart serves up a little bit of everything over the course of 15 or so hours. This may be a shorter affair than usual by quite some margin, but what's here still manages to deliver lots of exciting action, very silly gadgets, drama and deep cuts for the fans. If the intent was to whet our appetites for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, then consider that mission well and truly complete. Roll on January 2024.

Gaiden makes a stronger than expected case for why and how Kazuma Kiryu has endured so much, and deserves a better ending than the old life has been willing to give him.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The man who erased his name serves as chapter 0.5, a title that brings back the figure of Kazuma Kiryu and serves as a connection between Yakuza 6: Song of Life and the next great adventure with Kasuga Ichiban in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth.

Despite a nonsensical plot and slightly lower emotional stakes, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a stunning refinement of the Dragon Engine that's wholly deserving of your time, whether you're a longtime Yakuza fan or new to the franchise.

An intermission from the main entries in the series that's worth visiting. Especially at a price point that comes in well below the next title. Kazuma Kiryu strikes with maximum strength in the return of the Dragon of Dojima.

Gaiden left me wanting more. I want to see those new characters make a return. I hope we see the Boutique again. But most importantly, I hope this isn’t the final time we see action combat in the series. Even with Infinite Wealth on the Horizon, I hope there is still room for smaller, more experimental games like this in the series’ future.

A relatively short side-story it may be, but Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a blistering chapter in Kiryu's journey, a Yakuza 6 epilogue that brilliantly tees up what's next, while delivering on the unadulterated fun and weirdness the series is celebrated for.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name may not be the best game in the series, but it is still a fantastic introduction to a series that it may be difficult to understand how to get started on.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is kind of like the cup of miso soup served before Infinite Wealth’s main course – it delivers an enjoyably familiar flavour that stimulates the appetite, but doesn’t really make for a substantial meal in its own right. It effectively feels like an appropriate lead-in to next year’s game in ways both good and bad – on the one hand, it gives a satisfying bit of back story to account for Kiryu’s presence in Hawaii, but on the other its uninspired substories and rehashed side activities are proof positive that the series is crying out for the seachange that Infinite Wealth looks to provide. That said, Gaiden’s gadget-heavy combat definitely kept me consistently entertained over the course of its compact crime story, so although I was less inclined to search for distractions outside of the destruction, I still enjoyed this latest dose of Kazama Kiryu carnage while it lasted.