Overview

The Like A Dragon series, man what a ride it has been to follow. I caught up on this series back in 2019 starting with Yakuza 0 and working my way all the way up to the the release of Yakuza: Like A Dragon the series latest seventh entry at the time. It's important here going into Like A Dragon: Gaiden because this game serves as a two things, a connector to between Yakuza Like A Dragon and the latest Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth. But this game also serves as an epilogue for the longstanding main character of the series Kiryu Kazuma as it ties up loose ends left behind in the series previous two entries. It is a beautifully executed epilogue for those who have stuck with or have gotten caught up with the series, and is simultaneously the last place a newcomer should start given that this is a tale of closing the book on a character, at least as the leading role. The gameplay is as bombastic and balls to the wall as you would expect and RGG have delivered an excellent final outing for our lead Kiryu Kazuma and one that I'd strongly recommend experiencing to any fan of the series.

It's important to mention before continuing this video, that with this game being an epilogue story, I'm going to be touching on some light spoilers from previous entries, so if you are yet to experience any of the prior games, I recommend doing so before watching this review.

The Content Size and Experience

It's important going into Like A Dragon Gaiden to understand what type of experience this game is with regards to where it falls in the broader story, and how much of a full offering this game is. If the Like A Dragon series was to still follow numbered series, Yakuza Like A Dragon would serve as the seventh entry with Infinite Wealth being the eighth entry. So then, where does Gaiden land? Well Gaiden falls as a sudo 7.5 a bridging story that falls between the two games and tells the story of Kiryu and what was taking place on his side between Yakuza 6 and 7 and neatly ties into the upcoming release Infinite Wealth.

I've included this segment because it is also important to know going into this game that whilst it still does provide a packed experience full of content that you've come to be familiar with and a majority of the staples that define the Like A Dragon exploration and gameplay loop, however the main story is much shorter than what you'd usually come to expect and the quantity in terms of sub stories, mini-games, and major side content is pulled back in comparison to its numbered sequel counterparts. The game is being sold at a cheaper price than the numbered entries but that is one thing you need to be aware of before jumping into the game, but there is still plenty of content in this game with main story completion averaging around 15 hours and 100% the game clocking in around 35 hours.

Story

The story for Like A Dragon: Gaiden serves as a final sentimental outing for the series long standing protagonist Kiryu Kazuma, as the full title of this game suggests "The man who erased his name" refers to Kiryu Kazuma who has faked his death and is now living under an alias Joryu working for a group called the Daidoji in exchange for the protection of his foster children. The events of Like A Dragon Gaiden see's Kiryu providing security on a smuggling mission when things go belly up and delves deeper into many different events that ultimately tie into the events that occurred during Yakuza: Like A Dragon, with the disbandment of two major clans. The events of Like A Dragon Gaiden serve to fill in the gaps of the events of from the end of Yakuza 6, to where we encounter Kiryu in Yakuza Like A Dragon. It also is an entry that serves to setup why Kiryu will be a central character in the latest Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth.

Like A Dragon Gaiden, is one part an independent story that wraps up the Kiryu Saga and another part that is full of new events, that make reference to many of the games more smaller stories, such as seeing the return of matchbox racing from Yakuza 0 for example, it also brings with it the closure to many different narrative beats which you may have felt were unresolved in Yakuza 6, and serves some impactful moments that definitely made me want to shed a tear or two for our man Kiryu. The story of Yakuza and more importantly the story of Kiryu walks a similar path to that of a story oddly like Red Dead Redemption. Where it follows a man indoctrinated into a way of life, that is inescapable and comes back to haunt him every single waking day. The actions and this way of life are at the end of their time, and the world is moving towards an age where they're no longer needed. The story of Yakuza has always been focused around Kiryu trying to escape the life of the Yakuza that continuously tries to pull him back in, an inescapable life that continues to follow him to the ends of the Earth, seemingly is meeting its end seeing the dissolution of two major clans marking the end of of the predominant forces that make up the Yakuza, and with it a new dawn for all members new and old that have taken up the mantle of the Yakuza lifestyle. For the next part I will briefly touch on some spoilers here, so feel free to come back after you've finished the game.

There is nothing that can better communicate than new blood who're taking up the life of a Yakuza who oppose its dissolution who are lead by Like A Dragon Gaiden's main antagonist Kosei Shishido. Shishido views himself as a true Yakuza and represents the new age of what values he instils through being a Yakuza, which is that of terror and intimidation. This clash between Shishido and Kiryu isn't only a direct conflict of goals, but also ideals and what the notion of being a Yakuza was, vs what it has become. It is also a battle of resistance to change and letting go of a life that once was to move forward, where Shishido, will battle to the end against the new dawn, the end of an age, the changing of the times. To circle back to that Read Dead comparison I made earlier, in Red Dead you play as the characters fighting and trying to adapt to the change, and here in Like a Dragon Gaiden, you're on the opposite end fighting that force which is resisting the new way of life.

There is so much here that beautifully ties up this long saga both in terms of its direct narrative beats, and the underlying philosophy that has permeated the series throughout the previous six entries. What you're left with at the end of this experience is a sentimental feeling, seeing the closure of a character that you've grown to care about and finally seeing their story, at least in the limelight finally come to a close, in a way that is satisfying and neatly ties up loose ends, is something truly meaningful.

Gameplay

Combat

The combat for Like a Dragon Gaiden follows the brawler style gameplay that has come to define the series for the past two decades. However, here in Gaiden RGG have taken a somewhat different approach to how they approach the different styles of combat and where these fighting styles would take forms as methods of fighting in previous entries, here in Gaiden they're expressed through different gadgets with the most notable being the adjustable string that you can use to wrap and fling around enemies. But there are about four of these different gadgets that you'll acquire throughout your playthrough each offering a different approach to combat, and honestly they're some of the most random and out there tools I've seen but make sense and work because RGG said they'll work. Whether it is explosive cigarettes', air drones or rocket boots. Like A Dragon Gaiden isn't afraid to embrace the wackness that the series has often dived into with its previous entries, and here in Like A Dragon Gaiden, it really does place a lot of that at the forefront of Kiryu's arsenal providing you tools to diversify combat, rather than a particular style which we're used to with many of the previous entries up until this point.

The tools for progression and evolving many of these different tools in Gaiden, follow the same structure that is present in the previous Yakuza, where you'll accumulate a particular amount of points which can be invested into your various abilities, enhancing them and providing a more versatile move set, much like how essence works to improve your various styles in prior games. However, the currency for improving your abilities here in Gaiden is through Akame points, which are the core driver for many of the accolades and side activities that Like A Dragon Gaiden lays host to, and these are all accessed through a system called the Akame Network.

Akame Network

Here in Like A Dragon Gaiden all of the staple activities that define a Like A Dragon game are still present, but given the more smaller experience that Gaiden is supposed to serve, it means that many of these activities and these rewards, are curated through a system called the Akame Network. So how this system works is you'll meet one of Like A Dragon Gaiden's side characters Akame, a freelance protector of Sontenburi who asks Kiryu to take on various different requests that are reported to her.

These quests will be assisting people on the streets who will need your help such as filler activities like delivering an item or beating up a bunch of thugs. But the more engaging an interesting activities here are the substories, which in this experience are dulled out through this network. Whilst I do think that some of these activities found in the Akame Network aren't bad. They can become repetitive, and formulaic in what they'll have you doing. What I think is important to remember is that this is a much smaller and bite-sized experience and whilst it still will take you 30-40 hours to fully complete this game if you know what you're doing, the overall meat of the side content can vary where you have tons of the mini-games and side activities outside of the Akame Network which are a ton of fun, and the Akame Network activities themselves which are a nice diversion from the main story, but aren't the best side content the series has offered.

Conclusion

To wrap up this video, Like A Dragon Gaiden is a sentimental epilogue to the Kiryu saga in a way that doesn't conclude his story in the world of the Like A Dragon series, but more his place as the primary protagonist of this series. Like A Dragon Gaiden is a lighter experience in every sense in terms of gameplay and available content when compared to other entries in the series. However, as a stand alone experience it still offers a ton of things to do, and a story that delivers some compelling moments, that tie up some loose ends and neatly lead into Infinite Wealth. If this is your attempt at looking at an entry point into the series, I would advise against it, and point you towards Yakuza 0, Yakuza Like A Dragon or even Yakuza 1. But if you're a long standing fan who is still on the fence, this is a great midway chapter that neatly sets the stage for Kiryu's character going into Infinite Wealth, and delivers one of the series most compelling moments, for those who're attached to the character.