Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PS5) Review

 

The hidden dragon.

 Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is yet another entry in the Yakuza series (now officially known as Like A Dragon) that serves as a prequel to the ninth mainline game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It stars Kazuma Kiryu, who was presumed dead after the events of Yakuza 6, working as a secret agent. I wasn't too keen on the game initially since Kiryu already had a fantastic send-off in Yakuza 6, but since he's a major character in Infinite Wealth, I figured that I need to play this one before it. So, does Like A Dragon Gaiden breathes new life into the ageing dragon? Lets find out.

 After faking his death in Yakuza 6, legendary yakuza Kazuma Kiryu now lives as an undercover agent of the Daidoji political faction, going by the codename "Joryu". All seems well until a mission goes wrong when the Omi Alliance shows up searching for Kiryu. Fearing that his identity is at risk, he'll do whatever it takes to make sure his name stays erased, even if it means coming back to his previous life. The story is yet another wild one as it's loaded with plot-twists and intrigue to keep you invested.

Kiryu returns yet again for a secret assignment.

 

Kiryu's new "Joryu" persona was alright, though often barely does a good job of hiding his real identity. The side-characters were good, namely the upbeat Akame who helps out Kiryu on a regular basis and Shishido, an Omi Alliance grunt who's a menacing force. I gotta say that by the end, things got awesome with a thrilling final boss and heartbreaking ending that's hands down the most emotional moment in the franchise.

 Like A Dragon Gaiden is a beat 'em up game where you control Kiryu as beat thugs, explore around town, and accept requests from citizens. New to the combat are the "Agent" and "Yakuza" fighting styles. Agent sees you utillizing various gadgets like drones, wires, explosive cigarettes, and boost shoes to tackle multiple enemies at once. Kiryu's attacks are also faster, but not all that strong. Yakuza is essentially Kiryu's Dragon style from past games. His attacks are stronger and more focused, which is ideal for enemies with longer health bars. Both were fun and handy in different situations, though you'll always need to upgrade them to keep up with the end-game fights.

The new agent style was a neat idea and very fun to play.

 

 New is the Akame Network where you fulfil requests for strangers in exchange for money and experience, both of which unlock new items to buy in Akame's shop. You can also accept side-quests and they were a nice bunch ranging from investigating a haunted apartment and criminal group masquerading as Kiryu's former nemesis. You're later introduced to the floating Castle, which houses Colosseum fights that pit you against enemies for rewards. There's even a storyline where you form your own clan to defeat the Colosseum's best. Also, the castle houses gambling halls, a hostess club, and clothing shop where you can change Kiryu's appearance. 

 Additionally, you'll be exploring around town in typical series fashion. There's a bunch of activities to partake in such as playing classic games the Sega Arcade, singing karaoke in bars, competing in Pocket Circuit races, and classic game of pool. All in all, the game took around 25 hours to beat and that included me doing most of the side-content. It's short compared to prior adventures, but make no mistake, it's still a hefty game if you're aiming for full completion. A minor gripe I had was the camera as it tended to get in the way of combat, making some fights annoying.

 Gaiden boasts some great visuals and backgrounds, as one would expect from the newest games. The main character models are fantastic with Sotenbori looking glamorous as ever. It ran smoothly on PS5 with no issues whatsoever. Sadly, the game packs the same reused animations and faces from the PS3 era, which is embarrassing given how long that was. The voicework was terrific in Japanese with Takaya Kuroda giving his best performance as Kiryu. The soundtrack delivering some awesome tracks to compliment the game's tense moments. 

The game's flashy cut-scenes and impressive lighting were standouts.

 

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was a fantastic experience that managed to exceed my expectations with how fun the new gameplay styles and gripping story were. It's full of over-the-top action, awesome cut-scenes, and abundant side-content that fans will enjoy. It's not recommended that newcomers play Gaiden as many of the emotional story beats won't hit as hard, given that you'll need to play the previous games first.