A little taster of something can be mightily effective. A leftover ‘fun size’ chocolate bar from Halloween may be able to curb a sweet tooth, or a slice of cheese able to satisfy a savoury craving. In the world of video games, we aren’t often treated to bite-sized, standalone, side stories to keep fans satisfied. Publishers prefer to focus their attention on the next money-making major installment of a franchise rather than something that may end up being soon forgotten.
This makes Like a Dragon Gaiden something of an abnormality, developed in just six months and launching just two months ahead of the next entry in the franchise – a demo of which can be unlocked here upon completion. Microsoft’s Game Pass contribution may have had something to do with this side story’s existence – without, it may not have been commercially viable.
While this is a far shorter experience than previous Like a Dragon (nee Yakuza) games, it still feels fully fledged – aim to see everything, and you’re looking at a respectable 20+ hours playtime. Perhaps even more if you’re of the retro persuasion, with this marking the home debut of Daytona 2 (rebranded as SEGA Racing Classic 2), as well as a dozen Master System games (Alex Kidd!) and franchise staples such as Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers 2, and Sonic the Fighters. A few of these can even be launched from the title screen, which is a thoughtful touch.
As the sub-title suggests, we’re cast into the role of the former yakuza member Kazuma Kiryu once more. Now going by the name of Joryu, we get to witness the lengths they’ll go to protect their family after a shadowy individual tries to flush them out of hiding. After the obligatory combat tutorial, the action briefly shifts to Ijincho – in order to teach the basics of exploration and establish a timeline – before relocating to the bustling and noisy streets of Sotenbori.
Sotenbori isn’t a particularly large district, merely formed of around half-a-dozen streets, and with a river running through the middle. It takes around 10 minutes to stroll around the entire district, with some streets even walled off. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty to distract – a brightly illuminated entertainment strip with a SEGA arcade and numerous restaurants, essential to visit pawn shops and convenience stores, golf and other indoor sports arenas, the return of the slot car club, and the usual mixture of bars with karaoke and mahjong. There’s a hostess bar too, in which it’s possible to drink with glamorous hostess girls – with this mini-game using FMV.
When it comes to recommending Like a Dragon Gaiden to newcomers, I’m rather conflicted. On one hand, the story won’t resonate with the uninitiated – the returning faces and locations, and references both to the past and to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, won’t have meaning or importance. Imagine showing Star Wars: Rogue One to somebody who has never seen a single Star Wars movie. On the other hand, it has most of the elements present that the franchise is renowned for, only the experience is more condensed and consequently less long winded. You’ll get to interact with the locals, stroll the bustling streets and take in the sights, become engrossed in the surprisingly in-depth mini-games, and take on pleasingly daft side-stories – all while improving stats by purchasing new equipment and abilities. It’s very easy to get into, introducing new ideas gradually so as not to overwhelm.
The combat system isn’t tricky to master either. There’s even an auto-mode that handles blocking, performs finishers, and switches combat stances. We’re back to using fists and feet in fast-paced melee battles, with Joryu frequently going up against groups of street punks while casually strolling Sotenbori. These battles are usually over in under a minute, yet they remain quite satisfying, backed by all manner of brutal attacks and glitzy effects.
A quartet of gadgets are introduced as well, helping to spice up combat significantly. The razor wire is brazenly influenced by the skills possessed by Spider-Man, able to web-up enemies before swinging them around haphazardly. It’s used outside of combat, too, as a means of grabbing items hidden in hard-to-reach locations. Rocket shoes allow Joryu to dash and slide around the battlefield, knocking over enemies, while explosive cigarettes can harm several enemies at once. They’re ideal for scattering a crowd of rival gang members. Drones can be summoned during battle too – eventually even around a dozen at once – but their use is negligible. Perhaps I didn’t upgrade them enough, but they never seemed to cause as much damage as a well-time explosive cigarette.
It’s easy to see why combat has been expanded on, as it plays a significant part here. A few hours into the storyline – spread across five chapters – we’re taken to The Castle, a vessel far out at sea transformed into a lawless playground for opportunistic gamblers. The main strip is an overload on the senses with flashing lights, animated signs, and gaudy colour schemes. In addition to high stakes casinos and a boutique to customise Joryu’s look, it also hosts cage matches in a coliseum. The idea is to recruit team members by asking around before taking on increasingly difficult arena battles. Once in your team, bonds can be established at the VIP lounge and stats boosted through training programs. Some are one-on-one fights, while others see you and up to nine other AI-controlled brawlers go up against a large group of enemies. Winning a fight not only grants a significant amount of cash, but a boost in popularity too, with targets for fanbase sizes to achieve. Try to beat every opponent, and you’re looking at a modest time-sink.
When you’re not risking life and limb in the ring, you’re back on the city streets. Joryu finds himself befriending the red-haired Akame, who happens to run a network helping those in need or less fortunate. As you walk the streets, you’ll find individuals who provide short quests, some of which can be completed instantly if you already have an item they desire in your inventory. A homeless person, for example, may want a sushi box or a bottle of sake. Sometimes you’re asked to take photos too, and these specific requests can take a little longer to fulfill, forcing you to keep an eye out for a location or event. Akame tracks your networking progress – and sometimes a certain rank must be reached before progressing the storyline. It’s also possible to establish a bond with Akame, buying her gifts and hitting the bars. All of this ties into the storyline, with Akame being friends with a weaponsmith, in addition to having connections with the criminal underworld.
There’s a lot to admire about The Man Who Erased His Name. Developed in six months, you’d expect a linear experience with little to offer outside of recycled content, but the end result feels substantial with many diversions, and a surprising amount of polish. Certainly, this is more than glorified DLC. The developers clearly had a realistic vision in mind, knowing what they could successfully implement in the time allowed. While a few locations are over familiar – right down to the background sound effects, distant wailing sirens especially – it mostly manages to feel fresh despite clearly using the framework of past installments.
This is very much a case of a developer knowing their property inside and out, and then using that knowledge to create something new. Think of it as a sampling platter of what the franchise has to offer – a little bit of everything, with an extra kick for good measure.
SEGA’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is out now. Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.