Summary
Aside from the February release ofLike a Dragon: Ishin!, a remake of the original 2014 game, 2023 has been a relatively quiet year so far for theLike a Dragonfranchise. This is set to change as the year draws to a close, however, with the brand newLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Nameset for a November release. This will then be followed byLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealtha few months later. With the Tokyo Game Show around the corner, Sega has confirmed thatLike a Dragon Gaidenis featuring as part of its lineup, and fans will be keen to get a closer look at the upcoming brawler when the show kicks off on September 21.
Like a Dragon Gaidenis set to occupy a unique spot in the series' timeline. Bridging the gap between events inYakuza 6: The Song of Life, andYakuza: Like a Dragon, the game will feature series veteran Kazuma Kiryu back in his familiar role of protagonist, and will reveal the events he went through between the two games. A return to the series' real-time beat-em-up roots,Like a Dragon Gaidenis set to feature two specific combat styles: Agent, a tech-based style, and Yakuza, the traditional style that fans of Kiryu will be familiar with.
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Tokyo Game Show 2023 Should Give Fans a Closer Look at Like a Dragon Gaiden
The Tokyo Game Show will be a great opportunity for fans to learn more about Kiryu’s upcoming adventure.Customization appears to be a big part ofLike a Dragon Gaiden, with fans able to freshen up Kiryu’s look with a plethora of new outfits, even being able to change the material and color palette. This is something series veterans should especially appreciate and will help to ensure every player can put their own original spin on Kiryu’s familiar appearance.
Aside from the reintroduction of Kiryu as the protagonist, veteran fans will likely be pleased thatLike a Dragon Gaidenis returning to real-time combat.Yakuza: Like a Dragonboldly moved away from this in favor of a new turn-based system that, while initially coming as a shock, turned out to be a fantastic way to freshen up the series' formula. It is confirmed thatYakuza: Like a Dragon’s proper sequel,Infinite Wealth, will stick with this turn-based style, so fans who prefer the real-time beat-em-up gameplay of the older games find themselves well catered for byGaiden.
Like a Dragon Gaidenalso returns to the familiar format of previousYakuzagames, being primarily a beat-em-up set in a small open-world, with loads of mini-games and side quests to occupy the player. Among these mini-games will be returning fan favorites such as mini-golf, assorted gambling tournaments, fighting competitions, and of course, cabaret clubs. In a somewhat unexpected twist, however,Like a Dragon Gaiden’s cabaret club mini-gamesfeature FMV sequences that play out from Kiryu’s point of view. This is a first for the series, and it remains to be seen exactly how this will mesh with the rest of the game’s activities.
The game is only a couple of months away from its release, soTokyo Game Show 2023will probably be the last opportunity for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku to showcase the game before the build-up to its launch begins to intensify. The video game industry has already had an extremely busy year, and with plenty of games set to come under the spotlight other thanLike a Dragon Gaiden, fans won’t want to miss this prestigious event.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Namewill launch July 22, 2025, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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