Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Reviews
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another fantastic entry into this much-loved series, proving that Kiryu has more than enough gas left in the tank to continue fronting the series. Despite some combat gadgets feeling a bit gimmicky and some obvious grinding to lengthen the story, The Man Who Erased His Name is a compelling time sink and proves that Kiryu isn't a spent force.
While another trip to Sotenbori is always worth the price of admission, Joryu's brief trip away comes at a high price: respecting the player's time in Like a Dragon Gaiden.
A fitting "Yakuza" that takes the old Kazuma Kyriu and launches him into a new life - how long and happy we are not yet allowed to know. On the gameplay side Like a Dragon Gaiden relies on well-established mechanics that still work well, adding a couple of new tricks that seem to wink at what we will see in Infinite Wealth.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name goes toe-to-toe with the likes of Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2. It also serves its main purpose and then some: to bring Kiryu back into the fold and get you excited for what could be his final ride in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means. For Yakuza/Like Dragon fans, it’ll be a familiar, albeit enjoyable experience. It has a few shortcomings – the most egregious being a painfully slow first few hours. But once it gets going, Gaiden packs a punch. One that’s sure to keep you satiated until Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth drops.
Like a Dragon Gaiden teeters on the edge of feeling tired and a bit predictable, but in the end, this is another memorable chapter in Kiryu's seemingly endless tale. It adds welcome weight to the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon while also telling a great individual story, which is stuffed with typically engaging characters. Refined combat carries this 'smaller' title even further, and although its optional excursions can feel a little too grindy for their own good, Gaiden stands as a rock solid instalment, and a potent reminder of why Kiryu's such a beloved protagonist.
While it might not be among the best entries in the series, there’s still enough to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name that makes it worth playing. Those willing to work around some bare bones design and frustrating quality of life issues will find a compact but necessary entry in the saga of Kazuma Kiryu, and will be that much more excited for the next true entry in the franchise.
Originally conceived as a DLC, perhaps that's why it's smaller in size, and developed in just six months by Ryu Ga Gotoku, Like a Dragon: Gaiden – The Man Who Erased His Name is a very worthy installment of the saga, and although it may not add any significant novelty, seeing Kiryu in action on the streets of Japan is always something extraordinary. as is the fact that such a long-running saga doesn't feel heavy or repetitive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Still, at the center of it all remains Kazuma Kiryu, a genuinely good man caught in the throes of a vicious career. Even with the series ready to move on without him as protagonist—no disrespect to everybody’s new favorite himbo, Ichiban Kasuga, who’s positioned to be our hero going forward—Gaiden makes a stronger than expected case for why and how he’s 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 is a highly recommended title for this Christmas season, as it will serve as an appetizer to welcome Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which looks extremely ambitious and promising, and will be one of the strong cards for when 2024 begins.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite its flaws, I can’t deny that I had a great time walking in the shoes of Kiryu.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name satisfyingly ties up many loose ends in Kiryu's story, but it's one of the franchise's most tedious adventures.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another excellent entry in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, one that's packed to the gills with crime drama, oddball humor, and many mini-games.
Although a solid entry, this title serves as an intermediary of Kiryu's actions between Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like A Dragon so its endpoint is inherently predictable and as enjoyable as it is, the narrative is relatively thin in exchange for a wealth of side content to pad it out.
Like A Dragon Gaiden then is both cursed and blessed by familiarity. It’s so much like the games before it that it’s predictably fun, boisterous, funny, well-acted and directed. It is also a bit tame, especially by the standards of the series, rarely pushing in terms of narrative and character in the bold ways Like A Dragon has become well-renowned for, making for a welcome-if-unnecessary side chapter in Kiryu’s story before what appears to be a conclusion for everyone’s favorite ex-yakuza. But even if it falls short in some unfortunate places, this “budget-sized” installment in the series is just as wonderful and bountiful a place to jump into and fall in love with its inane brand of magic.
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.
While I did warm to new Like A Dragon protagonist Ichiban quickly, you can’t forget the OG. It’s great to see Kiryu take a victory lap in this tightly designed, smaller-scale story before the next big chapter kicks off
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a throwback to older entries of the series, but without any of the intrigue and spark that makes them memorable.