Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Reviews
While short and lacking in side content, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a good entry point for curious players and a nostalgic throwback for longtime fans. (Review Policy)
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.
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.
Despite a nonsensical plot and slightly lower emotional stakes, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a stunning refinement of the Dragon Engine that's wholly deserving of your time, whether you're a longtime Yakuza fan or new to the franchise.
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
While not on par with Kiryu or the franchise's finest outings, Like A Dragon Gaiden is still a good enough game that does the job of priming you up for the next big entry in the saga.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name more than justifies its existence. It creates fantastic points of tension and a real constant threat in Kiryu's attempts at anonymity as he butts head with the Yakuza and some mysterious, shadowy figures. Always keeping me on the edge of my seat, it's a heavy-hitter in the narrative, having me actively weep at the conclusion. This kind of magnificence is the payoff of years upon years of hard franchise work, entirely rewarding for longtime fans though boldly unapologetic and unforgiving to the newcomers. Slamming enemy's heads into walls and getting emotional over the franchise-long angst and baggage our beloved protagonist holds has truly never felt this good. Despite now hosting more than a dozen entries, Gaiden proves the Like a Dragon name is still endlessly valuable to this day. Bring on the next dozen, I say.
While The Man Who Erased His Name is a very safe Like A Dragon experience, longtime fans are sure to relish its smaller scope and renewed focus on Kiryu. It might lack some of the suspense and unpredictability of prior entries, but more than makes up for it in its more intimate exploration of one of the most legendary characters in gaming.
I’m still not entirely convinced The Man Who Erased His Name needed to exist, but it's a fun & mostly enjoyable 10-15 hour intermission until Infinite Wealth drops in January.
Though treading over familiar ground, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name holds enough payoffs and enjoyable moments to make this shorter trip an emotionally worthwhile one.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The man who erased his name was originally born as a DLC for the eighth chapter in the mainline saga, and it shows in its shorter length and in the reuse of assets, locations and character models. Still, exploring Sotenbori in the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu is a lot of fun like it's always been up to now.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has done it again, Like a Dragon: Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another notch in their award adorned catalogue. The emotional journey of series favourite Kiryu and the important bridging of the gap between Yakuza 6 and 7 is a joy to behold and experience. This entry presents the best version of the now deprecated action combat design and is one of the most consistently great experiences to be had on the PlayStation 5 console.
Like a Dragon Gaiden is more than just a part of the series in-between. Shorter, but much more intensive storytelling brings back one of the SEGA icons in exhilarating action adventure filling into the events of Ryu ga Gotoku. Lot of great moments, sidestories and new action style makes you play more and get ready for next main dish with Infinite Wealth.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name delivers an entertaining experience that could entertain you for hours. it's nothing revolutionary, but at its heart, element of entertainment is still strong.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A good, but not necessary Yakuza game – a short storyline and an almost complete lack of new ideas make Gaiden a release primarily aimed at diehard fans.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Like a Dragon Gaiden acts as a perfect bridge and connects pretty much all the events between Yakuza 0 and 6, and sets up a great foundation for the upcoming game Infinite Wealth.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a masterful entry in the franchise, and only makes me crave even more from the series.
You're guaranteed a good time with any game in the series, but this entry shines in battle with a breathtaking finale and one of the most emotional endings.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is the quickest Yakuza game ever, and in 2023, that is exactly what is needed. Fans of the series can pick it up and breeze through in a weekend.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a game that arrives more as a luxury than a necessity. Just when it seemed that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA had completely handed over the baton to Ichiban Kasuga, they pampered us with an installment that pays tribute to everything that made the series great and treats Kazuma Kiryu and the legacy he has within his universe as well as in the real world with immense respect. Yes, we'll see Kiryu again in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but he may never star in another installment. If so, it would be a phenomenal goodbye for the Dojima Dragon. Thank you for everything, Kiryu.
Review in Spanish | Read full review