Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Before The Game

The Yakuza games have always been a game series that I wanted to dive into at some point but knew that, due to the length of each game, it may not happen. Eventually the series got to the point it is now where there are close to ten entries. I felt like I may never jump into the series. However, not to long ago I watched a showcase that highlighted the new game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and I knew that Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name would be a great jumping in point in the series. I really wasn’t sure of the length of the game but knew it wasn’t as long as the other entries. There was some uncertainty on what to expect because I really didn’t know where the story would go or if the characters would be relatable. Nevertheless, I wanted to give it a try.

During The Game

When the game starts off it does a great job of putting you front and center into the combat. I likened it to an action movie where the protagonist is in disguise and those he goes up against don’t know who he is, where he is from or what he is capable of. The first chapter really set the tone of the game for me. It was action filled, story driven and wasted no time. By the time the first chapter was complete I thought I was in the second or third chapter. This really identified to me how immersed into the game I was. The character introductions were short and to the point and was not overwhelming. Initially, because I didn’t know very many characters other than Kazuma, I was worried I may not remember them. But, by the games end, I knew each character more definitively.

The areas where the game take place, Sotenbori and the Castle are relatively easy to remember because they are not as big as most open world games are but I can definitely say that there are areas and things I had not explored at the games completion. My absolute only grip would be that I couldn’t go five minutes in the city without encountering groups of thugs and beating them senseless. In all fairness, I enjoyed getting the combat in but it was cumbersome when I was focused on getting a main story objective complete to progress the story. I did play some of the side game sand found that golf and pool are the things that definitely deterred me from completing the main story because they were fun. I am glad I discovered darts much later.

Visuals

The standout visual in this game are the cut scenes. The majority of the cut scenes in the game look absolutely stunning. Later in the game there was one cut scene that looked like it might not have been finished or it was rushed. Overall, the cut scenes are what make this game look great. The city as well, is an assault on the visual senses when exploring and looking around. The visuals do such good job that most places look like they can be entered but they can’t. They even have people doing normal things to give this impression.

Audio

The standout audio element I loved about this game was being able to change my audio language. I initially had it in English but changed it to Japanese with English subtitles. It really brought another depth of immersion to the game that I felt wasn’t at that level with the game in English. I had a chance to listen to the game soundtrack prior to playing the game and it brought the game to the next level of enjoyment when I played. Additionally, the karaoke mini game music was equally fun because, while it wasn’t one of my better game qualities, it gives the player a break from the main game. The action sequences never felt like the audio was a moshpit of sounds on the ears and always seem to flow together.

Characters

For this being my first completed experience with Kazuma I learned there are layers to his persona. On the surface he is mysterious. Then there is a layer that is discovered which his love of combat. There is another layer of compassion and loyalty that is exhibited in his relationships and actions. Other standout characters are Kihei Hanawa, Homare Nishitani III, Kosei Shishido and Yuki Tsuruno. These characters made the story feel like a movie or television series where you want to dislike them but they grow on you or you grow to trust them and then they do something unexpected. That, to me, makes a great character because, as a player, I invest into that character and then I see things change that adds or takes away that invested interest in them.

Environments

Because the game takes place in Sotenbori, an alternate entertainment district of Osaka and on The Castle, a container ship it is hard to look at the environments from a geographical perspective. However, the city is small and detailed in its size. It has a bustling popoluation that is moving around at all hours of the day. It has sites and sounds to be explored, plenty to do outside of the main story and that is all before you get to the Castle. The Castle is another location that has more to do outside of the missions within Sotenbori. I think that the level of detail in the environments is enough to make the player want to go and explore when wanting to take a break from story missions or even after completing the game.

Pacing

Because this game is shorter, the pacing is done relatively well. There were moments where some missions were unnecessary as a player trying to complete the game but had to be done in order to push the main story forward. I do wonder if this would have been more of a prominent issue for me had the game been longer. Nevertheless, the game does a good job of telling the story in the right moments and then allowing the player to propel the game with gameplay.

Gameplay

Combat is great in this game. The ability to earn money from beating up thugs and then purchasing new abilities made the game absolutely fun to play as it progressed. Movement was done well for traversing through the city. However, I do have an issue with games that don’t allow a player to jump over obstacles or climb. I think, while this may be more time consuming of a development process, I think it is necessary for open world games. Regardless, this was not a deal breaker for me when playing the game. The coliseum was another game element that I knew that with further continued play of the game, I could find myself only playing that mode due to the fights and the leveling I could do. Pool, golf, darts, and all the mini games are elements that make gameplay fun and provide outlets to enjoy even after rolling credits.

Replay Level

If anyone is looking to dive into the Yakuza games, this is the must play game. It is great to look at, short in story, filled with additional content and does a good job with filling in gaps to new players. I plan to go back to simply experience more pool games, golf and improve my karaoke abilities.

After The Game

Now that I have experienced the Yakuza universe, I am itching to jump into either Like a Dragon or Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This is a series that I regret not starting sooner, but am glad to have started now. I hope that the games continue and I would love to see how the Judgment and Lost Judgment games play into this universe. I recommend you play this as soon as you can to experience this world and these characters.