Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Critic Reviews

Having now completed every side mission, substory, and objective in a little over 25 hours, I can only hope Ryu Ga Gotoku learns from this game and works on more bite-sized spin-offs fleshing out the rest of this universe roster of loveable weirdos, gallant heroes, and snarling villains.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a success. With just five chapters total, it tells a compelling story that maintains interest throughout. It's also a neat summary of Kiryu's storied past, serving as a solid introduction to him for those who found the franchise through Yakuza: Like A Dragon and Ichiban. Anyone interested in the Yakuza hype heading into Infinite Wealth should absolutely check out Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which stands on its own as a great entry that does so much with very little.

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.

A short-but-sweet bridge between Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon Gaiden packs a lot of punch into a small package. Returning to the smash-mouth style fans love about the series, there's plenty of additional content to keep you occupied beyond the game's story.

It may not be a necessary entry in the franchise, but as we move into what appears to be Kiryu’s endgame, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a treat, a reward for those who have followed his story since the beginning. I genuinely was not sure what I thought of this game until the credits were rolling, and then the intention of this project clicked in my head. It’s a celebration of this character that fills in a few blanks but doesn’t overstay its welcome purely for the sake of matching the length of the other games and a teaser for the main course coming in a few months. I’ve never been more excited about the future of Like a Dragon.

A shorter but wonderfully packed spin-off that finally gives fans of the multi-decade franchise a satisfying end to Kiryu Kazuma's story while also reminding us of all the greatest parts from the previous action-based Yakuza games.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name brings one of the best stories in the Yakuza franchise, consolidating Kiryu as one of the most complex and underrated protagonists in games. Even with a smaller scope, the game doesn't lose its shine and proves that the Like a Dragon series still has a lot to live up to.

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.

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.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is much more than 'just a spin-off'. This entry not only provides context for Kiryu's reapparance as a headliner within the Like a Dragon franchise, but also introduces tons of nostalgia as well as some new gameplay elements. Overall, it may not be as long as the main Like a Dragon entries (but don't fret, it cannot be considered 'short'), although it stands its ground as a video game that should be considered a must-play franchisewise.

Despite not being suitable for beginners, Like a Dragon Gaiden is a spin-off made for fans that fulfills its objective: it delivers a narrative wrapped in a rollercoaster of emotions with traditional beat'em up gameplay and dozens of secondary activities. Following the franchise's classic formula, the game entertains, excites and raises expectations even further for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

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.

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.

This game once started as extra content and it shows, the story is on the short side at just over 10 hours. Fortunately, the game has enough to offer through its minigames and extra content to keep you entertained for a long time, although you have to reckon with somewhat mediocre pacing and remarkably, lumbering animations. With that said, by the way, we can recommend this title to any fan of the franchise.

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.

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.

The perfect slice of Kiryu for returning fans, Like A Dragon Gaiden is a piece of fantastic filler to keep players entertained while they wait for the bigger games to follow. Those new to the franchise need not apply.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a great game dedicated to fans who love wearing the Kiryu’s jacksuit again.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a starting point to get to know the series, formerly Yakuza, as it presents the immediate past of a protagonist who guides himself by the values of honor in a world of corruption. The various activities, story, and character development make this title worth enjoying. Sure, it has many cliches and a horrible camera. However, it is still a game that is very worthwhile, both for long-time fans and new ones who have just gotten into the series.

Considered inside the long trajectory of the Yakuza franchise, this is a secondary chapter, as you can see in the digital format, the length or the mechanics, but it works really well as a bridge between the game from 2020 and the game that will be released in 2024. Few games can compute with this one in terms of script, characters, minigames...