Everything You Need to Know About Like A Dragon Gaiden

The Yakuza series (now called the Like a Dragon series to match its title in Japan) debuted in 2005, immediately establishing itself as a critical and commercial success. With the exception of 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the series follows Kazuma Kiryu, a prominent member of a crime family who just can’t escape, no matter how hard he tries. As Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name shows, even being presumed dead can’t save him from the drama.

When is the Like a Dragon Gaiden release date?

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set to release on November 9, 2023. It will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. The release date was initially leaked along with a host of other details ahead of Summer Game Fest 2023, but publisher Sega quickly confirmed the date alongside a new trailer at the event.

Is there a Like a Dragon Gaiden trailer?

So far, there are three trailers for Like a Dragon Gaiden.

The game’s announcement trailer revealed its premise, but little else. It shows Kiryu meditating in a secluded location in 2018 (after the events of Yakuza 6), name-drops the Daidoji faction, and ends with the reveal of Kiryu’s codename, Joryu.

The Summer Game Fest gameplay trailer shows Like a Dragon Gaiden’s combat, including the first glimpse of the high-tech Agent fighting style. It shares a bit more of the game’s story, but nothing too concrete.

The most substantial trailer was revealed at Gamescom in August. It includes much more footage of the game and details about its plot, combat, and side activities, along with commentary from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama. This trailer also reveals that a demo for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be included with Like a Dragon Gaiden.

What is the Like a Dragon Gaiden story?

After introducing a new protagonist in Ichiban Kasuga for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the series is returning to its original hero for Like a Dragon Gaiden. The game takes place between Yakuza 6 and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It once again stars Kazuma Kiryu, who faked his own demise to protect his family at the end of Yakuza 6.

At the outset of Like a Dragon Gaiden, Kiryu is working as an agent for the Daidoji faction under the assumed name Joryu. The game kicks off as an assignment goes wrong and a stranger threatens to unveil Kiryu’s true identity, leading him to take on the criminal underworld once again.

In the Like a Dragon Gaiden gameplay trailer, Kiryu receives an assignment to escort an unnamed woman. It’s safe to assume that her identity is tied to the yakuza in some way, giving Kiryu a push back into the underworld.

What will Like a Dragon Gaiden gameplay be like?

After the move to turn-based combat for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon Gaiden returns to the series’ signature action brawler style. Like previous games in the series, you’ll be able to switch between different fighting styles in combat. This time, only two options are available: Yakuza and Agent.

Yakuza style seems like the more traditional option, focusing on heavy, aggressive attacks.

Agent style looks like a new direction for the series’ combat, blending high-speed attacks with James Bond-like gadgets. Trailers have shown Kiryu using electrified wires to grab and throw enemies and pull distant objects from the environment to use as weapons.

While we haven’t seen much of it, it’s safe to assume that minigames and side quests for zany NPCs will take up a lot of your time in Like a Dragon Gaiden, as they have in previous games in the series.

Will there be side activities in Like a Dragon Gaiden?

The Yakuza series has always used a wide range of wacky side activities to spice up its action-focused crime story, and Like a Dragon Gaiden continues that tradition. So far, a few activities have been confirmed by Sega, including karaoke, pocket circuit racing, and a cabaret club. The latest overview trailer also shows golf, pool, and classic arcade games as options.

Like a Dragon Gaiden will also feature sub-missions handed out by Akame, though it’s not clear what form those will take yet.

Where is the Like a Dragon Gaiden setting?

Yakuza games have traditionally taken place in the fictional Kamurocho district of Tokyo, but that’s changing for Like a Dragon Gaiden. This time, Kiryu is traveling between Osaka’s Sotenbori district, Yokohama’s Isezaki Ijincho, and a hub area in a castle. Like Kamurocho, Sotenbori and Isezaki Ijincho are fictional places based on real locations in their respective cities.

Is there a Like a Dragon Gaiden pre-order bonus?

Like a Dragon Gaiden has a pretty cool pre-order bonus, as a matter of fact. Pre-orders include the Legendary Fighter Pack, which includes Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima as playable characters for the game’s battle arena mode. All three are notable characters from the series’ past, though of course no one can touch the popularity of Majima.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on November 9.