HomeFeaturesLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Like A Dragon Gaiden lets you fight alongside the series' finest weirdos and I love itMr. Masochist, I choose you
Mr. Masochist, I choose you
Image credit:Sega
Image credit:Sega
Around 20-minutes spent with Like A Dragon Gaiden (technicallyLike A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name) has helped me fulfil twoYakuza-specific dreams: reunite with Mr. Masochist and fight alongside Mr. Masochist. Having sampled a bit of the colosseum and switched up Kiry- sorry, Joryu’s threads, I reckon Gaiden’s side hustles are shaping up to be suitably bonkers and remarkably in-depth. Our boy literally has rockets in his shoes, I mean, come on.
Image credit:Sega
Aside from your wires, you’ve got three other gadgets: drones that nip at enemies, ticking bombs that spring from your pockets, and if you hold down X (traditionally, the dodge/sprint button) Kiryu’s rocket propelled shoes allow him to slide about fights like a wannabe Astro Boy. Clatter into anyone with your mega-Heelys and they’ll be sent skidding across the floor. From what I gather, these moves replace some of Kiryu’s past mix of fighting styles and instead act as a sort of James Bond accompaniment to his default skullbashing.
Kiryu’s regular punches and kicks have a similar feel to Yakuza 6, except the speed and style factor has been upped. And don’t worry, you can still pull off brutal EX special moves once you’ve built up enough juice. |Image credit:Sega
The revelation of swapping Kiryu out for other folks was, genuinely, a beautiful moment. I chose Chicken Man (his actual name), a man with a chicken head. Maybe an ode to Nugget, the chicken who ran your real estate firm inYakuza 0, maybe not. But either way, he came equipped with what was a more basic moveset than Kiryu’s, sure, but also a golden submachine he used to obliterate waves of thugs. I haven’t smiled so wide in a long time.
Then another revelation. I could play the team equivalent of Rumble, where I could form a squad of fan favourite Yakuza characters from across the entire series and actually fight alongside them, in what would be a dream come true. While I don’t quite understand the “front” and “back” formation I could slot their portraits into, I got the gist that each character fit into a tank, support, damage template, all complete with their own skills and stat strengths.
Beat an encounter and you’ll earn lots of money, as well as a number of fans. I’m unsure what these fans do, but hey, it’s nice to have fans. |Image credit:Sega
And while the fights against tonnes of thugs were absolute chaos, it was a thrill to be there in amongst it all, crashing skulls alongside the series' bestest weirdos. It fulfilled the fantasy of seeing your favourite, normally static quest givers actually turn their hands to hand-to-hand with amusing results. Mr. Masochist kept yelling loads, presumably buffing our party and attracting attention. Chicken Man whipped out the submachine gun. Someone else, lost in the melee, started doing a jig and healed us up. My wide smile somehow widened.
For more of the latest news and previews from Gamescom 2023, head to ourGamescom 2023 hub. You can also findeverything announced at Opening Night Liveright here.
