“Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name” is one hell of a title for a game but it is also one hell of a game. The newest and (Most likely) Final solo adventure of Kiryu Kazuma, sorry i mean Joryu.
When Gaiden was announced I was scared. This was the first original LAD game to be released after the departure of Toshihiro Nagoshi and Daisuke Sato. While i always have had faith in RGG i was nervous to see how the franchise would be handled after its creators left the company in 2021. But I’m happy to say that Gaiden is incredible and a worthy successor to its predecessors.
The story of Gaiden was great. It was a brave choice to set the game between 6 and 7 while also setting up “Infinite Wealth”’s story but they pulled it off very well. The game strikes a great balance between being its own isolated story and being a part of the broader “Like a Dragon” narrative. While I don't wanna spoil the game it does have one of the most touching moments in all of the games. Gaidens story was great. I enjoyed what it added to the broader franchise and also the new characters as well. Akame and Shishido being my favorites.
Gaidens gameplay is the classic “Like a Dragon” beat em’ up gameplay we all know. It was nice seeing the old gameplay back now that Kiryu is back as the games lead. The new agent style is fun and the new gadgets are all useful and create new opportunities in combat. In general I love what they have added to the game with the new fighting style and gadgets. But I do think Heat charges way too slowly. It really limits how much you get to use them. I am not a fan of this since Heat Moves are a big part of the identity of these games. In general Heat moves feel limited since you can only find weapons limiting them even more. Still the combat is great and I love seeing more than one fighting style again.
The Colosseum is this game's big side activity just like the Clan Creator from 6 and Kiwami 2. It is about collecting fighters for your clan / team to do big fights against other teams. I had fun with this game mode especially since you are fighting side by side with them unlike the Clan Creator. While it’s not that long I like that it leads into the secret final fights and you unlock characters from earlier games as fighters. Only thing I don't like is the day 1 dlc that RGG has had in the last couple of games. These dlc always make the game incredibly easy and it sucks that popular characters from earlier games are locked behind a paywall.
Overall “Like a Dragon: Gaiden” is a really good game and exceeded my expectations wildly on almost every front. With great gameplay, side content and a touching narrative, it is a must play of this still evolving franchise. Even in a year like 2023 with some crazy good games, “Gaiden” stands out as one of the greats of this year.
When Gaiden was announced I was scared. This was the first original LAD game to be released after the departure of Toshihiro Nagoshi and Daisuke Sato. While i always have had faith in RGG i was nervous to see how the franchise would be handled after its creators left the company in 2021. But I’m happy to say that Gaiden is incredible and a worthy successor to its predecessors.
The story of Gaiden was great. It was a brave choice to set the game between 6 and 7 while also setting up “Infinite Wealth”’s story but they pulled it off very well. The game strikes a great balance between being its own isolated story and being a part of the broader “Like a Dragon” narrative. While I don't wanna spoil the game it does have one of the most touching moments in all of the games. Gaidens story was great. I enjoyed what it added to the broader franchise and also the new characters as well. Akame and Shishido being my favorites.
Gaidens gameplay is the classic “Like a Dragon” beat em’ up gameplay we all know. It was nice seeing the old gameplay back now that Kiryu is back as the games lead. The new agent style is fun and the new gadgets are all useful and create new opportunities in combat. In general I love what they have added to the game with the new fighting style and gadgets. But I do think Heat charges way too slowly. It really limits how much you get to use them. I am not a fan of this since Heat Moves are a big part of the identity of these games. In general Heat moves feel limited since you can only find weapons limiting them even more. Still the combat is great and I love seeing more than one fighting style again.
The Colosseum is this game's big side activity just like the Clan Creator from 6 and Kiwami 2. It is about collecting fighters for your clan / team to do big fights against other teams. I had fun with this game mode especially since you are fighting side by side with them unlike the Clan Creator. While it’s not that long I like that it leads into the secret final fights and you unlock characters from earlier games as fighters. Only thing I don't like is the day 1 dlc that RGG has had in the last couple of games. These dlc always make the game incredibly easy and it sucks that popular characters from earlier games are locked behind a paywall.
Overall “Like a Dragon: Gaiden” is a really good game and exceeded my expectations wildly on almost every front. With great gameplay, side content and a touching narrative, it is a must play of this still evolving franchise. Even in a year like 2023 with some crazy good games, “Gaiden” stands out as one of the greats of this year.