with the way most people talk about this expansion, starting it felt incredibly overwhelming and daunting. i didn't know how long it would take me to get through it considering most people i know thought it was a slog to get through and not very engaging. coupled with the fact that this my was my first time playing an MMO or even starting a game that racks up multiple hundreds of hours upon completion, i was even a bit scared, but maybe keeping my expectations that astronomically low ended up benefitting ARR quite a bit.

i had my fun with it, especially since i had friends to play and experience this with. the gameplay, while not among my favorites, was not nearly as bad as i thought it would be. i went into this thinking my friends were going to carry me for the majority of it and that it would be a pain to play but i'm getting the hang of it more and more and while definitely not the best at it, i'm having a good time.

in terms of world building and setting, it has all the intrigue it needs to have at this stage of the story. i liked the way the pieces are put together and how the politics between nations is explored and to see what everyone's motivations are. world building isn't a huge aspect i focus on though. it always helps when it's well implemented and it feels like the characters belong in their world but the characters themselves is what i give most weight to.

i liked quite a few characters and dynamics between characters a decent amount. while some characters served their function and left more abruptly than others and aren't always handled the best way they could've been, it establishes all we need to know and while maybe not favorable, it was never downright bad. a lot of the characters that are more prominent obviously still have a lot more left to offer and more development ahead of them and i am looking forward to see where their paths lead. what i already got seemed promising or even more than promising, with some even having pretty stand out moments and an already noticeable character arc. the antagonist cast is what i'm hoping to get even more focus on in the next expansions since i do love my antagonists and i hope i get more invested in a lot of its cast soon. i am definitely attached to some but i can't wait for this story to really hook me and give me more of what we got at the very end of ARR. everything that came beforehand was necessary to even get the climax we got, but i want to be even more invested than i currently am. i have no doubt though that that'll happen though (also i love alphinaud and thancred with all my heart).

a solid start that has plenty of flaws if you really want to get down to it, but in the end it pleasantly surprised me in many ways and i think the good outweighs the bad here. it didn't blow me away but it gave me a good foundation to work with and left me wanting more.

Ever since starting the Yakuza franchise with Yakuza 0, Kiryu has been my favorite character and, over time, he ultimately became my favorite fictional protagonist in anything I've ever experienced. When I played Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the last thing I expected was to see him in it and playing Gaiden right after finishing Like A Dragon was the best decision I could've made.

A lot of questions went through my head upon Kiryu's arrival in the previous game and I wondered if the time between his big comeback and after his fake death in 6 would be something they'd explore here and I couldn't be happier with the fact that that is exactly what I got.

From the very start, this game captured me with its stunning presentation, incredible graphics and amazing soundtrack and it had me on the edge of my seat, hanging on to every word, to find out what Kiryu has been up to in his absence. I think every Yakuza game is one that explores Kiryu's character well, making us understand his motivation and ambitions in life, what he most wants to protect and how he feels about everything he's doing or had to do. This game - alongside 0, 5, 6 and Kiwami 2 - has, without a doubt, some of the BEST content for Kiryu and the journey he's been on. The confrontation at Omi Headquarters, his final fight against Shishido and him watching the surveillance footage Hanawa showed him, is one of my favorite and one of the best stretches in the entire franchise. It shows us exactly who Kiryu is and the whole game, up until that point, showcases who he's always been, a retrospection of his entire legacy up until now. It all culminates here. The coliseum for example was such a thrilling and emotional experience to me for that reason.

The way RGG handled this entire game, making it into such a spectacle and this big recollection and, in the end, giving us such an incredibly heartwarming and also heart wrenching moment for Kiryu - it was all masterful. This now truly feels like a new chapter in his life and I, for one, have no clue what 8 has in store for me, but I know it'll be brilliant. Especially after what I've experienced in Gaiden.

This game is absolute perfection to me. From the plot integration and connection it has to previous and upcoming games, to the character writing and gameplay - I have zero complaints. The combat is the best it's ever been. The Akame Network was an evolution and perfected system whose predecessors (Tanimura's police scanner in 4, Troublr in 6 and the Part Time Hero stuff from Like A Dragon) I've always enjoyed. The side content and sub stories reached a new high, with some feeling absolutely necessary to experience, and only enhanced the story and overall game for me. My first session playing this lasted almost 10 hours, which for me, as someone who isn't hugely into gaming in the first place, was previously unheard of (and I could've kept playing as well).

The newly introduced characters and side cast were also brilliant. Shishido, Tsuruno, Hanawa, Akame and Nishitani all stole my heart. I never thought I'd hear the name Nishitani ever again and to make it into what they did, was genius. Can't have a Yakuza game without some secret Koreans in it, but it works wonderfully. Him taking on that name and Nishitani's dynamics with Kiryu, Shishido, Tsuruno and Watase were more than I could've asked for.

Shishido had one of the best character arcs in this game, with one of the most well written betrayals in the series so far. Hanawa was probably my favorite newly introduced character though. All of his moments with Kiryu made me adore him and the end threw me for a loop. I NEED TO KNOW WHERE HE KNOWS KIRYU FROM. WHO EXACTLY IS/WAS HE. I'm sure I'll figure it out on my own or Infinite Wealth will tell me. There was so much depth and complexity in every new character presented and already existing characters that made an appearance had me hold back screams. Just simply seeing Ichiban made me lose it. Seeing that whole dissolution from Like A Dragon from Kiryu's perspective was something I was hoping for since starting the game and finding out when it takes place in the timeline. A great first meeting between the Dragon of Dojima and Hero of Yokohama. I know their dynamic will continue to impress and engage me. They made my brain melt every time they've come across each other. I love them both so much. To see all the other legendary Yakuza alongside Kiryu was amazing as well. Between Majima not wanting Kiryu to leave so quickly again and Daigo finally seeing his father figure again for the first time after his alleged death, the tears just wouldn't stop flowing. Not a single moment felt wasted, every little thing elevated everyone currently on screen I still can't believe it's all real.

Gaiden even managed to do something I never deemed possible which is give more substance to Yumi and make me dislike her less. I'm still not a fan of Yumi. I'll probably always think she was handled poorly in Kiwami 1 and her lack of personality made it hard for me to imagine that what Kiryu said - that the perfect wedding destination for her would be Hawaii - is something she actually believed (I couldn't tell you if that fit with her characterization or not, we barely got anything) BUT I have to say this is the first time in the franchise where from Kiryu's side of things, his feelings towards her actually felt believable. I never liked the execution their "romance" got in Kiwami 1 and I never cared when she was mentioned in following games, but it works here, which I'm very happy about. His story starts with picking up the ring and ends with him putting it down, a very fitting end.

So yeah, Kiryu is still without a doubt the best protagonist I've come across and this game was a class act in efficiency with great visuals and fun gameplay.

Will Kashiwagi and Kiryu ever meet again? Will Kiryu ever get to reunite with his family back in Okinawa or his family within the now dissolved Tojo clan? Is he having a nice time on Hawaii? I'm sure I'll find out once Infinite Wealth releases and I get to play it. Until then, "Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" will remain my new favorite game I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Did I mention that before by the way? This is now my favorite game of all time. Truly a life changing experience that will stick with me for many years to come.

what a ride this was. this game truly started in one of the most unexpected ways as we are introduced to a brand new character and - even crazier than that - have him fill kiryu's role as the protagonist of the game. or, as i would later find out, have him be one out of four playable characters.

akiyama was great from the start. had a super strong introduction, characteristics and a past that made him very alluring. i can't lie and say it didn't take some getting used to, to play as someone who isn't kiryu, but the intrigue of akiyama's story line made it not as hard as i initially thought it would be. he's just super charming and his dynamic with arai, kido and hana were all fantastic from the start so i enjoyed myself even while i was missing kiryu more than ever. it got even crazier when the second protagonist of the game revealed himself to be FUCKING SAEJIMA. a character i've been anticipating since playing yakuza 0.

saejima's story is something i've been waiting and praying for for so long, so i was instantly hooked. i couldn't wait to get more context on what went down 25 years ago and i was on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to reunite with majima again. which, by the way, was incredible. their dynamic is as peak as i expected it to be and i loved all of their moments together. I LOVE MAJIMA SO MUCH. the fact that, no matter the circumstances, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BEING FUCKING TORTURED, he saw no excuse for betrayal and wanted/expected saejima to punish him for what he did. while saejima, despite feeling betrayed and confused, replaying that day over and over again for the past 25 years, wanted nothing more than answers... that completely ruined me. he believed in majima so much. on death row for over two decades and still, he wouldn't and didn't just carelessly go after majima after escaping because he knew him better than anyone. he knew he must've had a reason for not showing up, wanted to believe it as well. not even hamazaki feeding him lies about his sworn brother deterred him from at least hearing him out. but majima did not make it that easy... he did not give up any answers without at least enduring a fight... these two will be the death of me, i swear. i love their relationship so much and the content they got definitely elevated them both a ton. yasuko was also a great addition to the story. another sibling bond ending in tragedy up on kamurocho hills... i loved her and thought her scenes, for the most part, were pretty good. i wish we'd gotten more majima content past part 2 though. i just NEED MORE of him!!!

something i appreciated with akiyama's part btw was that they tried to intigrate the hostess minigame stuff into the main story by relating it to yasuko. i still didn't really care for the gameplay but i thought that was neat. saejima's gameplay/combat was probably my least favorite in this game but i still enjoyed his section and saejima meeting kiryu and their fight on the beach made me experience every emotion known to man. i was absolutely elated to see kiryu again. not knowing whether or not he'd show up again later, i tried to savour every second of it. then i was conflicted and upset about the fact i had to fight him as saejima but glad saejima ended up collapsing instead of punching his lights out. kiryu losing a fight... is just not something i ever want to see happen lmao AND THEN we had one of the worst, if not THE worst moments in the whole franchise, which i won't get into, but it involved haruka and kiryu being a shitty dad. i'd rather move on from it and forget it ever happened. despite that, i loved seeing him even if it was brief. hamazaki's dynamic with saejima was good as well.

tanimura was another great protagonist to play. i liked his character and i overall really enjoyed how all these plot lines started to converge and how the protagonists met each other as the story progressed. he had some of the most insane things happening in his part lol. the boat chase was pretty fun. as it was happening, i didn't really know how to feel about all of that and sugiuchi and his death, but now, after finishing the game, i think i liked it. not a ton, but it wasn't bad at all. munakata was a decent antag as well. i'd say this game, alongside kiwami 1, has one of the weakest antagonist casts. arai i enjoyed though. AND OMG I LOVE KIDO. AND MINAMI. AND DAIGO. the antagonist cast is definitely better than the kiwami 1 one...

anyways, after finishing tanimura's part it finally happened... I HAD KIRYU BACK. i shed actual tears over it. that man is the love of my life. best combat/gameplay and best character in the franchise. kiryu, despite that hiccup in part 2, was PHENOMENAL in this game. the finale was another 10/10 chapter for me too. yakua just knows how to end a game. it was incredibly hype to see all four of our protagonists go up against a different opponent. tanimura really drew the short end of the stick though... having to fight like, twenty guys all on his own. was super fun though. i loved how this game tied into the previous ones i've played and how we had money fall from the sky again and how much of a full circle moment it was for akiyama. GOD, WHEN MUNAKATA SHOT HIM I STOPPED BREATHING FOR A SECOND. what they did there was CRUEL. almost gave me a fucking heart attack, thinking he would die. speaking of fake out deaths and what-not, the entire "rubber bullet" plot and reveal of saejima not actually killing anyone back in '85 was something that initially made me pause for a bit. i had to think about whether i liked that twist or not and i ultimately came to the conclusion that i did like it. it helped that i quite liked katsuragi as a character. i don't have any major issues with it, or any issues at all, really. yasuko being the one to kill katsuragi i also really liked. so much greatness...

last, but certainly not least, i need to mention how much i adore hana. MY QUEEN. i didn't really know what to think of when she came back looking as skinny as she did, but i think they played it off well. even though i wanted akiyama to kiss her more than anything in the world, i'm glad the scene didn't go there in that moment. to not have him immediately want to get his hands on her just cause her appearance changed, is something i actually appreciated but i'm still mad at him for not making a move at any point in the game. kissing yasuko instead in part 1... (i didn't mind the kiss between those two but i really need akiyama and hana to get together already!! i really hope they do/did)

so to summarize, this game was insane. i really liked the overarching plot, the multiple protagonists, how it all comes together, the finale and most of the new cast. there were some moments, both gameplay and story wise, i didn't enjoy as much as previous games and it didn't really elicit any super strong emotions in me, but i still loved it and thought it had really solid writing. my rating for it might go up in the future but i feel like a four out of five is not too shabby. i love yakuza. can't wait for yakuza 5 to destroy me.

they did it again... they threw one of the main antangs in the slow cooker and came out with one of the greatest tasting dishes at the end. mine immediately got my attention and i thought i would at least like him but he completely ruined me. one of my favorite characters. i was sobbing and slamming the desk at the end even 😭 i didnt want him to go.. but in regular yakuza fashion, tragedy befalls the gays. daigo and mine... i will always love what you had.

i thought the cast was overall pretty good. with rikiya and mine being the standouts in this game. rikiyas death also absolutely destroyed me. his relationship with kiryu was such a beautiful one. for kiryu to have someone by his side again like that only for them to be taken away because THEY SACRIFCED THEMSELVES FOR HIM/SAVED HIM. how many dying bodies of people he loved and/or cared for must he hold in his arms? shinji, kashiwagi, kazuma, rikiya... it never ends. HE ALSO CANT STOP GETTING STABBED. at least he had some very wholesome and happy moments with the kids. some of them i really liked but they were kinda underdeveloped. i liked what it did for kiryu and the themes of the game and his whole journey leading him to this point (dad kiryu is great and nothing better happen to these kids ever (again)) but chapter 10, which had a lot of focus on the kids, was the low point of the game for me. it wasnt really explored in a way where i could genuinely care about these kids individually and what theyve gone through/who they are but we had some better moments in the early stages of the game that had a bit more depth. idk what yakuza 4 holds in store for me but i do hope the kids arent just.. erased from existence/written out like sayama was for example. with how much of an impact she made in the previous game, on kiryus character in particular, i really did not expect them to just make her leave like that but it is what it is. maybe she'll be back.

joji was a... weird character. im not really sure how i feel about him. i liked nakahara and saki though and tamashiro wasnt a bad antag either. and while andre richardson was goofy as hell, he was also fun and i didnt mind him at all. the plot wasnt the strongest aspect of this game but again, like with kiwami 2 i thought it was interesting enough to follow and find out how it all interconnects. it culminated in another amazing final chapter for me so i dont really have any major complaints. i'd say i definitely preferred the other games over this one plot wise but i think kiwami 1 is still my least favorite so far (i do think i like it more though now that some time has passed). on another note, what even was kashiwagi's death? i expected something else for a character of his gravity but.. i mean.. sure.

i also wish majima was a bit more prominent in this one (i miss him, i need more of him, can he be in every scene ever please?) but he got some good moments as well. dont really have any thoughts on mikio; he's alright. kanda wasnt bad either and hamazaki was alright as well. shouldve known he'd come back. kiryu cant catch a break... kiryu still top 1 btw, i am so in love with him. a pretty good game all in all. i had a great time playing it and im super excited to start the next one

changed my life. i had a great time playing this one. especially when compared to the previous two games i played, it stands head and shoulders above kiwami 1 and while not on the same level as yakuza 0 story and character exploration wise, it builds on everything previously established very nicely and i thought the plot overall was really engaging. i actually cared about the "mystery" and how it all connects and thought all new characters introduced were at least serviceable and fucking brilliant at best. some of its peaks reached similar heights as yakuza 0 for me, especially when it comes to ryuji and kiryus characters (kawara came close). i wasnt much of a fan of how kiryu was handled in kiwami 1 so this was just really great in every facet. loved majima every second he is on screen and in general a lot of the cast i was already familiar with (terada, date, haruka, etc) got elevated a ton for me even though they were not used to their fullest potential, i enjoyed their role here a lot more than their roles in kiwami 1.

sayama was a very nice surprise for me. the execution with her, especially when it comes to kiryus romance with her, wasnt always the best but they have a solid foundation and i do really like them together. above all else i really just want to and like seeing kiryu be happy. especially after losing kazama and nishiki and yumi in kiwami 1, for him to now have haruka and sayama by his side makes me very glad. i mentioned before that the scene where theyre about to blow up and sayama mentioned letting down haruka was clunky and i still think so. thats probably my biggest complaint since kiwami 1 (and 2 up until that point) put a lot of emphasis on kiryus relationship with haruka and how much haruka means to him and how much kiryu means to her. they did have that little side plot thing in sotenbori where kiryu is basically all like "shed be better off without me since i only get her in danger" which makes me hate the chapter 16 scene less but then again, that content in sotenbori ended with haruka and kiryu on the same page of her needing and wanting him in her life and him not deciding things for her. so yeah. its a bit weird how that came about and haruka in general was underutilized but it still made me care about her a lot more. she didnt have as strong of a character and as big of a role here but just her spending time with kiryu, removed from the god awful plot involving yumi, made me take a liking to her.

terada as a character was a nice surprise for me personally. he turned from a sort of nothing character i couldnt care less about to someone with actual plot relevance. and it elevated his kiwami 1 content for me as well. its not the most intricate and thought out thing ever but to me it was coherent and made enough sense for me to like it. chapter 16, apart from some weird lines of dialogue, was pretty much perfect to me. the gaming experience of that whole chapter was just incredible to me and it had me sobbing. which is what i want in the end - to care and be invested in the characters and story.

i grew fonder of the gameplay as well as i played and both chapter 12 and 16 have changed me forever as a person. it was a good game on its own and especially with the previous two in mind. it never reached lows as low as kiwami 1 did and not quite the same highs as 0 but so damn close man. i truly loved it and always wanted to play it. it's one of those stories where i can acknowledge its flaws and i have my own criticisms towards it but theyre not things that are at the forefront of my mind or a deterrent of my enjoyment. and i understand others not liking it or liking it less than me but i had an absolute fantastic time and it is definitely a favorite game of mine. tears