September 21 Could Be a Big Day for Like a Dragon Fans

Summary

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set for a November release, bridging the gap between Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
On September 21, Ryu Ga Gotoku studio can provide fans more information about Gaiden at the Tokyo Game Show.
Like a Dragon Gaiden brings back the familiar format of previous Yakuza games, with a small open-world, beat-em-up combat, mini-games, side quests, and the addition of FMV sequences in cabaret club mini-games.

Aside from the February release of Like a Dragon: Ishin!, a remake of the original 2014 game, 2023 has been a relatively quiet year so far for the Like a Dragon franchise. This is set to change as the year draws to a close, however, with the brand new Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name set for a November release. This will then be followed by Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth a few months later. With the Tokyo Game Show around the corner, Sega has confirmed that Like a Dragon Gaiden is featuring as part of its lineup, and fans will be keen to get a closer look at the upcoming brawler when the show kicks off on September 21.

Like a Dragon Gaiden is set to occupy a unique spot in the series' timeline. Bridging the gap between events in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the game will feature series veteran Kazuma Kiryu back in his familiar role of protagonist, and will reveal the events he went through between the two games. A return to the series' real-time beat-em-up roots, Like a Dragon Gaiden is set to feature two specific combat styles: Agent, a tech-based style, and Yakuza, the traditional style that fans of Kiryu will be familiar with.

Tokyo Game Show 2023 Should Give Fans a Closer Look at Like a Dragon Gaiden

The Tokyo Game Show will be a great opportunity for fans to learn more about Kiryu's upcoming adventure. Customization appears to be a big part of Like a Dragon Gaiden, with fans able to freshen up Kiryu's look with a plethora of new outfits, even being able to change the material and color palette. This is something series veterans should especially appreciate and will help to ensure every player can put their own original spin on Kiryu's familiar appearance.

Aside from the reintroduction of Kiryu as the protagonist, veteran fans will likely be pleased that Like a Dragon Gaiden is returning to real-time combat. Yakuza: Like a Dragon boldly moved away from this in favor of a new turn-based system that, while initially coming as a shock, turned out to be a fantastic way to freshen up the series' formula. It is confirmed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon's proper sequel, Infinite Wealth, will stick with this turn-based style, so fans who prefer the real-time beat-em-up gameplay of the older games find themselves well catered for by Gaiden.

Like a Dragon Gaiden also returns to the familiar format of previous Yakuza games, being primarily a beat-em-up set in a small open-world, with loads of mini-games and side quests to occupy the player. Among these mini-games will be returning fan favorites such as mini-golf, assorted gambling tournaments, fighting competitions, and of course, cabaret clubs. In a somewhat unexpected twist, however, Like a Dragon Gaiden's cabaret club mini-games feature FMV sequences that play out from Kiryu's point of view. This is a first for the series, and it remains to be seen exactly how this will mesh with the rest of the game's activities.

The game is only a couple of months away from its release, so Tokyo Game Show 2023 will probably be the last opportunity for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku to showcase the game before the build-up to its launch begins to intensify. The video game industry has already had an extremely busy year, and with plenty of games set to come under the spotlight other than Like a Dragon Gaiden, fans won't want to miss this prestigious event.