Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,481 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • gameplay
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Game Cover
Like A Dragon Gaiden has one of the better stories of the series, acting as a love letter to Kiryu that fans are going to fall in love with.
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In "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name," players assume the role of Kazuma Kiryu, who has faked his death and abandoned his yakuza past to protect his family. However, he is drawn into conflict by a mysterious figure and must confront his past. The game also includes a Coliseum where players can fight as or alongside legendary yakuza characters. This content is part of the Digital Deluxe Edition of "Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth."

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,481 reviews
story837 positive mentions
grinding73 negative mentions
  • story2,644 mentions

    The story of "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" serves as a compelling bridge between the events of "Yakuza 6" and "Yakuza: Like a Dragon," focusing on Kiryu's struggles and emotional journey. While the main narrative is shorter than typical entries in the series, lasting around 10-12 hours, it is packed with impactful moments and character development, culminating in a highly emotional ending that resonates with long-time fans. However, the reliance on side content and fetch quests to progress the story has drawn mixed reactions, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall pacing and depth of the main plot.

    • “The story is absolutely amazing, so much so that I even shed a tear (or two) at the end of the game, although I won't spoil the reason.”
    • “Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a captivating addition to the series, offering rich content that fills in the missing story pieces and features an emotionally touching ending.”
    • “The story is fantastic: impactful and emotional.”
    • “It's hard to shake the feeling that they started this project as an arena brawler before deciding to wrap a story around it.”
    • “Fundamentally, the sense that nothing is actually going on behind the scenes is compounded by the minigames and fetch quests, which in previous games felt like a break from the story, as opposed to a distraction from the lack of it.”
    • “The story filled in the gaps between Yakuza 6 and 7, but I honestly thought there could have been a lot more content; the writing for the plot could have used more work as well.”
  • emotional594 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" has resonated deeply with players, many of whom report shedding tears during the game's poignant ending. The narrative is praised for its rich emotional depth, effectively tying together the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu's journey and delivering a heartfelt farewell that evokes strong feelings of nostalgia and connection for long-time fans of the series. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke a powerful emotional response, making it one of the most impactful entries in the franchise.

    • “The story is absolutely amazing, so much so that I even shed a tear (or two) at the end of the game, although I won't spoil the reason.”
    • “The ending is one of the most emotional endings in this series, and it also leads into the opening to the next game: Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth.”
    • “The ending made me cry, this series has that much of an emotional pull.”
    • “Boring story with major plot holes.”
    • “Boring story with major plot holes.”
  • gameplay519 mentions

    The gameplay in "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fluid combat mechanics and the introduction of two distinct fighting styles, including a new "agent" style that adds variety. While some players find the gameplay engaging and reminiscent of earlier titles in the series, others criticize it for being less polished and repetitive, particularly in its side quests and overall length. Overall, the game is seen as a solid entry for fans of the franchise, offering enjoyable combat and a wealth of side content, despite some concerns about its pacing and depth.

    • “The gameplay is literally the best Kiryu has ever played and unless 3, 4, and 5 get the Kiwami treatment one day, will be the best Kiryu has ever played.”
    • “I absolutely love the style switching mechanic, giving you more freedom of choice in how to approach a battle and the two new styles for this game are not only sharp in looks but do so gameplay-wise as well.”
    • “The combat is by far the most fluid and fun in the series to date, beating out Lost Judgment as it takes all the strengths from that game and combines it with new and interesting mechanics to make it more engaging.”
    • “Weak but not the worst narrative, coupled with easily the weakest action gameplay in the series (yes including Blockuza 3).”
    • “The gameplay isn't polished enough (couldn't manage to land a tiger drop for my life), the whole 'agent' fighting style is boring and looked like a worse version of the styles we find in the Judgment games.”
    • “I tried to swallow the boring gameplay just for the story but the story is too derivative and the filler between the main objective is boring and just an excuse to insert padding by doing menial tasks.”
  • music227 mentions

    The music in "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as one of the best in the series, featuring a mix of emotional and catchy tracks that enhance the game's storytelling and combat. While some noted a few tracks felt generic or less memorable, the overall composition, including standout pieces for key moments like the final boss, was highlighted as exceptional. The karaoke songs, particularly the new additions, also garnered positive feedback, contributing to the game's engaging audio experience.

    • “I'm playing in Japanese with English subtitles, voice acting is spectacular as I expect, music is brilliant and on point for these games, and the story (or at least sub-stories) are brilliant and engaging.”
    • “The music fits and enhances scenes and fights as great music should.”
    • “Continuing RGG Studio's long track record of great and memorable video game music, the soundtracks in this game are all very catchy and enhance the experience greatly.”
    • “Unnecessary neon special effects on everything, music is terrible (which was always strong in this franchise).”
    • “It's only 5 chapters long and all of the characters are rushed and uninteresting, all of the minigames are reused (pocket circuit, arcade games from lj, etc.), and the soundtrack is oddly middling outside of a few tracks.”
    • “-music (not the karaoke) I don't feel like there's any track that worth remembering at all aside from the final boss theme that stands out the most, which kinda makes me sad that at least the Yakuza series would've done music right and there would be few tracks from every game that definitely stand out.”
  • graphics215 mentions

    The graphics in this game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting them as the best in the series, featuring stunning visuals, realistic character models, and impressive environmental details. Players noted the game's optimization, allowing for smooth performance even on mid-range systems, and praised the cinematic quality of cutscenes. However, some criticism was directed at certain areas where graphics appeared less polished, indicating a mix of high-quality assets alongside some outdated elements.

    • “Beautiful graphics, lightning fast combat, great sense of humor, and engaging quests/story.”
    • “The visuals are breathtaking, and the story is just too engaging.”
    • “The graphics for the game are honestly beautiful with some of the scenes being simply breathtaking, all backed up with a fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “While mechanically sound, graphically it's nothing to brag about.”
    • “Graphically it's better than 7 but continues the long running track of dragon engine games always looking worse than the last, with this game being noticeably uglier than Lost Judgment while also having way less effort put into the presentation, with very few prerendered cutscenes as well as a general lack of polish all around.”
    • “Otherwise, the graphics look like a small step up from Yakuza: Like a Dragon—Kasuga's game.”
  • humor122 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending absurdity with heartfelt moments, typical of the Yakuza series. Players appreciate the funny side quests and engaging sub-stories, which often include quirky characters and hilarious situations, while the main storyline maintains a serious tone. Overall, the game successfully balances comedy with drama, delivering a rich experience filled with laugh-out-loud moments and clever dialogue.

    • “Yakuza is funny because it proves that a good story, a lovable cast, a refined world with fun substories, and the omnipresent feat of being able to convince you that the fate of Japan rests upon a fight between two shirtless men is enough to make this one of my favorite games this year.”
    • “It's as funny and off-the-wall as Yakuza games are, with the focus on combat quality that the Like a Dragon section brings to the table.”
    • “Despite having a rather short main story, about 10 hours long, this game packs everything a Yakuza fan could ask for: good story, amazing gameplay, sick boss fights, and of course it ain't a Yakuza game without the outrageously hilarious and random substories, and hundred thousand mini games.”
  • grinding85 mentions

    Grinding in "Like a Dragon Gaiden" is a mixed experience, with players noting that while some aspects can be rewarding, others feel tedious and time-consuming. Many recommend avoiding early grinding to unlock better methods later, but highlight that certain minigames and the akame network can become monotonous and mandatory for skill upgrades. Overall, while some grinding is necessary for progression, it can detract from the pacing and enjoyment of the game.

    • “There is no grinding that is not rewarding.”
    • “Worthwhile to get all achievements; getting them isn't all that grindy and it's actually fun!”
    • “The fact they are using FMV adds to the experience, and they made it not grindy at all like in past titles.”
    • “The akame network is the most grindy, boring, mind-numbing garbage ever and is basically mandatory to upgrade your skills, so it's unavoidable and painful!”
    • “Even though my play hours said 20h, 4h was actual story content while the rest was filled with grindy boring minigames.”
    • “During the early parts it does not affect the pacing that much, but during late game the point requirements force the player to do all the substories and minigames for points, on top of grinding for a stupid amount of money in the castle, to upgrade abilities.”
  • optimization77 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its exceptional optimization, running smoothly on a variety of hardware configurations, including older models like the GTX 970 and RTX 2060, with many players reporting no significant performance issues or bugs. Reviewers noted that it achieves impressive visuals and frame rates, even at 4K, making it a standout release in terms of technical performance. Overall, the game's optimization is considered a significant strength, especially in contrast to many modern titles that struggle with performance issues at launch.

    • “I don't know what black magic RGG Studio worked on this game to get it to run so perfectly, but this is so fantastically optimized, even including DLSS, all while boasting very nice visuals around Sotenbori.”
    • “The graphics in this game are top notch, and this game is really well optimized in terms of PC performance requirements.”
    • “Game is very optimized; finished it with 95% side stories within 20 hours of in-game time.”
    • “Maybe wait a while for some performance things to be ironed out if your computer is not so good.”
    • “Somewhat unrelated to the game but I'd figure I would mention, the performance on PC is yet again worse than previous games.”
    • “Game optimization sucks ass.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant visuals, enhanced by significant graphical upgrades in lighting and color, creating a lively and immersive experience. Players appreciate the respectful and memorable depiction of key moments, particularly in the final boss fights, which are complemented by a strong soundtrack. However, some criticism arises regarding certain areas, like Sotenbori, where the atmosphere can feel bland and exploration tedious after extended play.

    • “The atmosphere, the vibes, the fights... just incredible...”
    • “Just don't rush the storyline, walk around the city, do all sidequests and you will enjoy the game's atmosphere.”
    • “Sotenbori's simplistic layout and bland atmosphere turned exploration into pure boredom after 10 hours of playtime, and the new slingshot gadget that let Joryu grab objects out of reach, while a nice touch, never got its usability expanded outside of combat and can be safely tossed into the 'one-off shallow mechanic' bin that includes Lost Judgment's parkour.”
    • “The atmosphere and visual quality exceeded my expectations.”
    • “It dictates the mood and sets the atmosphere for the events we participate in.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in the Agent style. While some players find these issues to be minor and not immersion-breaking, others criticize the overall execution as undercooked and reminiscent of earlier, less polished titles. Overall, the game appears to suffer from stability issues, with complaints about unfinished content and a lack of optimization.

    • “Rgg - one of the last developers of our generation that can launch a game which is not buggy, unstable, unoptimized, or broken beyond oblivion.”
    • “Agent style is frankly buggy - I frequently found myself unable to punch with the punch button, which is a bit of a showstopper.”
    • “It's buggy; the cheap-looking animation and camera work, as well as snapping from early Dragon Engine games, is back, and a lot of the heat actions feel impactless.”
    • “Agent style is unfortunately terribly undercooked; it's limited, stiff, and buggy.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers a wealth of engaging side content and enjoyable activities, some players feel that the absence of a New Game Plus mode and the game's shorter length limit its replay value. However, many highlight the extensive content and quality, particularly praising the minigames and combat, which contribute to a high level of replayability for those willing to invest time.

    • “However, side content (aka akame requests if you plan to get to max level) takes pretty long, and all the other activities are pretty fun and replayable.”
    • “Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is definitely not just your typical spin-off. This game appears to be so simple even though it really isn't. The sheer amount of content and quality this game has makes the price so worth it. The minigames are great as always, the combat is great too, and the amount of replayability that you can get out of this game is insane.”
    • “The sheer amount of content and quality this game has makes the price so worth it. The minigames are great as always, the combat is great too, and the amount of replayability that you can get out of this game is insane.”
    • “There's not much replay value.”
    • “With my only real gripe being the lack of New Game Plus for it, as I think the lack of it hurts the replayability, especially with its shorter length.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development, particularly for Kiryu, is highlighted as a significant aspect, with some reviewers noting it as the most substantial growth for the character. However, there are criticisms regarding the overall depth of character development in the game, especially in relation to the lack of memorable boss fights and combat, suggesting a regression in this area compared to previous titles.

    • “Most character development Joryu has ever had.”
    • “Character development is a highlight of the game, showcasing deep and meaningful growth for the characters.”
    • “On the topic of fights, from a pure gameplay point of view, there are no memorable fights nor bosses in the mainline quest. Maybe in a longer game, there will be more time for character development to hype things up, but boss fights are shockingly plain.”
    • “Combat and character development definitely took a step in the backwards direction.”
    • “Most importantly, Kiryu's character development.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers feeling that it prioritizes profit over genuine value or innovation within the franchise. Players expressed disappointment that the game felt more like an advertising campaign rather than a standalone experience, leading to unmet expectations regarding content and gameplay depth.

    • “You really can tell that the only reasoning behind this game was being a cash grab rather than bringing any value into the franchise.”
    • “Frankly, the whole game felt just like an advertising campaign for IW.”
    • “During that hour, I had an absolute blast, but it's barely visible that LAD 8 is their focus and this is only a cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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Play time

25hMedian play time
28hAverage play time
10-50hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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