Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

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."

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,732 reviews

story416 positive mentions

grinding31 negative mentions

story
1,305 mentions
32 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" is a poignant continuation of Kazuma Kiryu's journey, bridging the events between "Yakuza 6" and "Yakuza: Like a Dragon." While the main narrative is shorter than typical entries, lasting around 10-15 hours, it is packed with emotional depth, engaging character arcs, and significant callbacks for long-time fans, making it a must-play for those familiar with the series. The game effectively balances its main storyline with a wealth of side content, although some players noted that the pacing can feel rushed at times, particularly due to the reliance on side quests to progress the main plot.
- “Fantastic story with emotional depth and fan service for longtime players.”
- “The story beats that hit hardest are aided by knowledge of what came before.”
- “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 a bit difficult to follow because it assumes that you are intimately familiar with the story from all the way back to Yakuza 0.”
- “The story itself was alright, but I found it to be fairly simple and lacking depth compared to previous entries in the series.”
- “The main story is very short, and while it has some emotional moments, it feels rushed and underdeveloped.”
emotional
295 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-1 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" has been overwhelmingly praised, with many players expressing that the game's story culminates in a deeply moving and tear-jerking ending. Fans of the series report that the emotional depth and callbacks to previous games enhance the experience, making it one of the most impactful entries in the franchise, often leaving players in tears. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke strong feelings and provide a heartfelt farewell to the beloved character Kazuma Kiryu.
- “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 story is fantastic: impactful and emotional.”
- “The ending made me cry so hard, cried like a baby...”
- “The story is boring and riddled with major plot holes.”
- “I found the emotional aspects lacking due to the poorly constructed narrative.”
- “The game fails to evoke any real emotions because of its unengaging storyline.”
gameplay
258 mentions
43 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Like a Dragon Gaiden" is widely praised for its fluid combat mechanics and the introduction of new fighting styles, particularly the "agent" style, which adds variety and depth to battles. While some players note the game's relatively short length and a desire for more content, the overall experience is described as engaging and fun, maintaining the signature Yakuza beat-em-up style that fans love. The combination of refined mechanics, captivating storytelling, and a variety of mini-games contributes to a satisfying gameplay experience, making it a must-play for series enthusiasts.
- “The combat system has evolved with new mechanics and fighting styles, delivering intense battles that keep you on your toes.”
- “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 also enhance gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is the best it's ever been for Kiryu, with the agent style being innovative and the Yakuza style reworked to feel like the best of both worlds from the earlier games.”
- “The core gameplay itself - with no side content - can't be more than 10 hours.”
- “It artificially extends the gameplay time to beat the main story too by forcing you to beat some side quests in order to progress.”
- “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.”
music
115 mentions
35 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as one of the best in the series, featuring a blend of emotional and catchy tracks that enhance the narrative and gameplay. While some users noted a darker and edgier tone compared to previous entries, others expressed disappointment with certain songs feeling generic or forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack, including new karaoke songs, is highlighted as a significant aspect that complements the game's storytelling and atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is the best out of all the games.”
- “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).”
- “The music is much darker and edgier than in any of the other 7 games with Kiryu.”
- “I don't feel like there's any track that is 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.”
graphics
106 mentions
60 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in this game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting their photorealistic quality and stunning visual design, particularly in environments like Sotenbori. Players appreciate the significant improvements over previous titles, noting the game's optimization and the breathtaking cutscenes that enhance the overall experience. While some minor graphical inconsistencies were mentioned, the consensus is that the visuals are among the best in the series, contributing to an immersive and engaging gameplay experience.
- “What truly stands out in this game, as well as in Infinite Wealth, are the graphics and overall design, which are pure 2024—simply flawless.”
- “The graphics are even better and look more photo-realistic than before, with FSR, FSR 2, FSR 3, and SSE for your viewing pleasure (I personally use SSE ultra quality, it looks gorgeous).”
- “The visuals are breathtaking, and the story is just too engaging.”
- “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.”
humor
60 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Man Who Erased His Name" is a hallmark of the Yakuza series, blending absurdity with heartfelt moments and engaging storytelling. Players appreciate the game's funny side quests, quirky characters, and the signature comedic elements that juxtapose serious themes, ensuring a mix of laughter and emotional depth throughout the experience. While some found the humor less memorable than in previous entries, the overall consensus is that it retains the franchise's charm and eccentricity, making it a delightful addition for fans.
- “If you're a fan of the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series, The Man Who Erased His Name feels like a glorious return to what we love most about these games: the perfect blend of gritty drama, absurd humor, and streets that feel like home.”
- “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.”
- “This game is the culmination of years of storytelling, side content, crazy games, funny characters, heartfelt moments, and the reappearance of characters we haven't seen in years; it's everything we love about Yakuza, and we get to enjoy it since it means so much to some of us after following this character and his family around for so many years.”
grinding
37 mentions
8 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
84 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding in this game to be a mixed experience; while some aspects, like cash grinding through minigames and the coliseum, can be enjoyable and rewarding, others, particularly the akame network and certain character upgrades, are described as tedious and time-consuming. Many reviewers suggest that early grinding should be avoided to unlock better methods later, and while some grinding is necessary for skill upgrades and achievements, it can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the balance of grinding varies, with some players appreciating the challenge while others feel it disrupts the pacing and fun.
- “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 use FMV adds to the experience, and they made it not grindy at all like in past titles.”
- “That usually means grinding out the money-making minigames as fast as possible, which is a chore.”
- “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 20 hours, 4 hours was actual story content while the rest was filled with grindy boring minigames.”
optimization
37 mentions
43 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received widespread praise, with many players reporting smooth performance across various hardware configurations, including older GPUs like the GTX 970 and RTX 2060. Users noted that the game runs exceptionally well, even at high settings, with minimal bugs or performance issues, making it a standout example of quality optimization in modern gaming. Despite some minor frame drops in specific scenarios, the general consensus is that the game is well-optimized and delivers a polished experience.
- “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.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has been widely praised for its impressive visual quality, engaging soundtracks, and immersive environments that enhance the overall experience. Players particularly enjoyed the final boss fights, noting their memorable cinematography and emotional context. However, some found certain areas, like Sotenbori, to lack depth, leading to moments of boredom during exploration, despite the game's overall vibrant and lively aesthetic.
- “The atmosphere and visual quality exceeded my expectations.”
- “It is certainly one of the best end fights in terms of atmosphere and cinematography, depicting all the legends in a respectful and memorable manner.”
- “The atmosphere, the OST, the combat, the minigames, they basically took each of their best parts of their games and packed them into one game.”
- “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, the OST, the combat, the minigames; they basically took each of their best parts of their games and packed them into one game.”
- “It dictates the mood and sets the atmosphere for the events we participate in.”
stability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while some users report minor glitches that don't significantly impact gameplay, others highlight a range of bugs, stiff animations, and a sense of unfinished content. However, there are also positive remarks about the developer's ability to release a relatively stable game compared to industry standards.
- “Rgg is one of the last developers of our generation that can launch a game which is not buggy, unstable, unoptimized, or broken beyond oblivion.”
- “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.”
- “1 out of 2, if not more, AAA games come out unfinished, buggy, with a plethora of content locked behind DLC and expansions, all of it for now 70 or 80 euros.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players enjoy the fun side content and minigames that offer significant replay value, others feel that the absence of a new game plus mode and the game's shorter length limit its overall replayability. Despite these concerns, many appreciate the quality and quantity of content available, making it a worthwhile experience.
- “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. 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.”
- “My only real gripe is the lack of New Game Plus, as I think this hurts the replayability, especially given its shorter length.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development, particularly for Kiryu, is highlighted as a significant aspect, with some users noting it as the most substantial growth seen in the series. However, there are criticisms regarding the lack of memorable fights and bosses, suggesting that the overall combat and character development may have regressed compared to previous installments.
- “Most character development Joryu has ever had.”
- “Character development is a highlight of the game, adding depth and complexity to the characters.”
- “Most importantly, Kiryu's character development.”
- “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 backward direction.”
monetization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is perceived as a cash grab, with many reviewers feeling that it prioritizes profit over genuine value or innovation within the franchise. Players express disappointment that the game feels more like an advertising campaign than a standalone experience, and some were misled by marketing expectations regarding gameplay features.
- “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, and it's barely visible that LAD 8 is their focus and this is only a cash grab.”