Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review

perhaps I was naive to think that the story of Legend kiru actually wrapped up with Yakuza 6 and that his appearance in Yakuza like a dragon was simply a treat for longers such as myself but after playing through like a dragon giden the man who erased his name I'm convinced that leaving him to age in the shadows wouldn't have been the right move although it's a bite-sized story noticeably shorter than previous entries it proves that there's still so much more depth to kiru's life from the wild new agent fighting style to the wealth of captivating side activities on top of the tried and- true Yakuza Story drama giden is a tight package that's akin to a greatest hits from the franchise while it may feel like a retread of previous games at times it's no wor for where and still finds ways to surprise me with its straight-faced absurdist humor it's worth noting that Guiden acts as a middle chapter that flows into the events of the 2020 RPG and leads directly into the upcoming Le a dragon infinite wealth and so it's tough to talk about this game in a vacuum but because it's undoubtedly targeted at those who've been on the yaku's journey all this time it hit me in my feelings hard as I barreled toward the heart-rending conclusion making it another exceptional entry in the yaku verse with kiru being the leading man the real-time brawler combat returns but giden doesn't simply rehash the old system agent style adds enough to freshen up fights by giving use some bondes gadgets to complement the melee finesse of this fighting style as you progress in the main story you'll gradually unlock abilities like the drones that swarm enemies rocket boosted shoes to Jet around Bad Dudes and explosive cigarettes to Blast Away mobs kiru also channels some real Spider-Man energy with the ability to shoot a wire from his watch to lasso enemies launch them across the screen or pulling weapons from afar and it's so satisfying to weave it mid-combo to start juggling enemies as if you're a god tier Tekken player he even uses it in web slinging fashion to swing around in action-packed cutcenes it's absolute Yakuza nonsense and I love it from a combat perspective Guiden offers more tools that are genuinely fun to experiment with and work into your approach in the tougher challenges this includes a Parry for unblockable attacks extreme heat mode for powerful unbreakable Combos and the alternate Yakuza stand for heavier Street brawling style I rarely felt like I was pitted in a battle of attrition which was often the case in series past it's not quite as elegant as say lost judgment which remains rg's best iteration of action combat but guidance mechanics had me looking forward to fighting mobs of 20 plus goons or formidable bosses when the opportunities arose overthe toop fist of cuffs are only one part of the rgg equation and the bigger draw for me has always been the storytelling having played every entry in the series it's hard to be surprised by specific PL plot twists or betrayals yet I still find myself on the edge of my seat in the story's crucial moments in series tradition the high tension drama is told through powerful voice performances and masterful cinematics for these Larger than Life personalities sometimes it's hilarious how the story frames kiru status as an undercover agent named joru working for the da DOI faction a shadowy organization that influences Japan from behind the scenes especially as he gets roped back into the business of the Tojo clan in Omi Alliance while insisting that he's not really C you it's a bit silly but speaks to a larger theme about him being conflicted about his life choices more so than previous games Guiden Treads through familiar territory where he tries to escape his previous Life by disappearing and living off the grid elsewhere in Japan which we saw a bit of in Yakuza 5 and six he's always been the hard and tough guy who rarely lets anything phase him even on the brink of death or when fighting tooth and nail for those he loves which is why giden hits so hard not because we revisit some of those memories along the way but because those memories are wielded in such a way to give kiru a level of emotional depth we'd never seen before if you played Yakuza like a dragon you know where the story heads since giden is largely about what he was doing in the background prior to his Cameo but seeing events from kiru's perspective adds texture to the bigger picture this is also the missing piece that explains the reasons behind kiru's minent role in infinite wealth and rather than feeling like a filler chapter guidance showcases and highlights the things that make him [Music] [Music] human the main story is rather short and it sometimes goes through the motions of a typical y a story and glosses over aspects that could have used a bit more insight guidance brevity is a double-edged sword as to not drag on longer than it needs to and cuts to the chase but this leaves a few supporting characters and plot beats slightly underdeveloped however you get just enough time with the newcomers to understand them and their motivations and when the main story hits its Peaks it's the good stuff only rgg can pull off it's about 10 hours to finish barring any side content but side content is one of the core pillars of the series and rounded out my 22 is hours with the game giden mostly takes place in the familiar location of sotenbori and it works fine for what the game is going for but the one new location you get is called the castle which is a lavish vegas-like Hub area built inside of an abandoned ship the neon soaked strip features casinos for gambling mini games and a luxury clothing store where you can customize cous outfits the castle is also key to guideance story as it's used as a stronghold for a powerful Yakuza family and a place for some wild setpiece battles the biggest draw in the castle though is the Coliseum an underground Fight Club made of dozens of combat challenges it features one-on-one tournaments battles against waves of menacing men and a party based hell team Rumble mode here you recruit NPCs who are usually goofy ass dudes who have no business brawling in a cage match but manage to put up a respectable fight with you the Coliseum works well because the core combat system is enjoyable but it also implements management Sim elements similar to previous Yakuza mini games your team members level up get stronger and you can forge stronger bonds by interacting with them at the poolside bar that they hang out at once they're recruited the hardest battles found in the Platinum challenges truly test your combat skills and party management and the rewards and the Side Stories attached to them are a nice cherry on [Music] top Gan features a slew of other mini gamess from the series past as well well including the pocket circuit races with RC cars and the Cabaret Club as a social Sim where you make dialogue choices as you watch real life models RIS you up in FMV it's admittedly pretty jarring since the transition to FMV scenes of hostesses talking to you feels out of place but once I got past that initial bewilderment I found the conversations kind of endearing even though they're rather basic it's also worth mentioning the new roster of retro games that straight up exist inside giden like Sega arcade Classics and original versions of Master System games it's a neat perk and further highlights the series preservationist Tradition now this wouldn't be a proper Yakuza game without sub Stories the comedic and often poignant side quests that bring the city to life and give kiru some of his memorable moments in giden sub stories run through the new character akame who runs the akame network she's crucial to the main story as someone who works as cuir's informant and wields her street rep to keep him connected to the underworld but she's also a charismatic and energetic osakan who works behind the scenes to defend and uplift sulan B's homeless population through the aame network you accept requests to help different people in the open world or investigate reports of strange things happening in the streets and of the 20 plus available guidance got some bangers these managed to bring in modern commentary which makes these stories as hilarious as they are believable sometimes they offer new takes on contemporary subjects and seeing it through the lens of old man kiru reminds you that he's more thoughtful than he often seems but the best sub story I saw had to be one where rgg universes collided for a sort of crossover episode where your favorite characters finally interact with each other the aame network is a cleaner way to package sub stories but they also come with more substantial rewards like tons of cash and akame points both of which are necessary to upgrade K's gadgets and abilities it's a bit of an odd progression system but it pushes you toward completing these requests which I had no qualms about since sub stories are worth doing on their own and the more requests you finish the better your social standing with aam becomes this results in opportunities to hang out with her at the bar and Strike Up genuinely interesting conversations about her life and motivations while also showcasing cir's ability to be a great friend once you wrap up the main story you get access to the infinite wealth demo that's included with giden and while this is a separate game it's an exciting part of the whole package it further emphasizes guidance plays as a bridge to the next game and following its conclusion I was left as invested in curia's Journey as I've ever been no other game franchise invests this much into a single character's life so to have seen where he started and everything he's gone through over the course of eight plus games his perspective at a critical narrative juncture for the series feels warranted and so there I was sitting in front of my TV watching guidance ending crying like a damn baby over the hardships of a fictional man those who've been on this ride over the years will fill me on that so giden may be a brief stint that leaves the full potential of its supporting casts on the table and often relies on remixing features from the series past but with new ideas to make combat exciting and a buffet of quality side content it's some of the most fun I've had with an rgg game more importantly I was just happy to be in curia's shoes again for an emotional story and to brace myself for what lies ahead for the Beloved series [Music] for all silent [Music] love

Channel: GameSpot

Views: 81,982

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Id: bAmK0_PBOMM

Length: 10min 46sec (646 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 06 2023