Info about Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name:

Official game description:
Digital Deluxe Edition
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About the Game
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DELUXE EDITION INCLUDES:
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*   Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name  
*   Legendary Fighter Pack
Floating in the bay, away from the prying eyes of the public, is a mysterious container ship known as the Castle. At its center lies the Coliseum, and three legendary yakuza have entered the battle arena as playable characters.  
Enter the Coliseum and play as or alongside:  
*   Goro Majima – The Mad Dog of Shimano  
*   Taiga Saejima – The Slayer of Eighteen  
*   Daigo Dojima – 6th Chairman of the Tojo Clan
Claim victory with these allies in the ultimate showdown!  
**ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE**  
Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding.  
Under the codename “Joryu,” Kiryu embarks on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities.  
**ULTIMATE COMBAT WITH TWO HIGH-IMPACT FIGHTING STYLES**  
Dynamically switch between the Yakuza and Agent fighting styles in visceral melee combat.  
With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair.  
Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying.  
Strategically adapt to the situation and leverage both styles to dominate and destroy hordes of enemies.  
**ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT**  
Whether you're brawling in the secret Battle arena, singing a new karaoke song, enjoying a drink at the live-action cabaret club, or racing in the pocket circuit, the world offers a variety of immersive experiences.  
An intriguing informant named Akame also provides thrilling sub-missions, drawing you into an epic showdown that unfolds the more you explore and enjoy Sotenbori and Yokohama.  
**LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH SPECIAL TRIAL VERSION ALSO INCLUDED!**  
After completing Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name game, a Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Special Trial Version will be unlocked for you to enjoy!  
_This game may be updated over time and have paid for and free additional content released for it. Please be aware that this may increase the minimum requirements for running the game above the specification stated here_  
_English voice will be implemented in a post-launch patch distribution_

Release date: 8 Nov, 2023

Categories: Single-player Story, Real-time Combat, Beat 'em up, Character Progression, Mini-game Collection, Open-World Exploration, Action RPG


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Concise, Engaging Story (weight 0.97): The main story was praised for its focused and appropriate length, avoiding unnecessary filler while delivering a captivating plot with well-executed twists. Its concise nature allowed for a consistently engaging narrative experience.
- Polished Visuals & Performance (weight 0.79): The game received positive feedback for its exquisite graphics, dazzling visuals, and overall strong technical performance on PC. It was noted for being well-optimized, running smoothly without significant stutters or bugs, and looking impressive on the Dragon Engine.
- Kiryu's Emotional Character Arc (weight 0.59): The game provides a deeply satisfying and emotional conclusion to Kiryu's long-running story, exploring his personal growth and sacrifices. It effectively bridges narrative gaps and allows players to experience his iconic "Dragon of Dojima" and new "Agent" fighting styles.
- Authentic Series Experience (weight 0.45): The game serves as a strong "love letter" to long-time fans, seamlessly integrating with the broader Yakuza/Like a Dragon saga by filling narrative gaps and bringing back the beloved classic beat 'em up combat style. It evokes significant nostalgia for previous entries.
- Dynamic Dual Combat Styles (weight 0.22): The game's implementation of two distinct combat styles – the powerful "Dragon of Dojima" and the versatile "Agent" – was widely appreciated. Players enjoyed the strategic depth and fluidity offered by switching between these styles during battles.
- Diverse & Nostalgic Mini-games (weight 0.14): The game features a rich assortment of mini-games, including the return of fan favorites like Pocket Circuit and Karaoke. These activities were praised for their variety, entertainment value, and ability to evoke nostalgia, adding significant replayability.
- Streamlined Side Content (weight 0.13): The "Akame Information Network" system was highly praised for organizing and simplifying side quest management, making it convenient to accept and complete missions. The overall side content was found to be substantial, engaging, and often filled with humorous throwbacks.
- Engaging Coliseum Mode (weight 0.13): The expanded Coliseum mode was a significant highlight, offering hours of replayable content through solo brawls, team battles, and character recruitment. It was found to be addictive, rewarding, and a fun way to earn in-game currency and upgrades.
- Memorable Character Cast (weight 0.12): Both new and returning characters were lauded for being well-developed, charismatic, and brimming with personality. Their vivid portrayal and emotional depth fostered strong player attachment and made them integral to the compelling narrative.
- Accessible Completionism (weight 0.11): The game was noted for being relatively easy to achieve 100% completion or platinum trophy, with less tedious grinding compared to other entries in the series. This made the completionist experience more enjoyable and attainable for many players.

Common complaints:
- Short, Padded, Repetitive Content (weight 0.5): Many players found the game's main story too short (5-10 hours) and felt it was padded with repetitive, uninspired side quests and mandatory filler content. The overall content volume was significantly less than other series titles, leading to a feeling of it being more like a DLC than a full-priced game, and lacking replayability due to no New Game Plus.
- Clunky, Unbalanced Combat (weight 0.37): The combat system was widely criticized as a significant downgrade from previous Yakuza and Judgment titles, feeling clunky, stiff, and lacking depth. Specific issues included repetitive enemy patterns, excessive super armor on bosses, and the new "Agent" style being either too weak, too overpowered, or poorly integrated with awkward gadgets and animations.
- Disappointing Kiryu Portrayal (weight 0.17): Players expressed disappointment with Kiryu's character arc, feeling he was unnecessarily made to suffer, portrayed as weak or manipulated, and that his attempts at discretion were inconsistent. The new "Agent" fighting style also felt uncharacteristic for him, and the overall direction of his story was seen as a step backward.
- Weak Story & Characters (weight 0.15): The main story's writing and pacing were criticized as weak, unengaging, and illogical, with too much meandering and filler. Many characters were found to be forgettable or poorly developed, and the overall narrative lacked depth and memorable moments compared to other series entries.
- Overpriced for Content (weight 0.14): A significant number of reviews stated the game was not worth its full price, feeling it was too expensive for the amount and quality of content offered. Many recommended purchasing it only on sale, viewing it as a "rip-off" or a "disappointment" at launch price.
- Frequent Crashes & Bugs (weight 0.12): The game suffered from significant technical issues, including frequent crashes during gameplay, cutscenes, and even the finale, leading to loss of progress due to poor autosave functionality. Some players also reported issues with the game not launching at all.
- Tedious Akame Network (weight 0.07): The Akame Network system was criticized for forcing players into repetitive, uninspired fetch quests and grinding to earn Akame Points, which were necessary for character progression. This felt like artificial lengthening of the game and was often described as tedious and boring.
- Lore Dependency for Newcomers (weight 0.06): The game was deemed unsuitable for new players due to its heavy reliance on prior knowledge of the entire Yakuza series lore, especially events from Yakuza 6 and 7. This made it difficult for newcomers to understand the story context, character motivations, and emotional impact.
- Awkward Cabaret Club (weight 0.05): The live-action cabaret club minigame was widely disliked, described as awkward, cringeworthy, and immersion-breaking. Players also complained about unskippable cutscenes and the overall quality being inferior to previous installments.
- Frustrating Mini-Games (weight 0.05): Several other mini-games, including pool, billiards, karaoke, and pocket circuit, were found to be frustrating, difficult, and time-consuming, often requiring excessive attempts for completion or achievements. Some were criticized for poor design or repetitive mechanics.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dual Combat Styles & Gadgets (weight 0.25): The game introduces a new 'Agent' combat style for Kiryu, emphasizing speed, agility, and high-tech gadgets like binding wires, drones, explosive cigarettes, and jet shoes, effective for crowd control. This contrasts with the powerful, single-target focused 'Yakuza' style, allowing for diverse combat approaches.
- Kiryu's Bridging Narrative (weight 0.24): The game serves as an interquel, detailing Kiryu Kazuma's activities as a Daidoji agent (Joryu) after Yakuza 6 and concurrently with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It bridges the narrative gap to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, providing Kiryu's perspective on key events and filling in his backstory.
- Concise Game Length (weight 0.21): The game is notably shorter than other main series entries, with the main story typically taking 10-15 hours across 5 chapters. A full 100% completion, including side content and achievements, generally ranges from 20-40 hours, making it a more streamlined experience with fewer mini-games and side quests.
- Extensive Coliseum Battles (weight 0.1): The Coliseum, located on the 'Castle' cruise ship, is a major gameplay hub offering diverse battle modes including 1v1, 1vMany, and team battles. It serves as a primary source for earning money and skill points, and is considered a significant and engaging part of the game's side content.
- Akame Network Progression (weight 0.07): The 'Akame Network' serves as the primary hub for side quests and progression, where players accept various tasks to earn experience and points. Leveling up the network unlocks new items, skills, and access to further content, centralizing much of the game's optional activities.
- Spin-off Game Structure (weight 0.04): The game is structured as a spin-off or standalone expansion, initially conceived as DLC, resulting in a more streamlined and linear experience compared to main series entries. It was developed in a relatively short timeframe.
- Returning Mini-games (weight 0.03): The game features a selection of classic Yakuza mini-games, with a notable return of fan-favorites such as Pocket Circuit racing, alongside others like darts, golf, billiards, and arcade games.
- Compact Sotenbori Setting (weight 0.03): The game's explorable areas are primarily centered around a compact Sotenbori, a familiar district from previous Yakuza titles, and a new significant location, the 'Castle' cruise ship, which serves as a hub for various activities.
- Includes Yakuza 8 Demo (weight 0.03): The game includes a demo for the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Yakuza 8), allowing players to experience its gameplay and world after completing the main story.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Performance & Optimization (weight 0.08): The game generally runs very smoothly and is well-optimized across a range of hardware, including Steam Deck and high-end PCs, often achieving stable 60 FPS or higher. Reviewers noted minimal frame drops, with some attributing any drops to their own outdated hardware.
- Stunning Visuals & Graphics (weight 0.07): The game features significantly improved and beautiful graphics, often considered the peak for the series, utilizing the Dragon Engine for enhanced lighting, reflections, and textures. Players praised the appealing colors, detailed environments like Sotenbori, and the overall atmospheric visual style.
- High-Quality Cinematics & Audio (weight 0.03): The game boasts high-quality, cinematic cutscenes with amazingly detailed facial expressions, contributing to a captivating and emotional narrative. The soundtrack is also highly praised for being perfect and enhancing the overall atmosphere and artistic composition.
- Large Game File Size (weight 0.02): The game requires a significant amount of disk space, noted to be around 87-90GB. This large file size is partly attributed to elements like live-action hostess videos and the inclusion of a demo for a future game.

Recommendations:
- Recommended, buy on sale (weight 0.37): The game is generally recommended by players, often receiving high ratings. However, many suggest purchasing it during a sale or at a significant discount, as its full price is considered too high for its content or length by some.
- Play previous Yakuza games (weight 0.37): This game is strongly recommended for long-time fans of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, especially those who have played Yakuza 0 through 7. It is not suitable as a starting point for newcomers due to significant spoilers and a narrative that relies heavily on prior knowledge of Kiryu's story and the franchise lore.
- Crucial for Kiryu's story (weight 0.07): The game is considered a vital chapter for fans following Kiryu Kazuma's journey, providing context for his actions during Yakuza: Like a Dragon and serving as a "farewell prelude" to his character arc. It deepens the understanding of his legend and emotional struggles.
- Compare with Judgment series (weight 0.04): Reviewers sometimes compare this game to the Judgment series, recommending playing Judgment or Lost Judgment. They even suggest that Lost Judgment might be a better choice for players primarily seeking specific gameplay experiences.
- Watch cutscenes on YouTube (weight 0.02): Some reviewers suggest that the game's most impactful moments, particularly the ending cinematics, can be experienced by simply watching them on YouTube. This implies that the gameplay or overall experience outside of these specific story beats may not be worth the full investment.

Other player notes:
- Bridging Series & Combat (weight 0.13): The game effectively bridges the narrative and gameplay gap between the classic action-oriented Yakuza titles and the newer turn-based Like a Dragon series, directly setting up "Infinite Wealth." Player reception to the combat style varies, with some preferring the traditional action.
- Feels Like DLC (weight 0.02): Many reviewers felt the game, despite being a standalone release, had the scope and feel of a substantial DLC rather than a full-fledged main entry. This perception influenced its value proposition for some players.
- Mods Improve Combat (weight 0.01): Several reviewers highlighted that community-made mods, such as "Legend Remix Gaiden" and "No Juggle Limit," significantly enhance the combat experience. This indicates a desire for more depth or customization in the combat system.
- Ichiban's Minor Role (weight 0.01): The new protagonist, Ichiban, has a very limited presence in the game, appearing only in a cutscene. This reinforces the game's focus on Kiryu's story rather than advancing Ichiban's narrative.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.35): Players felt satisfied primarily due to the game's high overall quality, particularly its compelling story that provided a fitting and emotional conclusion to Kiryu's arc. The return to the classic action-oriented combat system, engaging side content like the Coliseum and mini-games, and the ease of achieving platinum completion also significantly contributed to this positive emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment stemmed mainly from the game's perceived short length and lack of substantial content, often leading to a feeling of poor value for money. Issues with the combat system, particularly the Agent style and its gadgets, along with underdeveloped story elements and technical problems like crashes, also contributed significantly to negative player experiences.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players felt excited by the game's high overall quality, especially the return of Kiryu in a classic beat 'em up style with new and engaging combat mechanics. The thrilling story, epic moments like Coliseum fights and the final battle, and the anticipation for future installments also generated significant excitement.
- Sadness (weight 0.08): Sadness was overwhelmingly caused by the game's deeply emotional ending and the portrayal of Kiryu's suffering and sacrifices throughout his journey. The sense of closure for his long-running story arc, particularly the final scenes and his emotional breakdown, resonated strongly with players.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration primarily arose from technical issues such as frequent game crashes and launch problems, which severely disrupted gameplay. Additionally, players were frustrated by clunky and restrictive combat mechanics, including issues with enemy AI and gadget integration, as well as the grind required for progression and repetitive side content.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy was derived from the game's overall fun factor, particularly its engaging mini-games like the Coliseum and Pocket Circuit, and its humorous elements. The return to the classic beat 'em up combat style and the opportunity to play as Kiryu again also brought significant enjoyment to players.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration was directed towards Kiryu's compelling character and his portrayal, as well as the overall high quality of the game and RGG Studio's consistent ability to deliver. The game's cinematic quality, emotional story, and strong character designs also garnered significant praise.
- Emotional (weight 0.03): This emotion was primarily triggered by the profound emotional impact of the game's story and its powerful ending, especially for long-time fans of the series. Key moments, such as Kiryu's emotional journey and his crying scenes, contributed significantly to this deep emotional resonance.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia was strongly evoked by the game's return to the classic beat 'em up combat style and the opportunity to play as Kiryu again. Familiar characters, settings, and numerous callbacks to previous entries in the series also contributed to a strong sense of continuity and fond memories for long-time fans.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players found enjoyment in the game's fun characters, engaging Coliseum and various side activities, and its overall tone. The gameplay, including the Agent style combat and mini-games, also contributed significantly to a positive and entertaining experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation stemmed from the developers' consistent quality and their thoughtful approach to the game, particularly its role as a fitting tribute and farewell to Kiryu's saga. Players valued the game's narrative depth, its integration of good elements from previous titles, and its overall quality as a "love letter" to fans.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was often linked to unexpected positive aspects, such as the game's high quality, its captivating story with plot twists, and its unexpected emotional depth. Players were also surprised by the game's excellent optimization and the amount of content despite its perceived short length.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was primarily caused by significant technical issues like frequent game crashes, especially during boss battles, and a perceived poor combat system. Players also expressed anger over the game's pricing relative to its content, feeling it was overpriced DLC, and disagreed with certain narrative decisions regarding Kiryu's struggles.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement was generated by the game's humor, including its English voice acting and exaggerated descriptions of abilities. The Agent combat style, particularly its unique gadgets like the cigarette bomb and spider silk, also provided entertaining and often comical moments.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe was inspired by the game's exceptional overall quality, particularly its immersive experience, stunning visuals, and the depth and complexity of its plot. The powerful and emotionally impactful ending, along with RGG Studio's achievement in delivering such a high-caliber title, also evoked a sense of wonder.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude was expressed towards the game developers for providing a high-quality experience, particularly for continuing Kiryu's journey and delivering a game that served as a "love letter" to fans. The inclusion of specific fan-favorite elements and the overall consistent quality of the RGG series also fostered appreciation.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from various quality-of-life issues, including game instability, lack of optimization, and the large size of bundled demos. Players also found repetitive dialogue, frequent random encounters, and forced "sleazy" content to be irritating.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm was driven by the game's overall high quality and the positive overall experience it provided. Players were particularly enthusiastic about recommending the game, especially its side missions, to others.
- Love (weight 0): Love for the game was rooted in its strong connection to the beloved Yakuza series and its overall high quality. Players expressed deep affection for the game's characters, particularly Kiryu, and appreciated the various series references.}