Excited to experience the Like a Dragon Gaiden top features? So are we! Fortunately, it's not long till we can get our hands on this action-packed Yakuza spinoff. For more details about the game, including the system requirements, you can read our previous article: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - Everything We Know. For now, let's zoom in on the top features you can enjoy on day one of what promises to be a characteristically compelling and intense cinematic adventure!

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Like a Dragon Gaiden: Top Features - The Plot

Before we move on to the gameplay, for a franchise as committed to its narrative as Like a Dragon / Yakuza, the first feature to explore is of course the plot. Hold on to your hats for this one! A side story more than a sequel, Gaiden fills us in on what happened to Kiryu after he forsook his name at the end of Yakuza 6.

Having faked his death to protect the ones he loves, we find Kiryu living in the shadows. Going by the name of Joryu, and working undercover for the mysterious Daidoji Faction, he is lonely, but he is safe-ish. For now. That is until an illusive figure threatens to expose "Joryu's" whereabouts unless he risks his life to do his bidding. And this is where things get interesting.

Admittedly, with just five chapters, Gaiden’s story is a little on the short side compared to previous Yakuza games. However, what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in quality. An intense and emotional narrative with nuanced characters, think of this latest spinoff as a satisfying hors d’oeuvre. It tickles your taste buds in preparation for the main course: Our hero's reappearance in the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: Top Features - The Gameplay

New Combat Fighting Styles

Fans of the unadulterated brawler action associated with the previous games of the series will be pleased to hear that Gaiden doesn't take the turn-based approach introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Rather, Kiryu's return brings us back to good old-fashioned brawling. Hooray!

That doesn't mean we've simply gone back in time, however. No, with a new cloak-and-dagger undercover lifestyle, our hero needs additional tools up his sleeve. And that's where the new Agent Style comes in, to sit alongside Yakuza.

Yakuza is what we know and love. It's full of MMA-type moves, Tiger Drops, and the ability to wield random items to wreak damage. The Agent Style adds a new dimension to Kiryu's combat, introducing high-tech gadgets and weaponry to his arsenal. We're talking rocket-propelled shoes, an explosive cigarette, the means to call in multiple drones, and even a Spider Gadget to tie up foes from behind and hurl them around! With the ability to switch between these deadly combat styles, the result is intense and chaotic carnage!

The Battle Arena

Talking about combat, in true Yakuza fashion, alongside the main campaign, Gaiden brings you an upgraded version of the classic Battle Arena: The Coliseum. Enter the Coliseum, and fight your way through a variety of challenges including 1v1s; matches where you fight multiple opponents back-to-back; and a new group battle mode; Hell Team Rumble.

Hell Team Rumble basically requires you to enlist AI allies for mass brawls. As with previous clan builder modes, you can choose between a mixture of new and familiar faces, with recurring characters such as Gary Buster Holmes making an appearance. It's a light twist on a gameplay pillar, but just like everything else in Gaiden, it works. Well. Indeed, don't be surprised to find yourself lost in hours' worth of chaotic and enjoyable fighting before you realize the time. This is Yakuza/Like a Dragon, after all!

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Side-Quests and Exploration

For those who feel there's more to life than fighting, you'll be pleased to know that Gaiden fully embraces the Yakuza/Like a Dragon tradition of much-needed distraction through minigames. I mean, with such intense and emotional campaigns, who wouldn't need a bit of karaoke, darts, shogi, slot car racing, or blackjack every once in a while just to catch your breath?! And then, of course, there's the UFO catcher.

Oh, and a Club SEGA to let you enjoy some arcade classics - a true in-game love letter to the fans!

The Castle

When you're not smashing an opponent over the head with a street sign, or singing along to 'Sayonara, Silent Night' (make a note of this song!), you'll want to take a bit of time out to check out your surroundings. The districts of Osaka and Yokohama are as densely packed, and intricately detailed as you would expect and are well worth exploring, but the standout attraction is the huge cargo ship dubbed The Castle. A neon-lit haven for nefarious activity, it's full of casinos, light on law enforcement, and where the bad guys hang out. Not necessarily a hotspot for tourism, but Kiryu can handle himself!

The Akame Network

As any seasoned Yakuza fan will know, you can get completely carried away with side quests and minigames. We've all been there! But, this is where the Akame Network comes into things - to give a bit of structure to the substories.

Similar to the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app in Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man games, Akame is Sotenbori's 'jack-of-all-trades'. The person residents go to for help in fixing their problems. These problems range from food deliveries to tracking down lost items, to knocking out thugs. And Akame enlists you to carry out her tasks. Upon completion of a task, you earn points, which can be used to upgrade skills or to purchase items from Akame's shop, thereby helping you progress in the main campaign. Sweet!

Choose Your Difficulty

Another of the Like a Dragon: Gaiden top features is the accessibility options. This includes the ability to choose your difficulty level. Depending on your experience, and how much blood you want to shed, you can choose between beginner, standard, and professional modes. The main difference is how much damage enemies inflict, with beginner mode also providing a combat assist feature. Handily, you can switch between the difficulties at any time, depending on the level of challenge you fancy at any given point.

A Glimpse into Infinite Wealth!

OK, so we've already explained how Gaiden acts somewhat as a bridge between Yakuza 6 and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, currently scheduled for January 2024. Well, what if I were to tell you that completing the main story of Like a Dragon Gaiden unlocks a two-part playable demo of the much-anticipated sequel?!

The first part introduces you to the opening 45 minutes of the main story campaign. The second is an adventure mode, set in Hawaii, and plating up some of the side-splitting side activities the game has to offer.

Talk about whetting your appetitive!

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A Must Play for Yakuza Fans and Newbies Alike!

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is everything you'd expect from a Yakuza game. In other words, it's great! Yes, it may be somewhat of a spinoff. A bridge game to tide you over until the release of Infinite Wealth. But that doesn't mean it's not an immensely entertaining game in its own right. It is! And, if you think because it's shorter you can put aside the tissues, you're wrong. Gaiden is as emotional and intense as any game in the series. Bringing the franchise back to its brawling roots adds a further string to the game's bow in our opinion.

It's pretty clear that for Yakuza fans, Gaiden is a no-brainer. I mean, you need to know what happened to Kiyru when he faked his death, and what will lead him to Hawaii, right? What we love about Gaiden, however, is that it isn't only for the faithful. Rather, with varying difficulty levels, a standalone storyline, new features, and no corners cut in terms of quality, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has created a game for the masses.

Indeed, regardless of whether or not you've played a Yakuza game before Like a Dragon Gaiden is well worth your attention. And yes, it will also serve as a great entry point for January's hot release!

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