Summary
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Nameserves as a parallel adventure to the events ofLike a Dragon 7, known officially asYakuza: Like a Dragon, helping to explain how Kiryu got to the place he was in for his appearance in the latter game. It is also the perfect title to connect the stories ofYakuza 6andYakuza: Like a Dragontogether ahead of the release ofLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. As such,Like a Dragon Gaidenincludes several connections toYakuza: Like a Dragonto demonstrate exactly how the games' events intersect.
Given thatLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthis set to see the stories ofprotagonists Kiryu and Kasuga crossover,Like a Dragon Gaidenhas the important duty of successfully tying the events of the previous games together. Understanding how and why Kiryu and Kasuga end up intertwined in the same conflict is a central part ofLike a Dragon Gaiden’s purpose. For the most part,Like a Dragon Gaidentells its own story, but it does feature several key references toYakuza: Like a Dragon’s plot in order to establish the connected timeline of both games.
Like a Dragon Gaiden and Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s Major Connections
Kiryu Explores Ijincho
The early hours ofLike a Dragon Gaidengive fans who have previously playedYakuza: Like a Dragona nice treat, asKiryu gets to explore a portion of Ijincho, Yokohama, which served as the central map for that game. Here, Kiryu can enter many of the shopsYakzua: Like a Dragonplayers will be familiar with and even visit the headquarters of the Seiryu Clan. The end of this section has Kiryu converse with some of Ijincho’s homeless population who reveal to him that one of their cohorts, a former nurse, recently helped save a man who had been shot and left for dead, referring to how Yu Nanba saved Kasuga and cluing players into the timeline of this game’s events.
The Daidoji Have Their Sights Set on Ryo Aoki
Ryo Aoki serves as the primary antagonist ofYakuza: Like a Dragon, but is also briefly mentioned inLike a Dragon Gaidenas well. Kiryu’s Daidoji handler, Hanawa, informs him that Aoki has killed his predecessor in the Citizens' Liberal Party, who had a close relationship with theDaidoji Faction, and that he is now a threat to their operations. Hanawa also mentions that Ichiban Kasuga and his party have infiltrated the Omi headquarters to meet with Masumi Arakawa as part of their quest to stop Aoki, noting that they could be useful allies.
Kiryu and Kasuga Meet in Like a Dragon Gaiden’s Finale
Thefinale ofLike a Dragon Gaidenshows a different perspective on one ofYakuza: Like a Dragon’s most important scenes. This ending shows the announcement of the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and Tojo Clan, where Kasuga and Kiryu meet for the first time inYakuza: Like a Dragon. In the previous game, this scene was treated as a big reveal for longtime fans as it showcased Kiryu in a game that he was missing from as a playable protagonist.
Aside from getting to see this sequence from Kiryu’s perspective, players also get to see a new aspect of this event that was not shown inYakuza: Like a Dragon, giving more context to both games. Following the brawl that ensues after the announcement of the two clans' dissolution,Kosei Shishidoshows up to challenge Kiryu and the other legendary yakuza like Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima, who accompany him. This fight gives the game a climactic final showdown that was not shown or referenced from Kasuga’s perspective inYakuza: Like a Dragon, helping to further flesh out the stories of these two games.
