Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
The Yakuza sidequel The Man Who Erased His Name is a lousy place to jump into the series, but if you’ve been along for the ride since the beat-’em-up RPG series exploded in popularity, you’re in for a treat here. Like a Dragon Gaiden is a love letter to the gruff, shit-kicking gangster with a heart of gold, longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. The mobs of goons you’ll have to dispatch are bigger than ever, but the experience is (relatively) compact compared to the usual 60+ hour runtime of a mainline Yakuza game.
Surprise: It’s also got one of the most memorable and emotional endings in a game this year. I’m talking that Final Fantasy XV, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Spider-Man PS4 level of emotional suckerpunch. At the same time, it’s the perfect curtain-raiser for 2024’s Hawaiian-style sequel, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. — Jen Glennon
