SEGA is back here in the Philippines to be part of one of the most anticipated E-Sports-centered events for the year 2023. With last year’s showcase of Like a Dragon Ishin! (Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!) and Sonic Frontiers, the beloved Japanese multinational video game and entertainment giant returns with 5 Games for us to try! The team was given a chance to try 4 out of 5 games that they are showcasing for this year’s ESGS. For this write-up, we will be focusing on the demos we managed to try which are Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Gaiden is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series that takes place between the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016), Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024). Like a Dragon Gaiden focuses on the series’ original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu as he embarks on a new adventure in Osaka under the guise of a secret agent.
Fifteen minutes is a short but the most enjoyable time for our team to experience Like a Dragon Gainden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
During the fighting demo at the start of the game, Kiryu has an option to call for “drones” which aid him in his fights, and a grappling hook to entangle enemies before throwing them off or using them to bring down other enemies in range. This is new for Kiryu who usually grabs anything within sight and uses it as a weapon aside from his fists. It might not be an exciting start for someone who would try the game, but as you proceed you will get a hint of what more to expect with his new fight style.
The fight style that we were introduced at the start of the demo is called the “Agent” fighting style. We can unlock more features of this style as we progress further in the story of the game. Other than the “Agent” fighting style, we can also use the classic “Yakuza” fighting style, which players of the series are very familiar with. We could initially rely on the Yakuza style until all features of the Agent style are unlocked, except when specific parts of the game require it. Seeing Kiryu perform the attacks as you try different fighting styles may be one of the coolest things this game has.
The mini-games in Like a Dragon Gaiden are also something worth checking out, like for example the game features Kson, a familiar personality for those deep in the rabbit hole. She works as a cabaret girl that players must woo.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Infinite Wealth is the ninth entry of the Like a Dragon series which is a direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon and the spin-off title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The story stars Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Kazuma Kiryu, the original protagonist of the series. This takes place in the franchise’s first-ever overseas locale, Hawaii, in addition to familiar settings in Japan. Kasuga and Kiryu together with old and new allies team up to help the former find and reunite with his mother in Hawaii.
We are fortunate to experience the best fifteen minutes of Infinite Wealth, as we enjoyed its gameplay. Infinite Wealth is similar to Yakuza: Like A Dragon, where it is also a turn-based combat system for all playable characters. Here at Infinite Wealth, we saw that each character can get a “job” that corresponds to some bonuses or perks in battle.
If your cup of tea is a turn-based combat game, you may find this combat system a breath of fresh air from your usual gaming, and it may take a while to get used to the free-style fighting of Gaiden and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Kiryu has his “hype meter” so he can unleash “Dragon’s Resurgence” which is his unique power move where will be able to attack any enemy in sight freely.
One notable fight style in the game was the “Tag-Team” feature which showcases the new characters Chitose Fujinomiya and Ichiban dancing Tango while doing damage to their targets.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth shows us during the play-through the Crazy Delivery (an homage to SEGA’s classic Crazy Taxi game) and the Karaoke mini-games which were on the previous Yakuza game. What we saw from the trailer during the demo was the same thrill and excitement the game offered us during those fifteen minutes. The message is clear that Infinite Wealth wants to let its players have fun at max through its mini-games, and fights mixed in with the drama the game has in store for us.
If you enjoy Yakuza: Like A Dragon, you’ll appreciate Infinite Wealth. It’s exciting to see Kiryu still kicking butt even though he’s much older. We all knew Kiryu as someone who always fights alone, but here in Infinite Wealth, we see him doing combos with tag-team fights. Kiryu has aged gracefully throughout the series, showcasing his skills and leading us on an unforgettable journey. Fifteen minutes is a short time to demo a game, but enough to make us want it.
Verdict for these two Like a Dragon games:
These different take-ups of the Like a Dragon series are very interesting games for fighting game enjoyers but with a twist depending on your preference. A solo fight and a tag team fight can be enjoyable on their own, the difference is the mini-games and features of the game that make it unique from one another. Both titles feature the fights and brawls we enjoyed in Kiwami 2. SEGA truly knows how to cater to its target players and audiences by giving us this exciting new series of Like a Dragon.
The story of Kiryu hooks the fans from playing the game more, to discover how his journey went throughout the game, as the main trailer reveals a secret that will shock the fans and will make them get this game to know more about it.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is already available on multiple platforms from PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC since November 9, 2023!
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will launch this coming January 26, 2023, available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and on PC.
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