Vanishing Act: The Whistleblower Who Shed His Identity in Record Time
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio sheds light on the swift development of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name just six months prior to its highly anticipated release
Article Key Points
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a spin-off game that follows Kazuma Kiryu's story after Yakuza 6.
Originally conceived as DLC for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the game was developed within a span of just six months with the intention of introducing Kiryu to a fresh audience. Throughout this year, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been exceptionally occupied, launching a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin and elaborating on the forthcoming mainline entry, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is set in Hawaii.
Just one week before the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced that the game was developed within a six-month timeframe. This installment of the game continues the story of the popular character Kazuma Kiryu, who is the face of the franchise. It takes place between the events of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and brings back the beloved action gameplay.
The year 2023 has been a very busy one for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio at Sega. They released a remake of their 2014 spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin earlier this year, which was also the first time the title was available to Western fans. Ishin is set in mid-1800s Kyo and tells the story of the renowned Japanese samurai Sakamoto Ryoma and the feared swordsmen group known as the Shinsengumi. Returning to the franchise's modern timeline, RGG Studio has set a release date of November 9 for Like a Dragon Gaiden and has also provided details on next year's mainline title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This installment follows Ichiban Kasuga's story in Hawaii and is scheduled for release on January 26.
Just a few days before the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden, RGG's Director Masayoshi Yokoyama had an interview with Automaton where he revealed that Gaiden was originally planned as DLC for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It's interesting to note that Gaiden is actually coming out three months earlier than Infinite Wealth, as it was originally intended to be released after the mainline entry set in Hawaii. Yokoyama mentioned that the development of Like a Dragon Gaiden took only six months, which is surprisingly short.
A six-month development cycle is quite uncommon for AAA game development, but it makes more sense when considering that Like a Dragon Gaiden started as a small DLC side story. Yokoyama explained that the team could have simply included a brief interlude in Infinite Wealth to catch new players up on Kiryu's story. However, since the main purpose of Like a Dragon Gaiden is to introduce Kiryu and his past to newer players, it wouldn't have been as effective as a post-launch DLC. Yokoyama also expressed that RGG, being a single team, worked on Like a Dragon: Ishin, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth simultaneously. The fact that Gaiden and Infinite Wealth share the same engine contributed to the faster production of Gaiden.
We could have easily shared Kiryu's past in a 30-minute interlude within [Infinite Wealth], but we made the exciting decision to turn it into its own game. - Masayoshi Yokoyama, Director of RGG Studio
Fans of Like a Dragon who enjoyed Ishin earlier this year can anticipate more exciting content in the upcoming weeks and months with the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name on November 9. It will be intriguing to discover the extent and scale of Gaiden, considering its origins as DLC for Infinite Wealth.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a spin-off game by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. It delves into the journey of Kazuma Kiryu following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. While the main entries shifted to turn-based combat, Like a Dragon Gaiden brings back the franchise's classic beat 'em up style.
Platform(s) PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SReleased November 9, 2023Developer(s) Ryu Ga Gotoku StudioPublisher(s) SegaGenre(s) Action-Adventure
Editor's P/S
1.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a new spin-off game in the Yakuza series that was developed in just six months. The game was originally planned as DLC for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but was later expanded into its own standalone title. Gaiden follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu, the series' iconic protagonist, and takes place between the events of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
The development of Gaiden was a massive undertaking, but the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio was able to pull it off in just six months thanks to their experience working on the Yakuza series. The game reuses many of the assets and gameplay mechanics from previous Yakuza games, which allowed the team to focus on creating new content and story.
2.
I am very excited to play Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. I have been a fan of the Yakuza series for many years, and I am always eager to play new games in the franchise. Gaiden looks like it will be a great addition to the series, and I am looking forward to seeing what new story and gameplay it has to offer.
I am also impressed by the fact that the game was developed in just six months. This is a testament to the talent and dedication of the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. I am confident that Gaiden will be a high-quality game, and I am looking forward to playing it when it releases on November 9.
