Like a Dragon Gaiden trailer has Kiryu a broken man

Would you consider the Ryu Ga Gotoku / Yakuza / Like A Dragon series to be a classic Sega series? Debuting on the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2005, there are definitely gamers who were not even born when this franchise got started.

Sega and Atlus have revealed the full lineup of games they will be bringing to Tokyo Game Show this year, which will run from September 21 to 24, and there’s quite a few major upcoming releases that the companies will be sharing new details on.

Grab your barrels, because Arc System Works pumped out a new trailer for Double Dragon Collection. The six-pack of classic beat ’em ups is coming to Asia as a physical release on Switch, and you can see a flurry of fists in the overview trailer. 

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is scheduled to release later this year, bringing series legend Kazuma Kiryu back into the fold after a brief absence, albeit under a different name. Kiryu coming back will no doubt bring joy to many fans, but while one series icon has made his triumphant return, another has been unceremoniously replaced - the iconic Yakuza font that has been a staple of the franchise since its conception.

One trailer at this week's Future Games Show (embedded above, or on YouTube) was not like the others. Outside of some obvious throwbacks to classic game genres, particularly retro RPGs, Dome-King Cabbage bears little resemblance to the other games we've seen at Gamescom so far. It's described on its Steam page as «a visual novel set in the world of a monster-collecting RPG,» but that phrase does little to indicate the surreal mixed media variety show the trailer makes it out to be.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is recruiting some of the franchise's best and worst characters, including the Yakuza patriarch who dresses like a giant baby.

We're just a few short months away from the next installment in the Like a Dragon series, entitled Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. While technically a spinoff game, it stars long-time series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in a new adventure bridging the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Kazuma Kiryu may have faked his death and quietly walked away from a life of street brawls, tense hostage situations, and mini-games galore at the end of Yakuza 6. But an iconic character like that will never be shelved for too long. With the Yakuza series retitled to more closely match the Japanese translation, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has roped in Kiryu for one last simple job. And we all know how well “one last simple jobs” tend to go. Even though it was a bit disappointing that my playthrough strayed away from details of the main story arc, what I did see strongly justified bringing our boy out of retirement for another go-around.

Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, is no more. At least, in the eyes of the world at large. But true legends never die… they just get a massive image change, a new career, and a new name. Enter the new dragon: Joryu, a secret agent with a fighting prowess that betrays years of experience on the meanest of streets, packing an extra rocket-powered punch with a bevy of new hi-tech gadgetry in tow.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has a brand new overview trailer, giving both a look at more the game’s story as well as the gameplay mechanics too. The story part of the trailer shows Kiryu assuming his new identity Joryu, but it is a terrible kept secret as quite a few people seem to know who he is anyway. There are references to his kids at the orphanage, both the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, and characters both old and recent to the series popping up.

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has a brand new overview trailer, giving both a look at more the game’s story as well as the gameplay mechanics too. The story part of the trailer shows Kiryu assuming his new identity Joryu, but it is a terrible kept secret as quite a few people seem to know who he is anyway. There are references to his kids at the orphanage, both the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, and characters both old and recent to the series popping up.

SEGA and RGG Studio have released an extended look at Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and we won't beat around the bush: this is set up to be another amazing Kiryu adventure. The story stuff looks deliciously dramatic, and the gameplay — particularly the combat — looks like an absolute blast. The wait for its November launch just got a lot harder.