Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is coming to Xbox and Windows PC as a day-one Game Pass title when it launches on November 9 later this year, Microsoft has announced. The Yakuza historical spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin! also joins the subscription service later this year.
“By playing this game, you’ll more fully appreciate the next game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth,” explained Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director Masayoshi Yokowama during an appearance at the Xbox Tokyo Games Show broadcast.
“It also allows you to understand what kind of man Kazuma Kiryu is, his way of life, and his personality,” continued Yokowama. “Thus this work is a good start even for those who have never touched the series.” Like a Dragon Gaiden picks up Kiryu’s story after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, during a time when the legendary Yakuza has been forced to fake his own death to protect the lives of his family.
Yokowama also announced the historical action-packed Yakuza spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin will join Game Pass later this year, though the exact date has yet to be revealed. In IGN’s 7/10 review we concluded that “No matter which way you slice it, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is an enjoyable and interesting spin-off from the Yakuza series, but not an essential one”.
The Yakuza franchise has been running for over 20 years at this point, making it an imposing prospect for would-be fans hoping to get into the series. Fans planning on embarking on their very own Yakuza odyssey would do well to read IGN’s guide on how to play the games in chronological order, and to make good use of our extensive guides and interactive maps.
While you’re at it be sure to check out IGN’s roundup of everything announced during the Xbox Digital Broadcast at the Tokyo Game Show 2023.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer