It’s been a pretty big year for the Like A Dragon series, with Like A Dragon: Ishin! having already launched earlier this year. Well, it looks like fans of the series will be eating well later in 2023 as well, as it was announced at Summer Game Fest earlier today that Like A Dragon: Gaiden will launch on November 9, along with a Legendary Fighter Pack that includes Daigo, Majima, and Saejima for those that pre-order.
The release date was announced in a brand new gameplay trailer, which saw protagonist Kiryu taking down a bunch of grunts and coming across a fabulous neon city ruled by a mysterious figure. It all looks like pretty standard Yakuza gameplay, except developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has given Kiryu some interesting tools this time, as there are several instances in which he whips out some kind of grappling hook to trip enemies and grab an object from far away. We’ll have to wait and see how useful it will be, but it looks like it could shake up the combat a fair amount.
If this is the first you’re hearing about Like A Dragon: Gaiden or are a little bit confused as to where it falls on the timeline, allow me to clear it up for you. The game follows longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, and is meant to fill in the space of time between the end Yakuza 6 and his appearance in Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon. It’s essentially a prequel that will most likely set up some important backstory elements for Kiryu as we head into Like A Dragon 8, in which it’s already confirmed he’ll be a big part of the story.
It turns out that Summer Game Fest was a pretty big showcase for Sega, as not only did it show off Like A Dragon: Gaiden, but it also announced a new Sonic game. Sonic Superstars is a brand new 2D title in that classic style that we all know and love, and will even feature four player co-op, as characters such as Knuckles, Tails, and Amy were all revealed to be playable.
Outside of Sega, there were some other massive announcements as well, including a new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth which expectedly left us with more questions than answers. We also got a very in-depth gameplay demonstration for Mortal Kombat 1, which revealed Kenshi will be part of the game’s base roster, as well as the reveal of a new Prince of Persia game called Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which is a 2D title being developed by the folks that made Rayman Legends.