What you need to know
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the developers behind the popular Yakuza franchise have recently announced three new titles that will be released between 2023 and 2024.
- Like a Dragon 8, the next mainline JRPG entry starring Ichiban Kasuga and Kiryu Kazuma. Like a Dragon: Ishin!, a spin-off title set during 1800s Japan following Ryoma Sakamoto. And, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, a side-entry that follows Kiryu Kazuma's story after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
Recently, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios, the development team behind the popular Yakuza franchise, unveiled three new upcoming titles for the franchise. These games are Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and finally, Like a Dragon 8. All these games are planned to hit Xbox consoles and PC over the next two years, adding to the sizeable upcoming games line-up for 2023 and beyond.
Here's what we know so far.
Like a Dragon 8
Like a Dragon 8 is the next mainline entry in the Yakuza series. Not much is currently known about this title except that it will again star Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonist from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and that it will be another turn-based JRPG adventure. Except for this time, Kazuma Kiryu, Ichiban's predecessor, will be featured as a dual protagonist with a new hairstyle, and he will get his own party members to fight alongside him.
Like a Dragon 8 is scheduled to be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Windows in 2024.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a remake of a 2014 spin-off released only in Japan on the PlayStation 3 and 4 called Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! Set in a fictionalized version of mid-1800s Japan, you play Sakamoto Ryoma (played by Kazuma Kiryu), a real-life samurai on a quest for vengeance to find the assassin who murdered his master.
Like the original game, Like a Dragon: Ishin! will be an action-adventure game with a beat'em up combat system. The remake will feature updated graphical enhancements and several characters from the Yakuza series taking the roles of historical figures from this tumultuous time in Japan's history.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is scheduled to be released sometime in 2023 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Windows.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an upcoming side-story focusing on Kazuma Kiryu, the long-time protagonist of the franchise before Ichiban. Not much is currently known about this title other than it will be another action-adventure game, and it will shed on what Kiryu has been up to after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, eventually leading up to his next big appearance in Like a Dragon 8.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is scheduled to launch in 2023 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Windows.
Expect to see more info on these new Yakuza titles at the Tokyo Game Show, starting this week on Sept. 15, 2022.
Lost Judgment and Judgment are also coming to PC
Yakuza spin-off titles Lost Judgment and Judgment which follows on the side of law enforcement are also confirmed to be coming to Windows PC for the first time.
