Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Review (Bread)
Early review but no spoilers:
TL;DR: Same great Yakuza game formula. If you're a fan of the series and the developer, RGG Studios, you already know what to expect in terms of presentation, execution, humor, combat, minigames, gameplay mechanics and so on. If its not broke, why fix it, right? If anything, you can expect some innovations such as the 'Agent' style with its gadgets, going into this game. A must buy for any Yakuza fans. Story-wise, this takes places during Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
This is likely going to be the last game we will see the legendary Kazuma Kiryu in a good ol' Yakuza beat-em-up style game and as the main protagonist as his appearance in the upcoming mainline entry, Infinite Wealth (which will primarily star Ichiban Kasuga and co.), is going to be his last appearance (heavily implied from the trailers). RGG Studios have gone on record to state that mainline entry games are now going to be turn-based only moving forward, meaning this game is a side entry. Plus Gaiden translates to 'another tale' so that's a fun fact for you. Like any other previous Yakuza game entries, there are numerous callbacks to events that have happened in the previous Yakuza games, so if this is going to be your first Yakuza game, expect to be confused.
The game's engine is amazing. This is definitely the same game engine that will be running the upcoming mainline entry, Infinite Wealth. Faces (that aren't NPCs) and facial expressions are amazingly detailed. Lighting has been improved, I dont know how RGG studios do it, every game the release they just one-up themselves in the graphics department. Simply amazing. Performance-wise, its great too. 4k60fps without DLSS gave me no stutters or performance losses. Shame that this has to be pointed out as numerous modern game releases have been plagued with performance issues.
Gameplay-wise right off the bat, even without upgrades, Kiryu feels much more agile akin to Yagami from the Judgement series. His 'Agent' style battle stance and moves are even similar to that of the detective's. Kiryu's also much faster and lighter hitting and he comes equipped gadgets to play around with, like the wire thats showcased in this game's store page. Though in the menus, there is the Yakuza style which I can safely assume to be Kiryu's legendary Dragon of Dojima style, which would later be unlocked.
--To Be Updated once I finish the game, for now this game is worth full price if you're a fan of the series.--