These upcoming months are going to be wonderful for those of us who adore the Yakuza series (now “Like a Dragon“) to almost ridiculous extents. In January 2024, we’ll be able to enjoy Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, once again starring Ichiban Kasuga, the charismatic protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, who sees life as if it were a Dragon Quest video game.
On the other hand, to rev up the excitement, in November of this year, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be released—a video game where players will once again take control of the Dragon of Dojima, Kazuma Kiryu, in a story that unfolds between the events of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
As you can imagine, Like a Dragon Gaiden has come as a delight for those who missed controlling Kiryu and smashing enemies with his powerful Tiger Drops. However, the release of what will undoubtedly be another great game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is not without its disappointments for some users.
On one hand, Like a Dragon Gaiden will be released outside of Japan exclusively in digital format. So, if you were hoping to have the game on your shelf, you’ll need to buy it through import. The good news is that whether you purchase the digital version or import it from Japan, you’ll be able to play it with subtitles and text in Spanish, allowing you to understand everything perfectly.
But what about the voice acting? First of all, Spanish voice acting is not an option, as none of the games in the series have been dubbed into Spanish, and there are no plans for it in the near future. While players will once again have the classic Japanese voice acting, English voice acting is a different story.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been providing English voice acting for the Like a Dragon series games since Judgment, their first spin-off. However, this time, and as revealed by Yong Yea, the English voice actor for Kazuma Kiryu, Like a Dragon Gaiden will only feature Japanese voice acting upon its release.
Indeed, the actor assures that the English voice acting for the game will come out “as a post-launch patch,” although there is no official release date at the moment. For cases like mine, where I adore the Japanese voices, it won’t be a significant issue. However, for English speakers who dislike reading subtitles while playing, this news must have been a disappointment.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be released on November 9th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Additionally, it will be available as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription from the day of its launch.
