When life hits you as hard as it does “Joryu” in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, you have to find the things in life that make you feel good, if only for a little while. He’s come to the end of a long saga, so why not let loose and have some fun before leaving the country?
As with other games in the series, there are so many things to do and mini-games to play, that you’ll never run out of things to do while waiting for the release of the next installment of the series. Some you may have done, others you might have unlocked and just haven’t tried it out yet. Feel free to find your new favorite activity below!
8 Complete Akame’s Network
Why Not Spread More Love?
Just because the looming threat is over, doesn’t mean that the people of Sotenbori, especially the vulnerable homeless population, no longer need help. By now, you know that it’s hard for Kiryu to turn down someone who’s in need, so long as they are sincere. Before leaving Sotenbori, and Japan itself for that matter, why not try and make it a better place than when you left it by completing requests inside the Akame Network?
Assist people and make some money for your trip? You can’t ask for a better situation. Besides, while you’re still in Sotenbori, you know someone is just going to try and make another gang or clan to cause a ruckus. Good, you’ll be there to stop them while you can.
7 Become The Pocket Circuit Champion
Take Down All Your Rivals!
Kiryu is a complex character who enjoys a wide variety of hobbies that can be found all over the city he just happens to find himself living in. There’s one hobby that has lasted throughout the years for the Dragon of Dojima, and no, he isn’t banging out those karaoke hits with his friends either. Though, that would also make for a good time.
No, the hobby that Kiryu has loved the most ever since he was a young fledgling member of the Dojima in the 80s: Pocket Circuit. Believe it or not, the rivalry between racers could get pretty intense back in those days. While the competition is a little more friendly now that everyone is an adult, there’s still fierce competition that’s ready to throw down on track anytime you are.
6 Play The Older Games
Revisit The Dragon Of Dojima’s Legacy
The life and story of protagonist Kiryu is a long, arduous story that takes place over 30 years. While most entries do give you a general backstory for new players to catch up with, the experience just isn’t the same as experiencing it playing out for yourself. Well, what better time to remedy that by playing or replaying them?
While the main draw of these games is the epic saga, there are so many other lovable characters you meet throughout the series that to miss them would be criminal. Please check out the rest of the series. If you are a new fan, you won’t regret it.
5 Defeat The Try And Hit Me Brothers
Can You Strike Faster Than They Can Move?
By the time you finish the meat of the story, Kiryu will have spent some time knocking heads over inside The Castle’s arena mini-game. This isn’t your regulation arena either, anything can and will happen once the gates open. You can go from fighting several guys at once to taking on a pair of tigers head-on, and that still isn’t the hardest fight you’ll find there.
The Man Who Erased His Name finds the return of the Try and Hit Me duo that juked and foot-worked their way around your punches in Yakuza games past. After receiving the Gold Rank at the arena, these brothers (somehow) get your number and immediately challenge you to land a hit on them. Creepy, but why not show them who’s boss?
4 Find All The Locker Keys Around Sotenbori
Someone’s Gotta Claim That Lost Stuff, Right?
Granted, this is something you’ve already seen in other installments, but with the addition of the Spider gear to Kiryu’s arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, it’s opened up new places to hide collectibles above and below where you would normally look, and make your nook-and-cranny searching that much longer.
It’s a good thing though, as it allows you to experience the smaller details of Sotenbori that you would normally miss if you didn’t have to look above and below. Let yourself become the tourist you’ve always wanted to be without the constant threat of death hanging over your head!
3 Play All The Sega Master System Games You Can Find
SEGA Wants You To Remember These Gems
The arcade games this time around are fine. There’s the classic Virtua Fighter 2, Super Hang-On, and Sonic Fighters, among other titles. It’s a shame they didn’t import the House of the Dead Clone, Kamuro of the Dead, from the Judgment spin-off. A heavy loss, but hopefully a game we’ll see again in the future.
Instead, hidden around Sotenbori are cartridges for the Sega Master System console. The console had the unfortunate fate of coming out after the mega success of the Nintendo Famicom/NES release, so it’s pretty nice to see some of the games that were missed out on or overshadowed.
2 Wish For A New Game Plus
You Can Still Hope!
Bad news for completionists, as of now, The Man Who Erased His Name does not have a New Game Plus option. The decision was made by Lead Producer Daisuke Sato, who felt the story was best experienced without it because he felt that people would hurry through the game just to play New Game Plus. It’s a perplexing omission, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing.
It’s possible that somewhere down the line, maybe closer to Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s release, they might change their minds and add the mode in. Hell, even a Legend mode would be a great addition later on down the line. It wouldn’t hurt to hold out hope for it, would it?
1 Cry
Because It’s Always Hard To Say Goodbye
Throughout his life, Kiryu has experienced many betrayals, losses, and just overall suffering from his lifelong entanglement with the Yakuza. Men who he thought he knew turned out to be the ones to stab him in the back the fastest, who wouldn’t feel some type of way after all of that? Yet, he still presses on.
However, The Man Who Erased His Name has an overarching feeling of sadness throughout, despite its usual humor in sidequests. Once you play through all five chapters, you’ll come to understand why you couldn’t shake that morose feeling, and you’re probably going to cry alongside our beloved protagonist.
