Fans were recently finally able to delve into some massively important information and details regarding the massively anticipated Like a Dragon 8. With information around the game and a slew of other titles being revealed at the recent Ryu Ga Gotoku summit, the next phase of the popular franchise has finally been outlined.
While Like a Dragon 8 received relatively little time in the spotlight at the presentation, enough was revealed to paint a picture of the game's plot and even the game mechanics. Crucially, the summit confirmed that the iconic franchise characters of Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga will act in dual protagonist roles, which is an extremely ambitious choice that requires a very fine balance to work properly.
Kiryu Kazuma and Ichiban Kasuga In Like a Dragon 8
While many fans were right in their predictions that Like a Dragon 8 would follow from the story of the well-received Yakuza: Like a Dragon and reprise Ichiban Kasuga as a protagonist, many were very surprised at the addition of series veteran Kazuma Kiryu in a seemingly equally-large role. The game will likely favor Ichiban in terms of screen-time and importance due to his role as the new face of the mainline franchise, but Kiryu will probably still play a big role in the game. In addition to this, a spin-off franchise title called Like a Dragon Gaiden was announced at the summit, which is set to feature Kiryu as a primary sole protagonist, telling his story between the events of Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon.
Many fans were surprised at this revival of Kiryu-centric content in the franchise, as many saw Yakuza 6 as the farewell title for the longstanding character, and were subsequently expecting a much more reduced role in future games as seen within the first Like a Dragon title. While fans are thrilled to see more of the iconic Kiryu Kazuma, it remains that Ryu Ga Gotoku will need to find a sensible balance between the old guard and the new face of the franchise within the upcoming title.
The Balance Between Kiryu and Ichiban in Like a Dragon 8
It is no secret that Kiryu has long been one of the biggest selling points of the Like a Dragon franchise. As the protagonist of the vast majority of mainline titles, the fact that the character is set to feature so heavily in Like a Dragon 8 -- despite most likely being in his late 50s during the events of the new Ryu Ga Gotoku game -- is a testament to his longevity and popularity.
However, Kiryu's dual protagonist role in Like a Dragon 8 cannot overshadow the role of Ichiban Kasuga, who is essentially set to be the franchise replacement for Kiryu going forward. Despite getting the majority of the spotlight in 2020's Like a Dragon, Ichiban could fall behind in terms of narrative importance should the title rely too heavily on the star power of Kiryu.
That being said, having these two characters as dual protagonists could foster a great environment from a gameplay perspective, with the more traditional beat-em-up combat of Kiryu titles complimenting the newer turn-based RPG mechanics of Ichiban's gameplay. While having both of these massive characters feature alongside each other in Like a Dragon 8 can work in the game's favor, it needs to be done in a way that does both characters justice and seeks out a character trajectory that would be the most sensible for the franchise.
Like a Dragon 8 will release in 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.