
Besides that, not only is the fight against Joji fittingly difficult, but it's also the closest Kiryu will ever get to fighting his late father figure. It's entirely possible to miss this content, though. However, if you play through the subquest where you lead Rikiya around town, Kiryu has a subtle emotional breakdown and goes to Public Park 3 with Rikiya so they can properly mourn him now that Kiryu doesn't need to worry about making an escape. Despite seeing the death of his Big Brother Mentor, Kiryu's reaction was rather lacking, especially in comparison to his reaction to Rikiya's death. Angst? What Angst?: An unusual case with Kashiwagi's death.The Japanese guidebook describes his affection for Daigo with the term "心酔", which can be translated as both "adoration" and as "lovesickness/infatuation". There is also the fact that given Mine's childhood, the lack of any loved ones in his life meant that he would be to quickly latch on to the first person who treated him with genuine affection. Whether those feelings are strictly platonic or romantic is left ambiguous. In his confrontation with Kiryu atop Touto Hospital, he admits that Daigo is the first person that he genuinely liked even going so far as to say that he loved him. Alternative Character Interpretation: Yoshitaka Mine's sexuality is a source of debate amongst players, especially in regards to his feelings towards Daigo.Alas, Poor Scrappy: Regardless of how you felt towards the long-winded orphanage subplot, you can't help but feel bad when the orphanage gets torn down, leaving the kids without a home.Makes it all the more heart-wrenching that he ends up sacrificing himself to save Kiryu's life. His initial antagonism towards Kiryu is almost pathetic and quickly gives way to his Hot-Blooded yet earnest enthusiasm and idealistic naivete especially if Kiryu hangs out with him more in Kamurocho. Snippets of cutscenes and gameplay were shown, revealing new fighting styles for Kiryu, and that Sotenbori would be a featured location.YMMV: All Games | Yakuza | Yakuza 2 | Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! | Yakuza 3 | Yakuza 4 | Yakuza: Dead Souls | Yakuza 5 | Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Yakuza 0 | Yakuza 6 | Yakuza: Like a Dragon | Judgment | Lost Judgment


The game's World Premier Trailer was shown as part of 2023 Summer Game Fest, wherein its release date of Novemwas revealed. The game is to be released in digital and physical formats in Japan, with releases in other regions being decided on a case-by-case basis. In an interview on September 18, 2022, he said it would, unlike "The Kaito Files," feature a fully open world and substantial side content such as substories and mini-games, but that the length of the main story (which was still being adjusted) would remain in the same range. He compared the game to Lost Judgment's downloadable expansion " The Kaito Files" in size and scope. Yokoyama stated the game would be about half the length of the average game in the main series, giving an estimation of roughly ten to twenty hours of playtime. Old fans would get closure for Kiryu's story going into the new game, whereas the new fans introduced to the franchise by Yakuza: Like a Dragon would have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with Kiryu.
TVTROPES YAKUZA 2 SERIES
In preparation for Like a Dragon 8, it was conceived as a game for both series veterans and newcomers. Series representative and executive production manager Masayoshi Yokoyama explained Like a Dragon Gaiden would expand on the circumstances leading up to Kiryu's encounters with Ichiban Kasuga in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and their aftermath. He is then approached by a mysterious man, who offers him his next assignment as a bodyguard. A monk concludes the session, telling Kiryu (whom he refers to as Joryu) that in spite of giving up his identity, he is still shackled by regrets regarding his family. It was accompanied by a teaser trailer showing Kiryu meditating at Daidoji Temple, appearing uneasy.

It was streamed live on YouTube as part of the RGG Summit 2022 event alongside the official announcements of Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon 8. Like a Dragon Gaiden was officially announced on September 14, 2022.
