Highlights
- Like a Dragon Gaiden introduces unprecedented customization options, allowing players to mix and match clothing styles and accessories for Kiryu.
- Previous games in the series had limited outfit customization, sometimes as paid DLC or restricted to combat situations, but Gaiden expands on this feature, offering multiple layers of customization to explore.
- The use of clothing customization serves as both a disguise system and a way to showcase the game's shifting tones, transitioning between dramatic action and humorous situations. Future games could strike a balance between preset outfits and player customization.
In preview footage of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, it has been confirmed that customization will serve a clever role in Kiryu's journey. The player will have the option to mix and match clothing styles and accessories for the character to a degree unprecedented in the series' past, working into Gaiden's undercover agent themes. Though this freedom in customization stands in tandem to its story, the mechanic's versatility could make it a series staple going forward.
Outfit customization in Like a Dragon Gaiden's predecessors has generally been constrained to DLC or Premium Adventure, and has worked mostly as an homage to past characters in the series. In Like a Dragon 7's case, Ichiban and the crew were able to change outfits based on their progression with the title's use of jobs, though this alteration was available only in combat rather than the overworld before starting Premium Adventure. The game received a bit of flak for its Ultimate Costume Set DLC, allowing the crew to don outfits based on Kiryu, Majima and other notable series protagonists at the cost of a whopping fifteen dollars.
Clothing Options in Like a Dragon Gaiden Could Set a Precedent For Future Titles
Customization was pared down in earlier entries of the series, though some changes in gear could have humorous implications while traveling throughout the overworld. For example, Yakuza 0's Mew Shoes played a loud meowing sound with each step taken, which created some comical circumstances during the title's in-game cutscenes. In Like a Dragon Gaiden's case, the clothing options appear a cut above what fans have experienced so far, with multiple layers of customization to explore. From hats to shoes to makeup, the mechanic leaves much to the player's control.
As with its predecessors, it looks like Gaiden's customization will feature a number of homages to the series, as Like a Dragon Gaiden preview gameplay has indicated outfits based on Majima and Ichiban among others. It's unclear to what extent the customization will factor into the game's cutscenes; most likely, any pre-rendered footage will have Kiryu transition to a classic suit and glasses, as much of its promotional material has seen him in. Still, Like a Dragon Gaiden is sure to be heavy on its side quests and minigames, giving the character ample time to debut his tailored looks.
The use of clothing customization in Like a Dragon Gaiden seems like it will hold up in multiple ways, working both as a disguise system and a mechanical way to show off the game's oscillating tones. Seeing Kiryu dressed up in different outfits feels like the perfect supplement to how well the series moves between dramatic action and zany, humorous situations. A similar handling of Ichiban in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth could be great too, as changing the team's overworld outfits without reliance on paid DLC or Premium Adventure could hone in on its RPG inspirations.
Of course, the Like a Dragon titles have been known for their iconic outfits and how they speak to their respective characters, like Majima's transition from his Cabaret suit to his snakeskin jacket alluding to a less constrained lifestyle, or Ichiban's suit colors working as a clever inverse to Kiryu's, though customization wouldn't necessarily hinder this series staple. Going forward, the games could strike a balance between preset outfits and player customization, reserving the former for more emotional cutscenes and story moments, while the latter works in tandem to the minigames and side quests on offer.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set to release on November 9, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
