Yakuza fans will have to play spinoff game Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name with the original Japanese dub—for now. The game will debut on November 9, 2023, but won’t initially feature an English dub. Before anybody turns to Google Translate out of desperation, fret not—the game will still have English subtitles. Gamers can expect Like A Dragon Gaiden to have English localization through text, which many fans always look forward to laughing at.
Which Yakuza games have English dubs?
This news will not be disappointing or surprising for old fans of the franchise, since several other Yakuza games did not come with an English dub, either. In fact, apart from the very first Yakuza game, which launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2006 (featuring the voice of Mark Hamill as Goro Majima), the only other official Yakuza game to have an English dub upon release was the seventh installment in the series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Like A Dragon Gaiden is following in its footsteps, although its dub will only be available sometime after launch.
The full English voice cast for Like A Dragon Gaiden hasn’t been announced yet, though one name has been revealed. Kazuma Kiryu will be voiced by Yong Yea in the English dub of the game. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yong Yea claimed that one scene in the game “was one of the hardest” he’s ever had to record. Based on the trailer, this game’s main story has the potential to be yet another heart wrenching narrative in the series.
Like A Dragon Gaiden is about a man codenamed “Joryu”—this is what has become of Kazuma Kiryu after having faked his death to protect his foster children from himself and the baggage that came with his identity. Despite living a secret life, a mysterious figure is forcing him out of hiding. The game will be set in Osaka and Yokohama, and Kiryu will be a secret agent instead of the usual Yakuza he’s always been.
According to the director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Masayoshi Yokoyama, this series will give more depth to Kiryu as a character. The game will take place after the events of Yakuza 6: Song of Life, which is a game beloved by many fans since it’s known to close Kiryu’s chapter as the protagonist of the mainline games. Additionally, there will be two fighting styles available for Kiryu. The Yakuza Style, which is his traditional Brawler Style in previous titles, and the new Agent Style. The Agent Style will make use of high-tech gadgets while taking enemies down with speed and precision.
(featured image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)
