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Yakuza 8 is now Like a Dragon 8 and it’s getting a Kiryu spinoff prequel

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Ryu Ga Gotoku and Sega have revealed that Yakuza 8, now officially titled Like a Dragon 8, will launch in early 2024 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It’ll feature the return of Kazuma Kiryu, whose appearance will be explained in a new spinoff title: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

The game will star both Yakuza: Like a Dragon protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. This time around Kiryu sports a new, gray hairstyle. According to RGG, this will be the largest game in the series to date. It will feature turn-based RPG combat again and it seems like Kiryu will have his own party to romp around with.

Like a Dragon 8 | Announcement Trailer

RGG also announced a spinoff game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S as well. This will launch in 2023 and show events following Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and leading up to Like a Dragon 8. RGG says that it will be roughly half as long as a typical game in the series and will features a more “classic” Yakuza experience which most likely means it’ll be an action-adventure brawler.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | Announcement Trailer

Following yesterday’s announcement of Like A Dragon: Ishin! during the September State of Play presentation, RGG announced a February release window for the game. Now, the studio confirmed that it will launch on February 21, 2023.

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It also seems like Sega is dropping the “Yakuza” moniker from the franchise going forward and going with “Like a Dragon.” The latter name is a more accurate translation of the franchise’s Japanese name, as series creator, Toshiro Nagoshi felt that dragons provoke the feelings of strength the series is known for.

George Yang
George Yang
George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…
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The best jobs in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ichiban in scuba gear with a surfboard.

Jobs, classes, roles -- whatever you want to call them -- have been a staple in JRPGs like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for decades at this point. Where this game changes things up from your normal warriors, mages, and monks is that it comes with jobs like Aquanot, Cabbie, and Housekeeper. They don't sound all that exciting, but each one has a unique set of abilities that can totally change how that character fits into your battle strategy. Even though your ragtag group of heroes aren't exactly qualified to most (or any) jobs, you have access to a massive list to pick from and level up individually. If you're trying to make the best team composition without grinding to level them all to know which is best, we've reviewed every job's résumé to present you the top candidates.
Best jobs
You will be stuck with each character's default job until you make it to Chapter 5 and are taken to the Alo-Happy tour location. Provided you have high enough levels in a particular personality trait, you can pay to go on a tour that results in you learning a new job. Keep in mind that some jobs are locked until later than this in the game, and others can only be used by party members of a specific gender.
Samurai

Let's start out with a job focusing on damage. The Samurai's stat ratings are clearly designed for damage per seceond, which you need in every party. It has good HP and MP at a 3 rating, but a 5/5 in attack and 4/5 in defense. In terms of utility, you won't be simply limited to sword attacks and skills -- those certainly are there -- but you will access to guns as well. This allows you to hit an extra weakness if needed, as well as get around the job's low agility stat. Give this one to your heavy hitters like Ichiban or Kiryu to really take advantage of it.
Desperado (male only)

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All safe locations in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Honolulu city beach in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

It's hard to walk a single block in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth without some sparkly object or briefcase on the side of the road catching your eye. Usually, these are just simple recovery items or crafting materials, but the real thing to keep your eye out for is the safes. These are bigger, usually more hidden containers that hold much better loot, such as gear or stat buffs. Unlike the random loot littering the ground, there are a set number of safes in each zone (excluding the generated dungeons). Split between Silver and Gold safes, we've found a total of 45 you can crack open to get at the goodies inside. Tracking them down alone would be a full-time job, so let us help you by showing you every safe location in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
All safe locations
There are 45 safes in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, so we will be breaking them up based on the three locations in the game in which they appear. Each Silver safe only takes one key to open, while Gold ones require three. Safe keys can be earned from major fights and enemies in the world with the crown icon, or purchased from special shops like a pawn shop. Make sure you always have at least three on you so you're ready if you happen upon one by chance.

We will also not be including safes in story-related dungeons since they are quite hard to miss and could be considered spoilers.
Honolulu City

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I have a problem, but it took seeing myself in a video game to face it
Kiryu and Kasuga stand side by side in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

On January 4, I received an email I had both been anticipating and dreading for months. My copy of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, one of my most anticipated games of 2024, had dropped into my inbox. Usually, that moment would give me a jolt of energy. I love critiquing games that have real substance, and I was still chewing on 2020’s unforgettable Yakuza: Like a Dragon several years later. That RPG tells a thematically rich story about an unlikely hero finding his confidence amid a quest to take on Japan’s criminal underworld.

But the desire to dive into the new game would come with one major caveat: I needed to give up the next three weeks of my life for it.

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