Yakuza 8: Kiryu’s return is a double-edged sword for the Like a Dragon series

gamepur.com:

With it being a sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, we all knew that Yakuza 8, or Like a Dragon 8 as it’s officially called, would once again see new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga return as the lead. What we didn’t expect is that he will be sharing the spotlight with his predecessor, Kazuma Kiryu.

There’s no denying that this is an exciting prospect. No matter the story, seeing newer characters teaming up with the heroes that came before them can lead to fun and interesting dynamics, as well as appease two generations of fans. After the initial hype settled, however, it seems many fans are now far more skeptical of Kiryu’s return, and it’s very easy to understand why.

Kiryu’s story was over. The whole purpose of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was to bring the saga of the Dragon of Dojima to a close — to pave the way for a new generation of stories and characters. Kiryu did reappear in the sequel, but it was mostly to give the fans one last chance to say goodbye and for him to symbolically pass the torch to Kasuga. The chapter his boss fight takes place in is even called Passing the Torch. Kasuga technically doesn’t win their fight, but he proves himself worthy of becoming the face of the series going forward.

Bringing Kiryu back for the sequel seems to suggest that publisher Sega and/or developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio got cold feet, and are now anxious about a future without Kiryu. While details are slim, the trailer for Like a Dragon 8 very much positions Kasuga and Kiryu as dual protagonists with equal importance. It’s certainly better than Kasuga getting shoved to the side completely, but it’s easy to read the decision as one motivated by a lack of faith in Kasuga as a permanent new lead for the series.

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