Summary
Kiryu’s bucket list side quest inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthallows players to reminisce along with the Dragon of Dojima about his adventures throughout the series up to this point, giving this longtime protagonist the swan song he deserves. While players would expect the Memoirs of a Dragon that they uncover during this activity to include the highlights of Kiryu’s adventures during the main series of games, some might be surprised to see references to games that were thought to be non-canon spin-off titles. The inclusion of these titles as references inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthis a nice nod, but it muddies the waters surrounding the series' canon.
TheYakuzaandLike a Dragonseries has historically been pretty clear about which games are canon and which are not, with the mainline titles being numbered in the order they take place. However, the franchise’s universe has expanded in recent years to includespin-offs like theJudgmentseries, as well as games likeYakuza: Dead SoulsandLike a Dragon: Ishin, which was released to Western audiences for the first time last year. While developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has done a good job defining which games are canon to theLike a Dragonuniverse, likeJudgment,Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthstarts to make this canon a bit confusing.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Makes Non-Canon Games Canon via Kiryu’s Dreams
As players explore Ijincho and Kamurocho to uncoverKiryu’s Memoirs of a Dragon, they are likely to come across certain memories called Dreams of a Past Life and Dreams of Another Life. Unlike the other memories included in this quest, which focus on a person or event important to Kiryu’s life, these memories depict certain non-canon spin-off games as vivid dreams that Kiryu had which left an impact on him. While these games were thought to be non-canon and take place in a universe outside the main series,Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthseems to retcon these games into the main canon as Kiryu’s dreams.
In the Dreams of a Past Life: The Swordsmaster episode, Kiryu recalls the events ofLike a Dragon: Kenzanwhere he played the role of Miyamoto Mushasi in a post-war Edo era Kyoto, and in Dream of a Past Life: The Revolutionary episode,Kiryu recalls the events ofLike a Dragon: Ishinwhere he played the role of Sakamoto Ryoma during the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Dreams of Another Life: The Apocalypse memory details the events of the zombie survival gameYakuza: Dead Souls, where Kiryu has to fend off a zombie invasion of Kamurocho in a game that received mixed reactions from fans.
Why Retconning Like a Dragon Games into the Canon Sets a Dangerous Precedent
Although some players might be glad to see amain seriesLike a Dragongameacknowledge these spin-off games, the inclusion of these games as dreams in Kiryu’s memory might be a slippery slope towards creating an even more confusing canon. TheLike a Dragonseries already has several Japan-only spin-off games aside fromLike a Dragon: Kenzan, including a few mobile titles likeRyu Ga Gotoku Online. With games like these providing alternate versions of events in the main series, the line between what is a dream and what exists in a separate universe gets blurred.
For example, there has already been some speculation among fans about whether a major character likeRyuji Godais still alive after supposedly having died at the end ofYakuza 2. A game likeYakuza: Dead Soulsfeatures a scenario where Goda survives the events ofYakuza 2and aids Kiryu in his fight against the zombies, whileRyu Ga Gotoku Onlineincludes a chapter dedicated to a canon backstory for Goda. The fact that these two games contain two different takes on the character with differing canon statuses creates a confusing situation of conflicting stories and leaves the character’s status open to interpretation under this new canon.
