Earlier this week, Ryu Ga Gotoku studio held its RGG Digest event in which it, similarly to Ubisoft, announced not just one, but three new upcoming Yakuza games. While fans will have the newly remade and localized Like a Dragon: Ishin to look forward to in February 2023, RGG Studios is also working on the next mainline entry, set to release in 2024, and a spin-off titled Like a Dragon Gaiden, which is set to also be released in 2023. Like Mirage, Like a Dragon Gaiden will be a return to form for its series, following original protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and bringing back old elements such as action-based combat. Both games establish a trend of returning to long-running series’ roots with smaller entries, and it should prove exciting for longtime fans of both IPs.

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What Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Like a Dragon Gaiden Have in Common

As previously noted, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Assassin’s Creed Mirage are both recently announced entries in their respective series’ that are smaller scale entries looking to return to their roots. Coincidentally, these come after both series’ made the transition from open-world action-adventure games to RPGs, with Assassin’s Creed taking inspiration from action-RPG games such as The Witcher 3 and Dark Souls while Yakuza’s switch to RPG was inspired by the likes of Dragon Quest and Persona. With Gaiden and Mirage, however, both series are looking to return to their roots to make a title that appeals to fans of the earlier entries.

Both games also act as prequels to other entries in their franchises. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name takes place between Yakuza 6: The Book of Life and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, following the story of how the previous series protagonist changed his identity, and it will apparently lead into his return in Like a Dragon 8. In Assassin’s Creed’s case, Mirage follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character who appeared in a major role in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and it tells a story set 20 years earlier of how he became a Hidden One. Both entries take the same approach to representing a story set in the past, one which involves recreating the series’ own past gameplay style and designs.

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Why Smaller Games Like AC Mirage and Like a Dragon Gaiden Make Sense

While it’s a coincidence that they were announced so close to each other, the existence of games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Like a Dragon Gaiden is not. This is an idea that makes complete sense for series that have been running for over 15 years like these two have, nearly matching each other in annual release schedules (counting Yakuza’s Judgment spin-offs). Given that both series have undergone major changes in terms of game design and player base over the years, they seem perfectly positioned to reach out to past fans ahead of the next major entries with smaller, budget sized titles that act as soft refreshes.

Many would agree that a lot of other franchises could benefit from this style of game in the future, returning to a previous gameplay system for a smaller, less risky entry that sets the stage for an even bigger main series release. Many fans have claimed that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise could even experiment in this, returning to the beloved turn-based combat for a more experimental, small scope project in-between numbered entries like Final Fantasy 16 or other big budget entries like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This is just one example of a franchise that could follow Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Like a Dragon Gaiden’s lead.

Either way, there is a lot of potential for what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Ubisoft have planned here with these new titles. It remains to be seen what effect these titles will have on future entries in their respective series, and whether welcoming back returning fans with more traditional gameplay systems will make an impact or not going forward. Regardless, the potential for games similar to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Assassin’s Creed Mirage is very easy to see.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.

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