Perhaps I was naive to think that the legend of Kazuma Kiryu actually wrapped up with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and that his appearance in Yakuza: Like A Dragon was simply a nod to longtime fans such as myself. Having played through Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, I'm now convinced that leaving Kiryu to grow old in the shadows wouldn't have been the right move. Although Gaiden is a bite-sized story--noticeably shorter than previous entries--it proves that there's still so much more to Kiryu's legacy.

曾经我天真地认为桐马的一生在《如龙 6：生命之歌》就结束了，而他在《如龙7：光与暗的去向》中的出现只是对像我这样的忠实粉丝的致敬。 玩过《如龙7外传：无名之龙》后，我现在确信让桐生在默默中老去并非好事。 尽管《外传》是一个简短的故事——明显比之前的作品短——但它证明了桐生留下的遗产实在不少。

From the wild new Agent fighting style to the wealth of captivating side activities and tried-and-true Yakuza story drama, Gaiden is a tight package that's akin to a 'greatest hits' for the franchise. While it may feel like a retread of previous games at times, the formula is no worse for wear and continues to finds ways to surprise me with its straight-faced delivery of absurdist humor. Gaiden acts as a middle chapter that flows into the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the 2020 RPG starring Kasuga Ichiban as the protagonist, and it leads directly into the upcoming Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which has Ichiban and Kiryu teaming up. It's tough to talk about this game in a vacuum, but because it so heavily targets those who've been on the Yakuza journey all this time, it hit me hard in my feelings--especially as I barreled toward its heart-rending conclusion. In that respect, it is both a typical and exceptional entry in the Yakuzaverse.

从狂野的新特工打斗风格到丰富的引人入胜的支线活动及经得起考验的黑帮故事情节，《外传》是一个情节紧凑，像是该系列的“最热门作品”。 虽然有时感觉像是翻版自以前游戏，但其游戏模式并没有变差，且其荒诞幽默更直率，让我深感惊喜。 《外传》是《如龙7：光与暗的去向》的中间章节，这款 2020 年角色扮演游戏由春日一番（Kasuga Ichiban）担任主角，并直接引出即将推出的由一番和桐生联手演绎的《如龙：无限财富》。 很难凭空谈论这款游戏，因为它如此强烈地影射那些过着黑帮生涯的人，玩这款游戏重创我的感情 - 特别是当游戏情节步入令人心如刀绞般的结局时。 从这角度看，它是黑帮游戏系列中的一个典型且特殊的一款游戏。

With Kiryu as the leading man, the real-time brawler combat returns, but Gaiden doesn't simply rehash the old system. The new Agent fighting style adds enough to freshen up fights by giving Kiryu some James Bond-esque gadgets to complement the melee finesse of this fighting style. As you progress in the main story, you'll gradually unlock abilities like the drones that swarm and chip away at enemies, rocket boosters on his shoes that let Kiryu jet around combat encounters and plow through bad dudes, and explosive cigarettes that act as a grenade to blast away mobs. Kiryu also channels some real Spider-Man energy with the aptly named Spider ability, where he shoots out a wire from his watch to lasso enemies, launch them across the arena, or pull in weapons from afar. And it's oh-so-satisfying to weave it in mid-combo to start juggling enemies as if you're a god-tier Tekken player. He even uses it in web-slinging fashion to swing around in action-packed cutscenes--it's absolute Yakuza nonsense, and I love it.

这款游戏以桐生为主角，实时格斗模式再度重返！但《外传》并没有简单地重复旧路。 游戏中加入新颖的特工战斗风格，为主角附加了一些《007》系列电影、小说主角詹姆斯·邦德（James Bond）式的小创意，以完善特工战斗风格的近战技巧，从而为战斗增添了足够的新鲜感。 随着主线故事的进展，某些能力可逐渐被解锁，比如用蜂群攻击敌人的无人机、主角鞋子上的火箭助推器，使游戏主角可以空中飞行，击败坏人，会爆炸的香烟，可用作手榴弹来炸飞暴徒。桐生还有蜘蛛侠式的吐丝结网的能力，他手上的手表能发射光束来套住敌人，将他们拉入决斗场里解决，或者从远处吸拾武器。 将那些敌人全部拉上来，周旋缠斗，如杂耍一般玩弄于股掌之中，而你就是神级铁拳玩家，真是过瘾！游戏主角也可以用它来吊网飞行，在酣畅淋漓的动作里摇摆穿梭——这绝对是日本黑帮的异想天开，但我喜欢这样的异想天开。

Additionally, the parry mechanic to avoid unblockable attacks helps mitigate the frustration of having to frantically dodge formidable foes or get utterly demolished. If all else fails, the Extreme Heat mode in Agent style can tear down the strongest enemies swiftly thanks to beefed-up gadgets and unbreakable combos. It contrasts nicely with the traditional Yakuza stance, which plays closer to Kiryu's classic street fighting styles with heavier swings and gruesome Heat moves. So, from a combat perspective, Gaiden offers more tools that are genuinely fun to experiment with and work into your approach in tougher challenges--I rarely felt like I was pitted in a battle of attrition, which was often the case in the series' past. It's not quite as elegant as Lost Judgment, which remains RGG's best iteration of action combat, but Gaiden's mechanics had me looking forward to fighting mobs of 20-plus goons at the same time when the opportunity arose.

此外，某些攻击难以阻挡，必须想办法躲避，因此避免这些攻击的招架机制有助于减轻强敌杀死的挫败感。 如果实在无计可施面临死亡，主角还有最后的杀手锏，在极热模式下，可用万能小工具和连击迅速摧毁掉劲敌。 该游戏与传统的黑帮动作姿态形成鲜明对比，传统的黑帮动作姿态更接近桐生的经典巷战风格，动作幅度较大，可爆发恐怖伤害值的“热”动作（游戏里中可进行“热”蓄力，当蓄力量满槽时可触发使用，重创敌人-译者注）。 因此，从战斗的角度来看，《外传》提供了大量有趣的工具，可以在游戏中尝试并完善战斗力——与敌人长时间周旋消耗，我很少遇到过，但在该系列游戏的前期作品中经常出现。 该游戏不像《审判之逝：湮灭的记忆》那么优雅，而后者仍然是 RGG 动作最佳迭代，但《外传》的这些有意思的机制让我期待着有机会同时与 20 多个暴徒战斗。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Of course, this being an RGG game, over-the-top fisticuffs are only one part of the equation, and the bigger draw for me has always been the storytelling. Having played every entry in the series, it's hard to be surprised by specific plot twists, yet I still found myself on the edge of my seat in the story's crucial moments, as friends turn to enemies and enemies to friends. And I just knew there'd be major betrayals or someone entering a scene at the last second to save the day, but finding out who does it and their reasons for doing so remains as captivating as ever. Part of it is because I've been invested in this world for so long that seeing the developing dynamics between longtime characters and the new supporting cast continues to be fascinating. And in series tradition, the high-tension drama is told through powerful voice performances and masterful cinematics that make the most of these larger-than-life personalities.

当然，这是一款 RGG 游戏，有大量的拳斗，这只是其中的一部分，对我来说更大的吸引力是故事讲述。 玩过该系列的每一个作品后，我已对其离奇的情节产生免疫了，但我发现自己在故事某些关键时刻还是紧张，因为朋友变成了敌人，敌人变成了朋友。 我只知道会有重大背叛，或者有人在最后一刻出现来拯救世界，但要找出是谁干的，以及他们这样做的原因，这种探索令人上瘾。 部分原因是因为我已经沉浸这款游戏的虚拟世界太久了，看到老角色和新配角之间的关系变化，很是吸引人。在影视剧传统中，这种紧张的剧情会通过强有力的配音表演和精湛的电影艺术来讲述，使人物更具传奇色彩。

Sometimes it's hilarious how the story portrays Kiryu as an undercover agent named Joryu, working for the Daidoji Faction, a shadowy organization that influences Japan from behind the scenes. It is especially amusing as he deliberately does not keep a low profile and gets roped back into the business of the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, all while insisting he's not really Kiryu. It's a bit silly but speaks to a larger theme about him being conflicted about his life choices, more so than in previous stories. Gaiden treads through familiar territory where Kiryu tries to escape his old life by disappearing and living off the grid elsewhere in Japan--the premise of Yakuza 5 and the ending of Yakuza 6--but this game is a reminder that we've pretty much experienced every pivotal moment in Kiryu's life thus far, and so long as he's alive, he'll never fade away. He's always been the hardened tough guy who rarely lets anything phase him, even when on the brink of death or when fighting tooth and nail for those he loves. That's a big reason why Gaiden hits so hard, not because we revisit some of those memories along the way, but because those memories are wielded in such a way that they give Kiryu a level of emotional depth that we've never seen before.

游戏的某些情节里，将桐生描绘成一名名叫乔柳（Joryu）的卧底特工，为醍醐寺（Daidoji）派工作，这是一个暗中影响日本的神秘组织，这就很有意思。 更有意思的是，身为卧底他故意不低调，被卷入东城会（Tojo Clan，世嘉公司游戏里虚构的日本黑社会组织-译者注）和近江联合（Omi Alliance，世嘉公司游戏里虚构的另一日本黑社会组织-译者注）的事务，且对外坚称自己不是桐生。这看似很蠢，但探讨了一个更大的人生话题，即他对自己的生活选择感到矛盾，比以前的主角故事更加矛盾。 《外传》进入其熟悉的领域话题，桐生试图在人群中消失，并在日本找个没有电网覆盖的地方隐居——这是《如龙 5》的前提和《如龙 6》的结局——其实这款游戏提醒我们，我们迄今为止，经历了桐生生命中的每一个关键时刻，只要他还活着，他就永远不会消失。 他一直是一个坚强的硬汉，即使身处死亡边缘或为他所爱的人冲锋陷阵时，也不能影响他。 这就是《外传》如此震撼我的重要原因，不是因为我们目睹桐生人生路而重温了其中的一些记忆，而是因为这些记忆的运用方式赋予桐生一种情感深度，这种情感深度，我们可能前所未见。

If you played Yakuza: Like A Dragon, you know where the story heads since Gaiden is largely about what he was doing in the background, prior to his cameo. But seeing events from Kiryu's perspective adds texture to the bigger picture. This is also the missing piece that explains the reasons behind Kiryu's prominent role in Infinite Wealth, and rather than feeling like a filler chapter, Gaiden highlights the things that make the legendary Kazuma Kiryu human.

如果你玩过《如龙7：光与暗的去向》，你就会知道故事的走向，因为《外传》主要讲述的是他在客串之前在幕后发生的事。 但从桐生的角度看待，这些幕后的事为其后人生大图景增添了质感。 桐生为什么在《无限财富》中能扮演重要角色？《无限财富》里语焉不详，而《外传》正好解释了原因的缺失部分，《外传》并没有让人感觉是对《无限财富》的填充章节，而是强调了具传奇色彩的桐生一马的人性。

The main story is rather short, and it sometimes goes through the motions of a typical Yakuza story and glosses over aspects that could've used a bit more depth. As a result, Gaiden's brevity ends up being a double-edged sword that prevents it from dragging on longer than it needs to and cuts to the chase but leaves a few supporting characters and plot beats slightly underdeveloped. However, you get just enough time with the newcomers to understand them and their motivations, and when the main story hits its peaks, it's the good stuff only RGG can pull off. Gaiden takes about 10 hours to finish, not including any side content. Naturally, though, the side content is one of the core pillars of the series and it delivers, so I wouldn't recommend skipping it in this or any other entry in the franchise.

故事主线很短，有时一套典型的如龙动作就是其故事，掩盖了一些本可以更有深度的内容。 因此，《外传》的简洁像一把双刃剑，可以直奔主题，防止游戏拖沓，但某些配角和情节节奏略欠不足。 当然，你有足够的时间与游戏中的新出现的角色相处，了解他们。当主线故事到达高潮，这是只有 RGG 才能完成。《外传》大约用了10个小时，这个时间不包括任何支线内容。 当然，支线情节也是该系列的重要内容，并且它也有，所以我不建议在该系列或该系列的任何其他作品跳过不玩。

Gaiden mostly takes place in the familiar location of Sotenbori, and it works fine for what the game is going for. The one new location you get, The Castle, is a lavish Vegas-like hub area built inside of an abandoned naval ship. The neon-soaked strip features casinos for gambling minigames and a luxury clothing store where you can customize Kiryu's outfits, and it's enough of a diversion to stave off the staleness of otherwise walking the same streets again. The Castle is also key to Gaiden's story, as it's used as a stronghold for a powerful yakuza family and a place for some wild set-piece battles. While the main quest funnels you to and from The Castle for story purposes, integrating some of the side activities along the way, the primary draw is the Coliseum, an underground fight club made of dozens of brawling challenges.

《外传》故事主要发生一个名叫 Sotenbori 的地方，这个地方用在游戏中看起来很熟悉。 有了这个新地点，这是个城堡，在一个拉斯维加斯式的豪华中心区域内，建在一艘废弃的军舰上。 这条霓虹灯笼罩的地带设有迷你赌场和一家豪华服装店，您可以在那里定制桐生的服装，这可避免再次走在同一条街道而产生陈旧感。 这座城堡也是《外传》故事的关键，因为它是黑帮家族的据点和一些疯狂打斗场所。 为增加故事性，主线任务会引导玩家往返于城堡，并整合沿途的支线活动，但主要吸引力在斗兽场里，这个斗兽场里有一个由数十个格斗挑战帮派组成的地下搏击俱乐部。

It's one of the game's more elaborate pieces of content, featuring one-on-one tournaments, battles against waves of menacing men, and the party-based Hell Team Rumble. Here, you recruit NPCs who are usually goofy-ass dudes who have no business being in a cage match but, somehow, manage to put up a respectable fight. The Coliseum works well because the core combat system is enjoyable, but it also implements management sim elements similar to previous Yakuza minigames, such as the RTS-style Clan Creator from Yakuza 6 or Majima Construction from Kiwami 2. Your team members level up, grow stronger, and you can keep them in fighting shape by interacting with them at the poolside bar that they hang out at once they're recruited. The hardest battles are found in the platinum challenges and truly test your combat skills and party management. There's also a side story where you fight the four leaders of The Coliseum--not only is this a fun time, but the incentives are a nice cherry on top to help you see it all the way through.

这部分内容在游戏中更复杂，包括一对一的锦标赛、与一波又一波的恶棍博斗，还有地下搏击观众地狱般的尖叫欢呼声。 在这里，你招募的 NPC（非玩家角色或称非操控角色）一般都是些傻乎乎的家伙，他们不应该被关在囚笼里，但却能够进行一场体面的博斗。 竞技场核心战斗系统很有意思，实现了类似于以前的黑帮小游戏的管理模拟元素，例如《如龙6》中的即时战略风格的迷你关卡游戏——帮派创造者（Clan Creator）或《如龙：极2》中的Majima组织（Majima Construction，是《如龙2》里由Majima领导的一个黑帮组织-译者注）。团队成员可以升级，技能会变得强大，招募成员后与他们互动来让其保持战斗状态。 最艰难的战斗部分是白金挑战，那是真正考验玩家的战斗技巧和队伍管理能力。还有一个支线任务，玩家将与竞技场的四位大佬战斗——这是一段有意思的时光，奖励当然也丰厚，驱使你努力完成这个支线任务。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Gaiden features a slew of other minigames from the series' past, including the Pocket Circuit, where Kiryu gets really into customizing RC cars to race them in local events, which is adorable. For karaoke, Sayonara Silent Night is a heartbreaking Christmas ballad, Like a Butterfly makes for a great duet, and yes, Baka Mitai is on the setlist. The Cabaret Club returns as a social sim minigame where you make dialogue choices with hostesses as real-life models who rizz you up through FMVs. It's admittedly pretty jarring since the transition to FMV scenes of cabaret hostesses staring into your soul feels out of place, but once I got past that initial bewilderment I found the conversations kind of endearing, even though they're rather basic. It's also worth mentioning the roster of retro games that are fully playable inside of Gaiden, like Sonic the Fighters and Fighting Vipers 2, which are available at arcades. And there's also the original versions of Master System games such as Fantasy Zone 2, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, and Alien Syndrome, too--it's a neat perk and further highlights the series' and Sega's tradition of preserving classic games within its modern ones.

《外传》包含了该系列以往一些迷你游戏关卡，包括 Pocket Circuit，桐生喜欢遥控玩具汽车并参加当地赛事，这就很可爱。 对于卡拉OK，《Sayonara Silent Night》是一首听了让人心碎的圣诞民谣，《Like a Butterfly》是一首很棒的二重唱，当然，《Baka Mitai》也在歌单上。 《 Cabaret Club》以社交模拟迷你游戏的形式回归，您可以选择与以模特为业的女主人进行对话互动，全动态视频图像（FMV）展示女模特一定使你兴奋不已。 诚然，这有点突兀，因为剧情里漂亮歌舞女郎像是凝视你的灵魂看着你，然后又过渡到FMV各种场景。但一旦克服了起初的困惑，我发现对话有点意思，尽管它们其实是很简单的对话。 还值得一提的是完全可以在《外传》里玩的上古游戏，例如《索尼克格斗》和《格斗之蛇 2》，这些游戏都可以在街机厅购买。 还有世嘉游戏的一些原始版本，例如《幻想地带 2》、《艾立克斯小子的神奇世界》和《异形综合症》——这是玩《外传》的一些小福利，凸显了该系列游戏和世嘉游戏在现代游戏中保留经典游戏的传统。

This wouldn't be a proper Yakuza/Like A Dragon game without the series' signature substories, which once again deliver comedic and often poignant side quests that bring the city to life, while giving Kiryu some of his most memorable moments. In Gaiden, substories run through the new character Akame, who operates the Akame Network. She's crucial to the main story as someone who serves as Kiryu's informant and wields her street rep to keep him connected to the underworld, but she's also a charismatic and energetic Osakan who works behind the scenes to defend and uplift Sotenbori's homeless population. Through the Akame Network, you accept requests to help different people in the open world or investigate reports of strange things happening in the streets. And while the 20-plus substories are enjoyable to varying degrees, Gaiden has some notable bangers.

如果没有该系列的标志性支线故事，就难于成为一款真正意义上的《如龙》游戏，这些支线故事中的任务故事富有喜剧性且与主题高度相关，使这座城市变得栩栩如生，同时给桐生带来了一些难忘的记忆。在《外传》中，支线故事贯穿于一个名叫Akame的新角色生活中，Akame的工作是运营Akame网络。 她对主线故事至关重要，她是桐生的线人，她又让她的街头线人与黑社会保持联系，她是一位魅力四射、精力充沛的大阪人，在幕后保护和帮助Sotenbori城里的无家可归者。 通过 Akame网络，您可以接受开放世界中的不同人的请求，或调查和报告街头发生的奇怪事件。 虽然 20 多个支线故事个个有趣，但《外传》还有一些特别的亮点。

One substory revolves around a young man who's utterly convinced he needs to use an AI chatbot to create perfect responses on dating apps, but lacks the social skills to follow through. It gives a rather nuanced take on the subject and seeing it through the lens of "old man" Kiryu reminds you that he's more thoughtful than he often seems. You'll also encounter a livestreamer who goes to the absolute extreme for attention, which then turns into a spoof on horror story tropes. Others have you thwarting money-laundering schemes, facing off against a series of rival gangs, or chasing down a fully kitted samurai who roams the streets, reminiscent of Mr. Shakedown in Yakuza 0. But the best substory has to be the one where RGG universes collide for a sort of crossover episode where your favorite characters finally interact with each other.

其中一个支线故事围绕一名年轻人展开，这个年轻人是Ai聊天机器人的拥趸，他深度依赖Ai聊天机器人并用于约会软件聊天，但却缺乏社交技能。 这是一个具有现实意义的社会话题，游戏对这个话题有相当微妙的看法，通过“年长者”桐生的镜头，来提醒你，他在网聊中比现实生活更有思想。你还会遇到一位主播，他为了吸引注意力而采取了极端的做法，模仿一些跟恐怖事件相关的行为动作。 还有的关卡游戏则让你洗钱计划失败，或对抗一系列敌对帮派，或者追捕在街上行走的全副武装的武士，让人想起《如龙0：誓约的场所》中的“Shakedown 先生”。但最好的支线故事一定是 RGG 的故事。 不经意间形成某些交叉情节，那些喜欢的角色，他们自会互动的。

The Akame Network is a cleaner way to package substories, but they also come with more substantial rewards like tons of cash and Akame points, both of which are necessary to upgrade Kiryu's combat abilities. It's a bit of an odd progression system, but it pushes you toward completing these requests, which I had no qualms about since the substories therein are almost as essential as the main story. And the more requests you finish, the better your social standing with Akame becomes. This results in opportunities to hang out with her at the bar and strike up genuinely interesting conversations about her life and motivations, while also showcasing Kiryu's ability to be a great friend.

Akame的网络工作，这是一个更简洁的支线故事包，但它可以带来了丰厚的奖励，例如大量现金和 Akame 积分，这两者都是升级 Kiryu 的战斗力所必需的。 这是一个有点奇怪的进度系统，但它会推动你完成升级请求，我对此没有任何疑虑，因为支线故事几乎与主线故事一样重要。 您完成的请求越多，您在 Akame 心目中的社会地位就越高。 这让我们有机会和她一起在酒吧闲逛，并就她的生活和探索其内心世界展开有趣的对话，同时也展示了桐生发展朋友的能力。

Once you wrap up the main story, you get access to the Infinite Wealth demo that's included with Gaiden. And while that is a separate game, it's an exciting part of the overall package. It further emphasizes Gaiden's place as a bridge to the next game and, following Gaiden's conclusion, I was left more invested in Kiryu's journey than I've ever been. No other game franchise pours this much into a single character's life, so to have seen where he started and everything he's gone through over the course of eight-plus games, his perspective at this critical narrative juncture for the series feels warranted.

一旦完成了主线故事，就可以进入《外传》中附带的《无限财富》演示版。 虽然这是一个单独的游戏，但它是整个游戏中令人觉得超有意思的一部分。 它进一步强调了《外传》作为通往下一款游戏的桥梁的地位，随着《外传》的结局，我比以往任何时候都更加投入对桐生的旅程中。 没有任何一款游戏能够让我如此投入到单个角色的生活中，因此我看到他的起家，以及他在八多款游戏中经历的一切，当他在该系列的某些关键时刻说话表达的观点，我会感觉是多么的有道理。

And so there I was, sitting in front of my TV, watching Gaiden's ending, crying like a damn baby over the hardships of a fictional man again--and I know those who've also been on this ride over the years will feel me on this. Gaiden may be a brief excursion that occasionally leaves the full potential of its supporting cast on the table and often relies on remixing ideas from the series' past, but with enough new features to make combat exciting and a buffet of high-quality side content, it's still some of the most fun I've had with an RGG game. More importantly, I was just happy to be in Kiryu's shoes again for another emotional story and to brace myself for what lies ahead for the beloved series.

我坐在电视机前，看着《外传》的结局，再一次像个婴儿一样为一个虚构的男人的艰辛历程而哭泣——我想那些多年来也经历过类似旅程的人会懂我。 《外传》可能是一次短暂的游戏之旅，偶尔配角的潜力也被充分发挥，游戏也经常混入该系列过去的观点推动情节，但有足够的新功能使战斗让人感到兴奋，并且有大量高质量的支线内容， 这是我玩过的最有趣的 RGG 游戏之一。 更重要的是，我很开心再次站在桐生的立场上讲述另一个情感故事，并为这个深受喜爱的系列的未来续集做好准备。