PS5 players can look forward to Atlas Fallen: Reign Of Sand while PS4 players get Sayonara Wild Hearts and, oddly, enough, Poker Club. Of course, the latter is backwards compatible on PS5, further expanding the line-up for current-gen owners.

Exclusive to Premium subscribers are two PlayStation Classics – Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings from the PS2 era and MediEvil 2 on the PS One with rewind, up-rendering, and quick save. Both are playable on PS4 and PS5, and the former is a great way to prepare for the arrival of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle this Spring for PS5.

Speaking in an interview with Automaton Media, RGG Studio’s director Masayoshi Yokoyama revealed that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is going to be about 30 percent longer than Like a Dragon Gaiden, echoing similar previous statements. According to Yokoyama, the development team didn’t necessarily set out to make a bigger game than Gaiden, with the runtime instead being a byproduct of the story and its demands. “It’s more like the volume ‘ended up’ increasing due to the story,” he said.

“The map is huge, there’s a bunch of places to visit, and there are still features we haven’t announced yet. The volume increased by itself,” Yokoyama added, before stating that the longer runtime will be reflective of the game’s price, which is $10 higher than Like a Dragon Gaiden’s launch price.

As per How Long To Beat, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’s main story is about 12-13 hours long, though the game can be closer to 20 hours with a good number of side quests added in, so Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii should presumably be a 15-25 hour-long game, based on what Yokoyama says.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is due out on February 21 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Available until October 28th on Steam, it allows for playing four hours of the interquel. Players can thus follow the tale of Kazuma Kiryu, now going by the codename Joryu, and battle mysterious new threats utilizing two fighting styles – Yakuza and Agent. Or they can mess around in the world, singing karaoke, attempting to become pocket circuit champion, or battling in the arena.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is also available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here. RGG Studio’s next title is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which is 1.3 to 1.5 times larger than Gaiden. It’s out on February 21st for consoles and PC – check out the latest gameplay trailer.

CONTROL

Those simply mainlining the game can finish Control in about a dozen hours, but with plenty of optional content also available, Remedy’s shooter is a game that you can easily get about 20 hours out of- and boy is it an unforgettable 20 hours. From excellent design and stellar atmosphere to bombastic action and gameplay, Control knows exactly how to keep you completely captivated from its first second until its last.

ALAN WAKE 2

Another Remedy Entertainment game, and a very different one from the one we just spoke about. As opposed to the adrenaline-fueled Control, Alan Wake 2 is much more deliberate and slower paced- and yet every second of this cerebral horror journey feels earned. Whether you’re playing as Alan in the horrifying Dark Place or as Saga in the safer yet still utterly bizarre real world, this is a game that never lets up.

LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN: THE MAN WHO ERASED HIS NAME

Ordinarily, a Yakuza / Like a Dragon game is not exactly the right choice for someone looking to play a brief, 15-20 hour game, but unlike its 50-100 hour behemoth siblings, last year’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a much shorter experience. Does it touch the heights that the likes of, say, Infinite Wealth or Yakuza 7 do? Maybe not. But with a strong story, predictably enjoyable brawler gameplay, and plenty of enjoyable side content, it’s well worth looking into nonetheless.

A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM

A shining example of how even smaller-budget games from independent teams can still deliver the kind of polished, compelling, narrative-driven experiences that you ordinarily expect from the AAA space, A Plague Tale: Requiem is everything that its excellent predecessor was, and then some. Delivering a solid blend of stealth, combat, storytelling, and light exploration, Asobo Studio’s action-adventure game is an 18-20 hour journey that shouldn’t be missed.

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY

A major, AAA open world game being about 20 hours or so long for something looking to do the main story and a decent chunk of the side quests may be almost completely unheard of in 2024- but back in 2011, not only was Arkham City able to deliver that with no issues, in doing so, it also became widely touted as one of the greatest games ever made. You can foil The Joker and Hugo Strange’s plans, clean up the streets of Gotham City, and engage in a fair few optional quests and get a good, memorable 20 hours out of Batman: Arkham City.

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2

So maybe a modern AAA open world game being about 20 hours long isn’t completely unheard of. In a market that’s grown an unhealthy obsession with making games larger, last year, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was all too happy to deliver a relatively brief experience (by modern open world standards, at the very least) and it was better for it. A largely well-told main story, gripping optional content, meaningful gameplay improvements on top of an already excellent foundation- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 checked pretty much all of the boxes that it needed to.

SLEEPING DOGS

Sleeping Dogs is forever going to be remembered as one of the most criminally underappreciated games of all time, and yes, we’re going to talk it up every chance it gets for exactly that reason- including now. Because, after all, you’re going to struggle to find too many games that will make as strong of an impression on you across a 15-20 hour runtime as Square Enix’s 2012 open world game will. Even now, mor than a decade on from its launch, Sleeping Dogs remains a great game to go back to.

STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR

You can, of course, get way, way more than 20 hours out of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor if you choose to engage with its healthy quantities of optional content (which is excellent), but a quicker, briskly paced 20-hour story is also an option for those who want it. As the second instalment of the series Jedi: Survivor boasts stronger writing from a much more confident development team, with characters, a story, and gameplay improvements that all build on the first game’s foundations in meaningful ways.

METRO EXODUS

4A Games took the semi-open world approach with Metro Exodus, and fans of the game will tell you that it was absolutely the right choice. The post-apocalyptic shooter strikes an excellent balance between linear, scripted sections and more open-ended areas, while also delivering a much meatier experience than its two predecessors. Metro Exodus somehow manages to have its cake and eat it too, and stands as another great example of how balancing size against quality of content is perhaps way more important than pure quantity.

MAD MAX

Avalanche Studios has delivered a string of fun, explosive open world games over the years, so when people say that 2015’s Mad Max is easily one of the studio’s best games ever, you know that that’s not light praise. A blasted, desolate world full of zany personality, a strong gameplay foundation that emphasized explosive combat and vehicular action, and an addictive loop of content scattered throughout its world- in spite of being a classic case of “diamond in the rough”, 2015’s Mad Max still had all the elements in place to deliver a compelling gameplay experience. Of course, for anyone looking to do more than just the main story, the game is also much longer than 20 hours.

METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS

We could have included one of several Metal Gear Solid games in this feature, but for now, let’s just stick with this one. From a design and gameplay perspective, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a hell of a stealth game even now, well over a decade and a half from its launch, and on top of that, typically enough for a Kojima game, it’s also a cinematic masterpiece. Does it have its fair share of narrative issues? Boy, does it. But ultimately, there’s way, way more to love about this package than not.

PREY

Arkane’s 2017 revival of the sci-fi IP Prey was not at all what fans of the original 2006 game may have expected it would be, but as an immersive sim, it’s better than most similar games in existence. Anyone clocking 20 hours into this masterpiece is going to be assured of a gripping, intricately handcrafted gaming experience that you’re not likely going to forget anytime soon. You can, of course, get way more out of the game if you wish (especially if you play the excellent Mooncrash DLC), but even a runthrough of just its main story is heavily recommended.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

We’d love to get a glimpse into an alternate reality where Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy released before Marvel’s Avengers did. The latter being as disappointing as it was led to poor sales for the former, but Eidos Montreal’s single-player action-adventure game was a really, really good game that deserved way more success. Boasting an incredibly written and wonderfully performed core cast of characters, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is an 18-20 hour journey that you shouldn’t be missing.

MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR

Obviously, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor can be significantly longer than 20 hours for those who wish to fully commit themselves to its open world, but even for someone just looking to play through its critical path, it’s a hell of a game. Slick combat and traversal, a fun take on a beloved IP and universe, and of course, an ingenious and innovative gameplay pillar in the Nemesis System- Shadow of Mordor has plenty of major strengths that make it an attractive prospect even now, a decade on from release.

WATCH DOGS 2

Whether or not we ever get a new Watch Dogs game is anyone’s best guess, but the franchise is, at the very least, going to have one major notch on its belt in the form of Watch Dogs 2. The sophomore Watch Dogs outing is still its best one, thanks to a fun, vibrant open world that was always a blast to explore and a much stronger cast of characters (coming with a much lighter tone) than its predecessor. Being a Ubisoft open world game, Watch Dogs 2 has dozens upon dozens of hours of content for players to dive into, but sticking to the golden path, you can hit credits in roughly 20 hours without too many issues.

Terminator: Resistance Enhanced

Terminator: Resistance is a fun first-person shooter based on the popular movie which allows players a ton of flexibility in how they choose to go about the many encounters peppered throughout the story. You can choose to sneak through enemy areas and pick them off one by one, or you could just go in guns blazing, or anything in between. The Enhanced version soups up the original in a wide variety of ways, which makes it the best way to experience this underrated shooter.

Dying light 2

Developer Techland’s latest Dying Light 2 might not have fulfilled most of its promises, but it’s still a solid game that’s worthy of your attention. It excellently builds upon the foundations laid in the original, and meshes them well with new mechanics like paragliding and improved combat. Add to that some gorgeous graphics and oodles of content, and Dying Light 2 becomes a really great game that players can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into.

Haven

Released in 2020, Haven is an indie gem that tells the story of two lovers trying to make a life on a distant planet. It features a really charming story with beautiful characters, and while the gameplay mechanics are really simple – they work pretty well within the context of the game itself. Between this and a highly imaginative world, Haven has the capability to keep you engaged for a long time.

Bugsnax

Bugsnax looks like a rather childish game at first glance with its cartoony characters and Pokemon-style game, and while that notion isn’t completely wrong – it isn’t indicative of the full picture either. Bugsnax’s story can veer into pretty dark territory at times, and the gameplay revolving around constantly upgrading your snacks is surprisingly addictive for all age groups.

Weird West

WolfEye Studios’ Weird West is an action RPG that combines a familiar Wild West setting with dark fantasy elements that culminate in a world that looks like no other. The gameplay is pretty open-ended in its nature, and players are encouraged to come up with creative solutions for the presented problems. Add to that some quality writing, and Weird West becomes a really gratifying experience.

Aragami 2

Aragami 2 is one of the very few stealth games in the current gaming landscape, but what makes it special is the solid foundation of mechanics that it operates on. Aragami 2 is all about hiding in the shadows, carefully surveying your surroundings, and using your tools and abilities to pick out enemies and complete your objectives while being a complete ghost. The story might not be the most interesting, but the gameplay is engaging enough to make you want to keep playing regardless.

Evil West

Flying Wild Hog recently released Evil West to some great critical reception, but the game unfortunately never received the love and appreciation on a commercial level. Evil West puts you in the shoes of a cowboy hunting for monstrous creatures, and that weird premise has been wonderfully realized here – which makes for a fresh setting. Add to that visceral gameplay and high-fidelity graphics, and Evil West becomes a game that’s really hard to pass on.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy suffered from a lot of skepticism after Marvel’s Avengers flopped hard, which is part of the reason why it never got much mainstream attention. But those who have played it will most likely sing endless praises about the story and its simple yet fresh combat mechanics, and we can’t really argue with that. Guardians of the Galaxy is a really solid game that sadly flew under the radar for many gamers, but it is a game that is most definitely worth your attention.

Lost Judgment

The original Judgment was a fun spin on the Yakuza formula, and Lost Judgment does an equally good job of building upon those mechanics. The detective murder mystery at play never fails to keep one guessing, and those narrative beats are punctuated with some excellently choreographed fights and chase sequences – which makes for a thrilling ride through and through.

Chernobylite

Chernobylite is set 30 years after the disaster at the nuclear plant and focuses on a physicist that returns to seek out his beloved. Though players will have to deal with hostile soldiers, including Stalkers that roam the zone, they can recruit teammates to their cause. Crafting equipment and weapons is the key to survival but keep in mind that any character can die with a wrong decision. Two graphics modes are available for the PS5 version – Performance and Resolution. The former offers 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second gameplay with “higher graphics quality.” The latter is dynamic 4K and 30 FPS with ray tracing and improvements to shadows, environments and texture quality.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy: A Big Adventure was one of the PS5’s launch titles that sadly got overshadowed by the likes of Demon’s Souls and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a charming ride through some gorgeously knit levels, and the platforming also does a good job of introducing new kinds of obstacles at every turn. It’s a very relaxing game that doesn’t ask much from the player, and that alone has a very distinct kind of charm.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name might not be the franchise at its finest, but it is a game that has plenty of merits to its name. The gameplay transports us back to the series’ brawling roots, and the inclusion of multiple playstyles also makes combat a medium of personal expression. Of course, you also get a whole host of side activities to indulge in apart from the main story – so there’s that to consider as well.

Outriders

Developer People Can Fly’s Outriders is a pretty competent looter shooter that not only nails the shooting but also manages to create a progression loop where you are constantly getting more powerful and facing equally challenging obstacles. The story isn’t the best, and there are some balance issues here and there – but Outriders can be a really fun game to sink your teeth into, and it gets even better if you have a couple of friends raiding alongside you.

Solar Ash

Solar Ash takes place in a fantasy world where you must complete a series of challenges to save the world from imminent doom. Developed by Heart Machine, Solar Ash boasts a beautiful art style and a solid movement system with fluid animations and a great sense of flow to the gameplay proceedings. It has a few rough edges here and there, but it has its fair share of merits as well.

The Crew Motorfest

The Crew Motorfest aims to resolve most if not all of the issues with prior releases, and the end result is definitely remarkable. The smaller map means that it has been curated with plenty of attention to detail, and the selection of racing events also features some much-needed variety which ensures the gameplay doesn’t get stale after a while. It borrows a lot of ideas and elements from Forza Horizon 5, but that doesn’t make it a bad game by any means.

Like a Dragon Gaiden makes a key change for the franchise where its English dubs are concerned, with Daryl Kurylo – who voiced protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in English dubs of the original Yakuza and Yakuza: Like a Dragon – being replaced by voice actor and YouTuber Yong Yea, whose performance has proven divisive among the series’ fans. Yea will also be voicing Kiryu in the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s English dub.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and is also available PC and Xbox Game Pass. Read our review of the game through here.

We're excited to announce the English dub for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is AVAILABLE NOW as a free update! pic.twitter.com/g2ojsuk14K

— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) December 15, 2023

As has been known for a while, Like a Dragon Gaiden is the first game in the series that will not feature Darryl Kurylo as the English voice of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Though Kurylo voiced the character in the original Yakuza and 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, it was revealed earlier this year that the character will be voiced by YouTuber and voice actor Yong Yea going forward, including in next year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Yea’s performance as Kiryu has been the subject of widespread discussion and mixed reception among the series’ fans.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was released back in November. The game picks up some time after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and tells the story of Kiryu’s escapades between the events of that game’s ending, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Kiryu is acting as an agent of the Daidoji Faction, and finds himself embroilled in the machinations of Homare Nishitani III.

For more details, check out our review of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

We're excited to announce the English dub for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is coming in December via a free update!

Stay tuned for more details. pic.twitter.com/Ch1HPfLHpF

— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) December 5, 2023

Like a Dragon Gaiden, meanwhile, occupies the second and third spots, with its PS5 and PS4 versions selling over 63,000 and over 60,000 units respectively, for a total of over 123,000 physical units sold upon launch, which is an impressive number for a smaller spinoff release. For context, when Yakuza 7 launched in Japan in 2020, it sold over 157,000 units.

Meanwhile, another new release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, also occupies two places in the top 10, with its PS5 version (over 22,000 units sold) coming in at No. 4, and its PS4 version (over 8,000 units sold) slotting in at No. 6, for a total of over 31,000 physical copies sold upon release. For comparison, last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold over 42,000 units in Japan upon release.

On the hardware front, thanks to the PS5 Slim’s launch, Sony’s console has enjoyed a significant sales boost, and with over 107,000 units sold, it’s the best-selling console in Japan for the week. It’s followed by the Nintendo Switch in second place, which sold over 79,000 units.

You can check out the full hardware and physical software sales charts for the week ending November 12 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Super Mario Bros. Wonder – 65,017 (975,276)
2. [PS5] Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – 63,319 (New)
3. [PS4] Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – 60,134 (New)
4. [PS5] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 22,132 (New)
5. [NSW] WarioWare: Move It! – 13,340 (42,924)
6. [PS4] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 8,962 (New)
7. [NSW] Fashion Dreamer – 8,166 (39,050)
8. [NSW] Pikmin 4 – 7,511 (948,207)
9. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 7,186 (7,573,156)
10. [NSW] The Game of Life for Nintendo Switch – 5,913 (77,301)

Hardware sales:

• PS5 – 107,953
• Nintendo Switch – 79,147
• Xbox Series X/S – 2,578

Though technically a spin-off, Like a Dragon Gaiden fills the gaps between Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It features Kiryu as an agent of the Daidoji Faction named Joryu, completing missions and becoming embroiled in the machinations of Homare Nishitani III. He’ll meet familiar faces, like Kaito from Judgment, and new characters, and Akame, who runs an information network of homeless people.

While not as long as the traditional Yakuza/Like a Dragon experience, Gaiden offers new substories and side activities. Kiryu also has a fresh combat Style, Agent, which utilizes drones, wires and more. Check out our review of the game here.

If nothing else, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is worth checking out for the free trial of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The latter is out on January 26th, 2024 – check out some the recently revealed Dondoko Island activity here.

Set after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Kiryu now works with the Daidoji faction as an agent. Things are going well until the mysterious Homare Nishitani III seeks to draw him out. Though not as long as a traditional Yakuza title due to a six-month development period, Like a Dragon Gaiden does offer Sidestories, activities like Pocket Circuit, Cabaret, a Battle Arena and much more to keep players busy.

Unlike Yakuza: Like a Dragon, combat is real-time as Kiryu has two Styles – Yakuza, which mirrors his abilities from previous games, and Agent, which uses all kinds of technology like rocket shoes, drones and more.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is out on November 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It will also be available on day one for Game Pass.