Yakuza
Like a Dragon Gaiden should get award for homeless awareness
SEGA & RGG Studio should get an award for providing awareness of the scams perpetrated on the homeless population in ‘Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’.
Not only is it one of the best games of 2023, but socially conscious of those whose voice is constantly muted in our society’s streets.
The homeless are preyed upon with promises of a ‘free’ warm room to call their own in ‘Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’.
By giving these lost souls an official ‘place of residence’, they are supposed to receive financial assistance from the government.
Homeless in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
But the Omi Alliance who runs the ‘charity housing’ grabs these benefits for themselves… While their homeless victims lose any freedom they had left when they were on the streets.
In reality, the homeless are shoved along with others into a makeshift padlocked prison while the Omi Alliance seize their state documents, IDs and bank books.
A homeless welfare scam the public at large would have never heard about if it wasn’t for RGG Studio.
Akame in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
The room the homeless are forced to sleep in is barely larger than a closet, no windows, and they must share it with others.
Kazuma Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
When players first see the scam in action, the Omi alliance tries to bully a homeless person to taking residence under the guise of charitable intentions.
In ‘Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’, Kazuma Kiryu (Joryu) is the hero to rescue the homeless from a tragic fate. But in real life, those without money would likely remain unheard and unaccounted for. This realistic scam would thrive without opposition.
Akame in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
It’s through mediums like this game that we inspire real life Kiryu’s and Akame’s to be the unsung heros of the future.
Kazuma Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
SEGA’s Yakuza game series has always portrayed homeless people in a positive light, and it continues in ‘Like a Dragon Gaiden’. Often showing their homeless characters as talented and down on the luck or depressed rather than solely negative stereotypes.
Kazuma Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
In fact, Akame counts on the homeless community to power her whole network of sources.
The development team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA as a publisher need to be recognized with an award for raising public awareness of such a scam in this reviewer’s opinion. In addition to giving a spotlight to the humanity of the homeless community going back to Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Kazuma Kiryu and Akame in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Screenshot captured by The Natural Aristocrat® / Art Credit: SEGA / RGG Studio
– You can purchase Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name now on Amazon. Become the Dragon of Dojima once again!
Disclosure: A PlayStation 5 copy of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was provided to The Natural Aristocrat® for review courtesy of SEGA.
More coverage of SEGA’s Yakuza Video Game Series:
Be sure to read:
– George Takei Interview – Revisiting Yakuza: Like A Dragon
– Yakuza: Like A Dragon’s homeless story is a societal breakthrough
– Like a Dragon: Ishin! Trailer – Four Combat Styles Revealed
Visit the SEGA section for the latest news, exclusive interviews, reviews, and in-depth analysis of the legendary gaming company!
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