It's fair to say that the new English voiceover for longtime Like a Dragon protagonist Kazuma Kiryu didn't please everyone when it was revealed earlier in the year. In case you don't know, voice actor and YouTuber Yong Yea was cast in the iconic role — although we're yet to actually hear his take on the character in full, as Like a Dragon Gaiden isn't getting English voices until sometime after release.
But looking ahead to next year's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Yong Yea has provided another sample of what players can expect to hear. Posting a clip on Twitter that places Kiryu's Japanese and English voices side-by-side, the reception has been quite mixed — as you'd expect.
There's a slight caveat, however, in that Yong Yea says that these lines are from early on in the voicework process. He writes: "This is some of the first stuff we ever recorded a year ago, performance got more refined as we went further along. Excited for y'all to experience the full games!"
He continues: "Honestly, even for me it's kinda strange hearing a voice that isn't Kuroda's come out of Kiryu's mouth, especially one that I can recognize as my own. There's gonna be an adjustment period for me as well lol. But I think having options is dope, pick the one that's right for you!"
Indeed, it can't be easy voicing a character as beloved as Kiryu — especially when so many Yakuza / Like a Dragon players have spent years listening to Kuroda's silky Japanese dialogue. We do wonder how many people actually prefer an English dub for RGG Studio's games, but like Yong says, it's nice that the option's there.