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Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name features plenty of mini-games to enjoy, including the return of Pocket Circuit. Pocket Circuit is slot car racing, where you use different parts to assemble little cars to race. This activity becomes available late into Chapter 2, and you will be introduced to it as part of the main story. A few achievements are tied to winning Pocket Circuit, and it’s a great way to spend a few hours. Getting into it can be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t sure how it works. Here’s everything you need to know about Pocket Circuit in Like A Dragon Gaiden.
A Need for Speed
During Pocket Circuit races in Like A Dragon Gaiden, you don’t have much influence over the race itself. The only controls are fast-forward, boost, and recover. You have a gauge in the top left corner of the screen, which lets you use boost and recover. Boost makes you faster, but at the risk of your slot car flying out of the track. You can recover when your slot car starts crashing, but only if you have some gauge remaining. Outside of that, all the important decisions come from customizing your car.
Customizing in Pocket Circuit
There are six different categories to customize in Pocket Circuit in Like A Dragon Gaiden. The first is the machine itself, which is purely an aesthetic choice. After that are the other five categories: Tires, Frame, Motor, Gears, and Battery. Each part has a cost associated with it, with each race having a maximum cost. Hovering over your parts will show you how it impacts your stats. Some parts are a trade-off, improving one stat at the cost of another stat. Others are a pure upgrade, with a higher cost.
As for the best parts to use for each race, it depends a bit on the race itself. When you pick a race, you will be shown the layout of the track, the cost limit, and any special sections, like a jump. If a track has a ton of turns, you will want more grip and cornering. If there are a bunch of straight sections, you could sacrifice those stats for speed. The races are pretty short, so if you aren’t sure which stats to focus on, run the race and figure out where to improve. As you progress through Pocket Circuit, more parts will become available.
Where To Get More Pocket Circuit Parts
There are a few ways to get new Pocket Circuit parts in Like A Dragon Gaiden. The first is from the vendor inside the Pocket Circuit venue. The vendor will occasionally get new parts whenever you get first-place in certain races, with a message appearing to notify you. This parts are purchased with points earned from Pocket Circuit races. These points have no other purpose, so buy as many parts as you can afford.
There are also other parts scattered throughout the game. A couple can be found in the open world, and a few are tied to Locker Keys as well. There is also a part available for exchange at most of the gambling venues in the game, including at the Castle. Lastly, there are parts for sale at the various Pawn Shops found around town. These special parts are typically pretty powerful, although they also have a high cost associated with them, so grabbing them early doesn’t provide a massive advantage.
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
