Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Summary
Like A Dragon : Infinite Wealthis RGG Studio ’s latest entry into the formerly - known - asYakuzafranchise , and it ’s probably the developer ’s most challenging projection yet . After just yield friend Ichiban Kasuga his outset as the brass ofLike A Dragon , his second adventure set him side - by - side with the most iconic fictitious character the serial has ever had - its former protagonist , Kiryu Kazuma . It ’s the kind of decision that could easy sink a promising poor boy , and to be honest , there are moments where the game peril to do just that , scarcely containing the myth of Kiryu to allow Ichiban more space to arise .
As the journeying spread , it feel more and more like Kiryu is jeopardise to usurp Ichiban and re - found himself as the face ofLike A Dragon- a problem , give that the whole point of Ichiban was the fresh starting time he permit both the game ’s design constituent and its story beatnik . In a few apoplexy of narrative brilliance and another unbelievable closing act , however , the threat dissipate and what come forth is the dependable passing of the torch that the series postulate to make Ichiban a made man . It ’s a hell of a ride , but at the end of it is the bestYakuzagame ever made , a fitting destruction to Kiryu ’s time in the glare ( if , of course , that ’s really it ) and the foundation for another ten - span floor with Ichiban and friends .
A hands - on prevue with Like A Dragon : Infinite Wealth showcased several distinct and telling parts of the upcoming entry in the beloved series .
An Enriching Double Narrative Steeped in Emotion
Shedding the Yakuza Label
Much ofLike A Dragon : Infinite Wealthcenters around one thing : the breakup of the yakuza , and with it , the serial publication attempting to create some distance from the criminal underworld that ’s tinge so many of its moments up until this point . There ’s still passel of action at law that ’s not exactly above plank , but it ’s moderately clear from the get - go that this is a storey about how anti - heroes get in all shape and sizing , not just as part of a long - stand criminal organization in its dying solar day . Both Ichiban and Kiryu are stirred to action because of the scourge of yakuza activity becoming a problem once more , and it ’s this concern that unites both their stories , however much they swerve away from each other after .
For Ichiban - as one might expect of his character - much of his journeying centers around ally both honest-to-god and new . After getting unceremoniously fired from his Book of Job at Hello Work and no longer being able to help oneself rehabilitate ex - yakuza into lodge , he ’s swept up in a sore pursuit to Hawaii to find his female parent . There , he meets two Modern friend in Chitose and Tomizawa , alongside Kiryu himself , sent to Hawaii by the Daidoji faction . What begin as him attempting to reconcile his broken in family quickly becomes a spheric conspiracy secret plan featuring a cult that ’s exploiting old-fashioned - yakuza members , something that Ichiban merely ca n’t fend for .
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Like A Dragon : Infinite Wealth combine Ichiban and Kiryu ’s stories into one sprawling epic set across multiple Continent .
For Kiryu , the story unravels in a style that has him present his fiend and becoming more reflective . In the late microscope stage of genus Cancer and turn down discourse , he ’s seek to reconcile a heroic past times at odds with his professing . Kiryu ’s journey is also one that pay homage to a hatful of franchise chronicle , with so many nod to older characters that also tie up some unaffixed ends . At the remainder of it all , it really does feel like the send - off Kiryu deserves ( finally , after multiple attempts ) and the torch being passed more definitively to Ichiban .
Both these tale intertwine and expand a world that ’s thrilling to be a part of . Shark attempt , gang paradise , Vtuber confederacy theories , shadowed underground factions , government mystery , and a healthy venereal infection of heartwarming company member interactions color a beautiful narration . While returning favorites get good deal of screenland time , two standouts are Chitose , whose story never ceases to be more interesting , and Yamai .
Yamai is the head of his own criminal consortium in Hawaii and , without spoiling too much , could easily be Ichiban ’s Majima , if that ’s the direction RGG chooses to direct with the character . He steal most of the scenes he ’s in , represent a admixture between Kiryu ’s stoicism and some more visible reference quality , and has a backstory that helps explain his criminal activity and peculiar affliction . It ’s a home runnel forLike A Dragon : Infinite Wealthwhen it comes to its characters - they ’re all deserving of more attending , and the side pursuit electric potential for them is there for the taking .
Combat & Exploration That Has Depth
Hawaii & Japan Shine
The core gameplay experience ofLike A Dragon : Infinite Wealthis the good it ’s ever been . Sprawling across a gorgeously realized Hawaii and more familiar territory in Yokohama and Kamurocho , exploration start feel like something to bet forward to as ahead of time as a few hours into the story . In Hawaii in particular - a brand - new map even for veterans - there feel like something around every recess , whether it ’s an elite mob of enemies or a container of loot to open . A few supererogatory feature in Hawaii , like the ability to roll and make friends , incentivizes players to stay on foot to explore even when there ’s the commodious galvanic water scooter to zoom around the function .
A striking feature of speech of exploration inInfinite Wealthis simply the ease with which the game juggles random enemies lurch the streets , collectibles , and sub - story locations . There ’s a natural period inInfinite Wealththat carries Ichiban and friends through the primary narration while providing rich time to take roundabout way , and no chapter feels rightfully speed . With three maps , there survive a danger in overwhelming the player with the sheer figure of things to do , but an emphasis on well - pace , gradual map unlocks helps smooth out these elements and create a pleasant climb up a mountain of content that rarely feel like more than a hill .
Once actor find themselves lactate into the delusional combat State Department Ichiban ’s perceptual experience of the human race create , Infinite Wealthtruly smoothen . This is RGG battles at their crown - a seamless blending between the intimate beatdowns of yesteryear , action - based introduction and the tactical armed combat that madeLike A Dragon ’s launching so intriguing . Infinite Wealthrevamps the routine - based combat with two key features that make it importantly improve from its last sentence out : an increased focus on locating , and doubling down on the best element of its forerunner to create new choice .
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth combines Ichiban and Kiryu’s stories into one sprawling epic set across multiple continents.
placement is everything inInfinite Wealth . wedge enemies into clump - up groups create opportunities for AoE fire to sweep the field , and helpful pointer indicant show where an tone-beginning will plunge an foe , assisting the player in setting these combination up while they ’re selecting their abilities . The ability to assure how a character post themselves pre - attack - and that theatre of operations of move produce at sure keystone level second - also afford up a wealthiness of scheme . It ’s easy to set up artillery attacks and back attack , and the unlike variations of AoE - from a true stock , to a rotary motion , to a all-encompassing but short breadth - assure there are rarely a want of solutions to a yield trouble .
Infinite Wealthalso takes the task organization that was so brainy in the originalLike A Dragonand attain it more accessible . Returning jobs like Hero , Homeless Guy , and Hostess are all fun , but young jobs slip the spotlight , with Samurai , Desperado , and Kunoichi some of the best of the bunch . Characters merely take down their jobs at a better gait inInfinite Wealth , which means there ’s less slogging through repeat substance and grinding to unlock honest combinations of job skills . Bonds between teammates , which are raise through combat , giving , limited dialogue dust across the mathematical function , and more , also toy a key role . Certain level of bonding unlock combat options like fall out - up attacks , tatter team special , and chain attacks , all of which expand the combat ’s tactical system even more . Combining three dissimilar caper skills and coming up just suddenly on legal injury only to have your favorite character ’s bonds lead in that last bit of extra damage is an passing satisfying experience .
Side Content That Feels Like Entire Games
Dondoko Island & Sujimon Are Captivating
While just primary content progression will probably absorb 40 hours of your sentence at minimum - more if you , like me , ask a few tripper through the roguelike dungeon of Hawaii and Yokohama to grab some extra levels - there ’s way more to explore on top of that . Dondoko Island , theAnimal Crossing - style addition toInifinite Wealth , is an exceptional side secret plan that really does feel like it has the potential difference to engross people across dozens of hours . There ’s a whole Italian sandwich - story ’s worth of progression here , on top of a few superfluous scrap of lore , and then there ’s the affair of building your own island , which can be a diversion of popular blocks of Kamurocho or a loud tribute to far-famed yakuza of the past tense .
Sujimon struggle are another example of on the face of it impossibly deep side content . It ’s a whole gacha game house within an RPG , complete with rock candy - newspaper - scissors hold squad combat and Sujimon even . There are trainers scattered across the function to battle , gymnasium loss leader , a shady cabal , some character lore , and an intact job called the Sujimancer all tied to the mode . It ’s loose to lose another dozen or so hours without realise it , and there ’s a strange satisfaction in collecting all ofLike A Draco : Infinite Wealth ’s various degenerates and perverts .
Correcting Mistakes & Avoiding Them
Kiryu’s Downfall Undone
An understated but deft routine of writing inInfinite Wealthalso avail the enfranchisement escape - arguably - some of its forged decisions when it arrive to Kiryu . Without spoiling anything , the Dragon of Dojima is given more elbow room to breathe as a character in this one , both emotionally during his battle with Crab and come to grips with his biography , and narratively with his comprehension in ongoing plot of ground . The former is particularly relevant for Kiryu . As someone who has been characterized as solving trouble with his fists , his first inherent aptitude when confront with an opposition he ca n’t perforate is to merely give up . Only Ichiban ’s personal appeal and trust on others helps Kiryu get to clear he is n’t as alone as he thought he was .
The latter correction , which facilitate Kiryu be slenderly more present inInfinite Wealth ’s more relevant story beats , helps make certain there are options for him going forward , even if his position remains mirky at best . Kiryu ’s ability to get around out of act - based fight and slog it out like a classicYakuzatitle is one of the best office ofInfinite Wealth -and a primal element in one of the best foreman battles in franchise history - and it would be a disgrace to lose out on it moving forward from a gameplay practicality point of view , too . Even if Ichiban inherits it from his time spend with Kiryu , there should besomeonecapable of it in stick to game . It ’s way too fun not to .
Review Score & Final Thoughts
5/5
I ’ll be the first to admit thatLike A flying dragon : Infinite Wealthis not an inherently thoroughgoing secret plan by any means . It ’s a sloppy narrative at time that is hardly adjudge together by the magnetic cast and the world it inhabits , with scoundrel and anti - heroes likewise salvaging some of its more confutative beats . It sticks the landing emotionally but could ’ve done more with its finish , and the sheer amount of mental object probably could have been trimmed down somewhat to include only the best examples of its substories , geographic expedition , and wide range of choice .
I ’ll also be the first to admit that those negatives really do n’t matter at all . Infinite Wealthis , simply put , the best RGG experience to date . It ’s an engrossing blend of old and fresh , with an unbelievable retrospective on the hero that start out the series this far combined with the phylogenesis of a new hero who will take it further . Improvements across the control board to gameplay , trend , and reference interaction make it a sublime journeying into the underworld of two disjoined country . New characters like Yamai carry scenes on their shoulders and pray for more screentime . It ’s the perfect recipe for a long - running , Ichiban - centric serial spanning decades - where have we seen that before from RGG ?
Anyone who antecedently suppose about givingLike A Dragona try will require to start here . It may be a lot to fascinate up on at first , but it ’s well worth it . For those already invested , it ’s punishing to overstate just how important a landmark this is for theLike A Dragonseries - atruepassing of the torch , finally , and a secret plan worthy of succeeding the action mechanism - ground legend that preceded it . 2024 is picking up exactly where 2023 , andLike A Dragon : Infinite Wealthis a game of the twelvemonth contender and a staggeringly high stripe for the relief of the twelvemonth to be .
Kazuma Kiryu regress alongside Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon : Infinite Wealth - the first game in the franchise to drop the Yakuza title . Known as Like a Dragon in Japan , the enfranchisement keep the story from the seventh entry while reintroducing the original protagonist . Current details about the plot are limited , but it will share a similar active spell - base RPG fight organization used in Yakuza : Like a Dragon .
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