In 2020, the Yakuza series took a bit of a leap with its seventh entry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The lens shifted away from longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu to newcomer Kasuga Ichiban, swapping out its real-time action for turn-based RPG combat in the process. It was, by most accounts, a rousing success. But there was still room to grow.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, then, seems like even more like a passing of the torch than its predecessor. And it was this shared custody of the spotlight that made me a bit nervous, going into a preview session way back in October. How would the focus manage both Kiryu and Ichiban? Why, after seeing one character hand the reins to the next, did we need to retread that ground?
After playing a hefty amount of Infinite Wealth, it seems like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is going to try and pull this off in the grandest fashion possible. Two protagonists, two storylines, even multiple locales. And that’s not counting the added minigames and activities. This might just be the biggest world we’ve seen in the series yet.
But it’s the attention to little details, and the small tune-ups from its predecessor, that have me interested in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. RGG is going big, and so far, I think it’s panning out.
Vacation, all I ever wanted
The basis of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is simple enough. From trailers alone, we already saw Ichiban trying to live out a normal life after the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. He works a job, picks up beer from the convenience store, and even goes on dates. But his past seems destined to return and haunt him again.
When I first took control of Ichiban, he’d made his way to Hawaii, retracing his mother’s footsteps. Kazuma Kiryu was already accompanying him, as well as two newcomers, taxi driver Eric Tomizawa (heck yes, more Erics) and health expert Chitose Fujinomiya. In the section I played, there were some opportunities to advance the plot forward, and also the chance to just mosey around in the open world.
Y’all, let me tell you now, I strayed as far from the objective marker as I could. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see more of Infinite Wealth’s story; in fact, the cutscenes I watched were quite good. A particular highlight was Ichiban and Chitose having a heart-to-heart on the beach, after helping out some locals.
But I wanted to see all the ways in which RGG was expanding this world, both in its side activities and in the RPG combat. Good news is, both are pretty robust. Hawaii is huge, beautiful, and there is so much to do in it that RGG has even added Segways as a transport option, just to get around a little faster.
Picking up new jobs
Much like Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Infinite Wealth has a job system that takes the “job” part quite literally. Chitose, for example, had a bunch of special fitness-based moves, making her an excellent support character. Ichiban could do a lot of work with his bat, but I later swapped him over to a Surfer profession, which saw him hang loose and annihilate foes with his surfboard.
Kiryu, meanwhile, sticks to his guns. His arms, I mean. The longtime lead still brawls like a dragon, and many of his special moves felt reminiscent of the various fighting styles and talents he’s learned over the years. You can even swap around to the different stances to change up your attacks.
As you might have noticed from the Surfer, though, there are some island-themed jobs to pick up too. I only saw one other option in my playthrough, a fire dancer with some obvious elemental tie-ins. But even the job recruitment office has taken on a vacation flair, framing the new gigs as special packages, and recruiting a haunting mascot in the process.
Combat feels relatively the same, though that’s not a bad thing. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth still sees the party facing off in turn-based, Dragon Quest-alike battles with enemies, the way Ichiban envisions it. There are a range of special moves, summons through the classic Poundmates, and even team-up attacks that are extremely powerful. Some of those provide additional boons too, like Kiryu and Ichiban’s imparting an “ATK Up” on the crew.
One big improvement Infinite Wealth makes over its predecessor is letting you move characters on their turn. When it’s, say, Kiryu’s turn, he’ll have a small circle around him, letting him shift or reposition before acting. It’s a huge upside for dealing with enemies that have AoE attacks, or getting around one foe that’s blocking for others.
There’s not too much to say, otherwise. Battles in Yakuza: Like a Dragon were both fun and engaging, and Infinite Wealth has managed to keep a lot of that same spirit while adding some notable quality-of-life changes.
A town big enough for the both of us
Infinite Wealth also boasts a huge open world to explore. Again, I mainly veered off-course, intending to see all the little side things I could do until I only had story left.
Some things, like an expanded Sujimon system, I only barely interacted with; that seems like a persistent slice of the game that would take a while to get invested in, so I only did a few battles and found them charming. There were even spots for battles on the overworld, similar to Pokemon’s raid battles.
The arcade selection for RGG’s games are always a highlight, and they didn’t disappoint in Infinite Wealth. First off, Sega Bass Fishing with some modern touches is fantastic. SpikeOut was a new one to me, but an excellent choice, keeping some of that brawler sensibility alive. Motor Raid is a blast. And it really surprised me to see Virtua Fighter 3tb in the lineup, too. Karaoke returns, of course, and is predictably excellent.
A food delivery game lets Ichiban play a bicycle version of Crazy Taxi around Honolulu, picking up floating food icons and delivering to hungry customers. Cabaret clubs offer a chance to recover health, with selections determining who gets bonuses; some performers appeal more to the women or men in the group, for example, and will offer better bonuses for them.
My favorite part of the open-world exploration, in the Hawaii section I played, was the Bond Bingo. There are different experiences and conversations relating to each party member, and Ichiban can expand his “bond” with them by engaging with them in the open world.
Oftentimes, they were pretty casual conversations, usually resulting in learning something basic about a party member like their favorite color or food. But it’s a neat way to encourage more party interaction in the overworld. I already loved the cast of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and getting even more opportunities to see a party bond is always a good thing.
Hard times
It’s those bonds that can result in some big emotional impact, and I saw just how that would play out when our demo session shifted to Kiryu, back in Japan. At this point, I’ll lightly warn you that while the trailers for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth have discussed a certain story beat regarding Kiryu, if you want to remain mostly unspoiled, drop a bookmark here.
Kiryu heads back to Japan at some point in Infinite Wealth and seems to be in the care of Yakuza 7’s Nanba. Diagnosed with cancer and an indefinite amount of time to live, Kiryu has to make a decision about what he’ll do with his remaining time.
In the section we saw, Nanba was trying to motivate Kiryu into fighting back and getting treatment, and so he encouraged Kiryu to write a bucket list. Recruiting the help of the Geomijul’s Seonhee and Yakuza: Like a Dragon party member Saeko Mukoda, the four hit the town to cross off some of Kiryu’s list.
It is, frankly, an incredibly emotional scene. Not to inject too much of my own circumstances into this, but accompanying a character you’ve cared about around town as they cross entries off a bucket list is melancholic, to say the least.
Alongside heading to the cabaret club, batting cages, and karaoke, new pop-ups appeared around town. These let Kiryu reflect on something, whether it be a specific location or sign, to reflect on his life. These have little flashbacks to past Yakuza games, where Kiryu talks over memories and lessons learned from a lifetime brawling across Japan.
While it was a shorter section, it felt like an absolute gut-punch. After the emotional finale of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, I had a feeling Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth would be pulling out all the stops for a big send-off. Now, I’m absolutely certain that’s what is happening, and the story seems ready to elicit the same tug of emotions Gaiden did, for an even longer stretch of time.
It’s about family
The other thing Kiryu’s section solidified for me is that Like a Dragon seems teed-up for its Fast Five moment. I know, that sounds like a weird analogy, but let me explain.
For those who haven’t seen the Fast and the Furious franchise, it started off with a film about an undercover cop infiltrating a group of street racers who did some highway robbery on the side. Point Break, essentially. But over time, it evolved; and with Fast Five, I’d argue, the series firmly pivoted from street racing crime to international espionage, heists, and action.
It feels like the Like a Dragon series has been making the same pivot for some time. To be clear, its story is still rooted in crime and intrigue; Kiryu’s story seems like it’s going to wrap back into the power vacuum left by the dissolution of the Omi Alliance and Tojo Clan in Y:LAD/Gaiden. Ichiban’s story will probably also have some ties back into organized crime.
But the overall story of Like a Dragon is lifting up and beyond the bounds of yakuza drama, perhaps best personified by RGG dropping the Yakuza moniker in the west. The cast is expanding, with the party now encompassing separate groups and protagonists, with tons of returning faces and endearing newcomers.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth feels like a massive, titanic game. I haven’t even touched on Dondoko Island, the entirely separate Animal Crossing mode that I have a separate preview for here. Compared to the relatively smaller offering in Like a Dragon Gaiden, it’s hard not to feel like that was the appetizer for the main course.
But if anything, playing Infinite Wealth reminded me of just how much this series has grown on me over the years. I started with Yakuza 0, picking it up on a whim and loving it. 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon solidified that, providing a whole new cast and story that felt just as compelling as the series’ best.
With Infinite Wealth, RGG is trying to bridge a gap while also making the biggest version of Like a Dragon it’s made yet. It is an audacious attempt, taking a series known for its huge side-game variety, and making an even-larger version of it.
But with how RGG is building up on its foundations and expanding in really surprising, emotional ways, I’m optimistic. There are some high hopes for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the massive RPG sequel is swinging for the fences. It makes me fear for the amount of hours I’ll need to put into it, but at the very least, Infinite Wealth seems like it’s going to make the most of those hours.
Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.
Published: Jan 4, 2024 09:00 am