Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Review

Initial Release Date: January 25, 2024

Mode: Single-player video game

Nominations: The Game Award for Most Anticipated Game

License: proprietary license

Composers: Hidenori Shoji, Shunsuke Yasaki, Hyd Lunch, Yuri Fukuda

Genres: Action game, Role-playing video game, Adventure game, Adventure

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Jason’s Key Takeaways and Score

• Hawaii is massive on it’s own with the addition of Ijincho, Kamurocho and Yokohama added playable maps
• Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu each have their own campaigns with separate stories
• Visually the best looking Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio game I ever played | PS5
• Lots of quirky moments throughout the campaign | Megalodon fight!
• Story seemed all over the place. I do respect the climax and ending however.
• Combat is fun, deep and flexible
• Dungeons for grinding were useful late game
• Great atmosphere
• Late game level grinding not fun
• Great cast of characters with characterization
• Various Jobs like Samurai, Idol, Chef were all useful with various mix and match loadouts
• 50+ hour campaign with 100+ hours for the completionists

Introduction

Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio over past years make some of the best video games gamers continue to sleep on. I love the Yakuza video game series. For the record, the only Yakuza video games I haven’t beaten due to time are Yakuza 3, 4, 5. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

I even beaten the lead up to Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon Gaiden. Infinite Wealth is a really solid Yakuza game don’t get me wrong. I mean for starters, there are a million things to do in Hawaii. It’s just that for some reason the story didn’t grab me like some of the past Yakuza games.

Presentation

Infinite Wealth takes place in the Aloha state Hawaii, along with classic Yakuza Japan maps Injincho, Kamurocho and Yokohama. This game is the biggest Yakuza game I ever played.

The size of the game really isn’t a negative as their are solid ways to pass the time and even grind if need be. You have a few B-tier actors and actresses portraying good and bad characters related to the story.

Technically the game ran at sixty frames for the most part. There were no game breaking bugs of any sort. Music and atmosphere were solid. Great visuals better than any Yakuza game to date. The story branched off in too many directions however.

Story

The story starts off strong with a linear focus on ichoban Kasuga in search for his long lost biological mother Akane Ishida. In the end Ichiban does reunite with mom which was very touching.

However, I didn’t like the quarter in to mid-point sections when you are thrusted into Palekana’s Bryce Fairchild and Ebina’s plot to use a hole in the ground near Hawaii as Japan’s nuclear dumpsite. The later just seemed out of nowhere and too forced.

Kazuma Kiryu’s story arc could have been better. I understand Kiryu is dying of cancer and practically dies at the end due to his fight with Ebina. Make up your mind are you going to kill off my guy and let Ichiban take over or what?

Gameplay

The battle system is turned based gameplay centered around “Jobs” that function as RPG classes where you can mix and match abilities as you unlock more of them. Infinite Wealth offers a plethora of solid side story content. You can unlock Poundmates.

Crazy Eats quests are fun like Crazy Taxi was back on the Dreamcast. You have Sujimon “Pokemon” Battles. At the Anaconda Mall you can play classic SEGA arcade games in real-time. Collect materials in Dungeons to upgrade to weapons and abilities. Buy weapons and gear at shops.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a turn based role-playing adventure video game for the record. It’s fun, has deep engaging boss encounters. Dondoku Island is basically Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth ‘s version of Animal Crossing.

Playing as Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu each have their own gameplay elements, mechanics including combat and story cutscenes. Kiryu has Reminiscence sequences that harkens back to past games I played which was neat. Think Bucket List for the latter. If you enjoyed Like a Dragon’s gameplay it’s better in Infinite Wealth. Just saying.

Visuals | Graphics

Infinite Wealth looks great. What can I say. It’s the best looking Yakuza video game available. The character models and Hawaii’s bright colorful ambiance were beautiful. Minor NPC character models were trash though.

Sound | Music

Decent voice acting filled with some cheese encapsulated by good mood music while fighting or exploring created a decent atmosphere in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. That’s about it. Later – Jason