They say that Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is the best representation of mental illness in gaming. But I beg to differ as the Yakuza series seems to be doing a fine job in portraying schizophrenia. Anyone who has played any game in the series will tell you tales of the tonal pacing that goes up and down like a roller coaster. And it’s beloved for that very reason. That’s been a hallmark of the series and I’m happy to say that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth offers more of the same. Well, that’s pretty much the review, but my editor tells me I can’t end the review here. So let me elaborate.
Table of Contents
Story
The primary protagonist of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is Ichiban Kasuga, who was first introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Kasuga has an infectious enthusiasm that would make a puppy jealous. He has a strong sense of honour and never hesitates to protect the innocent. He is also a little too naive and trusting at times. But somehow he doesn’t come off as annoying, rather, these traits make him quite endearing.
I know I’m supposed to explain the story in this section but that is impossible when dealing with the Yakuza series. As I mentioned earlier, the tone of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is everywhere, and I wasn’t kidding. The story starts with a murder, but an hour later you’ll be helping Kasuga find the right clothing to wear for a date. Later you will learn that his mother is alive and has been living in secret in Hawaii, but when you get there, you’ll soon find yourself naked and getting arrested for indecent exposure. But don’t worry, a Hawaiian religious group will help you find your mom, but you’ll first have to deal with the deadly homeless street gang that deals in counterfeit clothing. This is just in the first half of the game.
But the main missions aren’t even the craziest part of the game. The side quests (known as substories) are even crazier. During your playthrough, you will help your pet crawfish find love, summon a storm for a Japanese rock star by dancing sexily, and help an old man fulfil his dying wife’s last request by taking the help of a Yakuza crime boss who likes to dress up like a baby and wear diapers.
This is pretty much par for the course for the Yakuza series. However, if you are new to the series, I would just say this. Don’t question, just accept.
The one issue I have with the story of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is that it trudges along at a glacial pace. The cutscenes can go on forever. It takes 4-5 hours for the game to finally send you to Hawaii where the action finally starts to pick up. Even then, a lot of the game is still locked behind story missions and it will take another 4 hours or so for you to unlock everything that the game has to offer. This includes the Animal Crossing and Pokemon satires. I think these are best saved for the next section.
Gameplay
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth continues the turn-based combat that was introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The one big difference is the fact that Infinite Wealth lets you reposition your team members within a small area before executing an attack. This lets you line up your attacks to inflict extra damage on the enemy. Attacking from the back or getting enemy units to fall into others will net added damage. Further, attacks can also be chained with other members of Kasuga’s party for even more damage.
A neat little addition is an indicator that lets you know when enemy mobs are too powerful for you to take on. This helps you avoid those mobs until you are ready to take them on. Not only that, but the game also prompts you on level requirements before you take on enemy bosses. Further, enemy mobs that are underpowered can be quickly dealt with via a single button press, saving you some time.
Kasuga and his party members level up in two ways. The first is their level up, and then ranking up in their respective jobs. Jobs are the game’s version of a class system. Each job can bestow a certain level of attack or buffs. This could be a support role, area of effect attacks or elemental-based attacks.
Then you have the various side activities. This includes claw machines and even classic Sega arcade games. There is a new Aloha Links activity that asks you to befriend the locals to gain attributes. The strangest of the bunch was a dating mini-game that saw you try and land a date. There is also a photo side quest wherein you ride the trolley, taking photos of ‘sickos’. Don’t question, just accept.
The two big new additions are Sujimon and Dondoko Island, which are the game’s take on Pokemon and Animal Crossing. Sujimon has you ‘collect’ enemies to use in battle as a Sujimon trainer. Sujimon are collected by inviting certain enemies to your team. They can then be battled in the underground tournament arena.
Dondoko Island sees you renovate an island and turn it into a 5-star resort. You do this by clearing trash to free up space. The free space can then be used to build and add amenities and buildings on the island. This can then be used by visitors to generate more income. You also have to collect resources to build the various amenities.
The biggest gameplay change, however, has to be the setting. The Yakuza series has always been set in Japan, but now it is set in Honolulu, Hawaii. You get a much larger map with more open spaces as compared to places like Osaka or Yokohama. To navigate, players can not only use taxis to fast travel but there is also a trolley that they can ride. Players can also ride a Segway-like vehicle called a Street Surfer in the game. The wider streets of Honolulu also make it easier to completely avoid mobs when running around.
Overall, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is pretty similar to Yakuza: Like a Dragon in terms of gameplay. However, the few tweaks made to the combat system have improved the experience a fair bit and made the game easier to grasp. The only issue I have is that during combat, your teammates continue to move around which makes planning attacks or buffs a real chore.
Graphics
The graphics of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is just as colourful as the setting demands. Honolulu is gorgeous with beautiful blue skies, sunkissed beaches, and people milling about. The main characters are quite detailed with care and attention, especially when looking at the facial expressions and the hair.
However, it’s once you look beyond the primary characters do you notice the rough edges. Many NPCs and tertiary characters are not as good-looking and lack the same level of detail. The same holds true with some of the props and background objects in the game. This is especially evident when interacting with them during cutscenes.
Verdict
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a continuation of Ichiban Kasuga’s previous outing. The little changes to the combat system have made the game more inviting to newer players while the new location of Hawaii is a refreshing change while not altering the identity of the series. The series is leaning into the zaniness of the franchise and manages to stay different and relevant in a sea of copycats that is modern gaming. There is nothing quite like Infinite Wealth in gaming and the small niggles do nothing to dampen the overall quality of the game.
If you are a fan of the Yakuza series, then Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is an easy recommendation. However, if you haven’t yet experienced the insanity of the Yakuza series, then this game is a great point to get into the series.
Rating: 8/10
Pros
Insanely fun story and side quests
Varied gameplay activities
Endearing protagonist
Cons
Slow pace
Graphical disparities
More Info:
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
We played a review copy of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth provided by Sega
