Summary
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the most expansive and ambitious project in the franchise's history, with extensive exploration and side activities.
- The character development and core narrative of the game live up to the hype, continuing the story of Ichiban Kasuga and introducing new gameplay elements.
- Ichiban's personality allows for a greater emphasis on teamwork and secondary characters, giving the game a renewed sense of identity compared to previous entries featuring Kiryu as the protagonist.
Fans are finally enjoying Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is arguably the most expansive and ambitious project in the franchise's entire history. While it is easy to get lost in the game's exploration of Hawaii and its immense amount of side activities, the character development and core narrative of the release also live up to the hype.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth picks up pretty much exactly where 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon left off, with players once again taking control of the IP's new core protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. With Ichiban having to carry the torch from the iconic Kiryu Kazuma, the new main character had a lot of expectations to live up to in 2020, yet Infinite Wealth proves even further that Ryu Ga Gotoku has made the right decision despite the differences between the two.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - How To Unlock New Game Plus and What Carries Over
Players can unlock New Game Plus in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth only after paying a hefty sum.
Like a Dragon’s Ichiban and Kiryu Have Different Strengths Despite Their Similarities
Fans have been following the story of Kiryu Kazuma since 2005, with the Dragon of Dojima's story being told in detail over the course of nine mainline games and two remakes. The portrayal of Kiryu's arc has followed the figure from his early 20s right up to his mid 50s, shedding some context on the huge task that Ryu Ga Gotoku had ahead of it to replace the beloved face of the franchise.
Starting with 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the series has made some sweeping changes, moving further away from the Yakuza branding, introducing an entirely new combat system, and marking the start of a new cast of characters taking over from the old guard. Ichiban Kasuga is at the crux of these changes, and while he and Kiryu have the same gleaming moral compass, determination, and great strength, many aspects of the two characters could not be further apart.
For example, despite the recent Infinite Wealth only being Ichiban's second franchise appearance, he is already in his mid 40s, while Kiryu has had six games worth of development by this point of his own life. This is one of the largest discrepancies between Ichiban and Kiryu, and Ryu Ga Gotoku may struggle to give Ichiban the same level of longevity due to his age.
While it would be difficult to give Ichiban the same amount of mainline appearances as Kiryu, he could still appear in future spin-off Like a Dragon games to make up for this.
Ichiban's Personality Allows Secondary Like a Dragon Characters To Shine
Despite this, Ichiban is entirely unafraid to rely on the help of others, which is quite the opposite of Kiryu's stoic "lone wolf" mentality that saw him face many grave situations by himself over the years. Ichiban's reliance on teamwork is a perfect fit for Like a Dragon's new party system and turn-based combat, making the player feel more connected to secondary characters in a way that prior Like a Dragon games did not have the privilege of utilizing.
So while it is true that Ichiban may not realistically have the same amount of franchise appearances as Kiryu, his unique personality allows Ryu Ga Gotoku to spread this lost character development across a much wider range of in-game figures, which will more than make up for this in the long run. Ichiban is undoubtedly the hero of his own narrative, but he is only as strong as the close-knit network of friends that guide him on his path, offering a big change from Kiryu's reserved and independent nature and giving the new games an even greater sense of renewed identity.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Dragon Engine
- Franchise
- Yakuza
WHERE TO PLAY
EPIC EMOTIONAL DRAMA
Two larger-than-life heroes brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister…
Ichiban Kasuga, an unstoppable underdog who’s no stranger to crawling up from rock bottom, and Kazuma Kiryu, a broken man facing down his last days.
BEST-IN-CLASS RPG ACTION
Experience one-of-a-kind combat with dynamic, fast-paced RPG battles where the battlefield becomes your weapon, and anything goes. Adapt your party’s skills to the situation with outlandish jobs and customizations to strategically subdue enemies with over-the-top moves.
INFINITE ADVENTURE
Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an adventure so big it spans the Pacific. Unforgettable moments await at every step of the journey with a unique mix of quests and activities to enjoy at your leisure.
