When Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was revealed, I used to be truly a bit dissatisfied. I am keen on the collection, however I hoped the workforce would construct on Ichiban’s story to take the franchise ahead quite than bringing again Kazuma Kiryu after he had an excellent finale in Yakuza 6. In the event you’re new to the video games, we mainly had a gentle reboot in methods with Yakuza: Like a Dragon (titled Yakuza 7 in Japan) that not solely introduced in a brand new protagonist, but in addition was a turn-based RPG quite than a brawler like prior entries. I really like Kiryu’s video games and think about Yakuza 0 as considered one of my favourite video games of all time, however Yakuza: Like a Dragon felt just like the breath of recent air the collection wanted.
Since then, the workforce launched Like a Dragon Gaiden (hyperlink to evaluate), which I ended up loving as nicely regardless of its one annoying concern. At that time, I used to be roughly offered on Kiryu being again, however was cautiously optimistic for the place the story in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (titled Like a Dragon 8 in Japan) would go. I’ve been enjoying it for a couple of weeks now, and after placing in almost 105 hours into the sport throughout PS5 and Steam Deck, I think about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to be a masterpiece of an RPG, and considered one of my favourite video games in a really very long time. Observe that the screenshots on this evaluate are my very own from each Steam Deck and PS5.
After I started the primary story, it felt like an excellent opening, however I wasn’t prepared for what was coming subsequent. With every chapter I performed, mini-game I found, aspect story I discovered, and extra, I genuinely couldn’t consider what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega pulled off right here. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is considered one of Sega’s finest video games ever, however what stunned me is the way it additionally felt like two full Yakuza video games put collectively after which some. In the event you performed Yakuza 0, you skilled a twin protagonist system there. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a monstrous expertise by way of its foremost story and all of the elective content material. Even after over 100 hours into the sport, I haven’t accomplished remotely the whole lot I wished to within the sport world.
Earlier than moving into what I really like about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, I wish to go over what I wished mounted from Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Yakuza: Like a Dragon was the workforce’s first turn-based RPG, and one which felt like an excellent first try from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. It did have some teething points in its gameplay, and one huge shock issue spike within the later half of the sport. The workforce has addressed all of those points in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth with big fight enhancements and enhancements, and the workforce even took care of the problem spike by truly supplying you with really useful gear and ranges for particular story factors all through the story. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is mainly the fruits of not solely the newer video games within the collection, but in addition as chock stuffed with high quality content material as Yakuza 0 was, whereas respecting the collection’ legacy as an entire all through. That is Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s magnum opus.
Having prevented watching most story-related trailers, I got here into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth comparatively blind barring what I skilled within the demo included in Like a Dragon Gaiden final 12 months. I used to be inquisitive about how each protagonists can be dealt with, and I believe the workforce did a incredible job. After a robust opening few chapters, you begin to see not solely completely different views of the story, but in addition some excellent interactions between the brand new events right here. I wasn’t nervous about how Ichiban’s aspect can be dealt with with the brand new characters launched, however I used to be inquisitive about how I’d discover characters from Yakuza: Like a Dragon like Seonhee, Nanba, and Saeko in Kiryu’s celebration. In the previous couple of years, there have been some robust JRPG foremost casts like Xenoblade 3 having probably the greatest, however Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has surpassed that fairly a bit. This could be considered one of my favourite casts in gaming now.
Along with the banter throughout exploration and fight, the characters are additional fleshed out not solely in the course of the story, but in addition for their very own backstories by way of the Drink Hyperlinks system. After you’ve raised your bond stage sufficient by way of interactions, gifting them one thing, consuming with them, or combating alongside them, you’ll be able to expertise a Drink Hyperlink on the bar. This allows you to study extra a few celebration member and even assist them out with their issues. A few of these could even contain precise in-game battles. I ended up finishing Drink Hyperlinks for each character however one in my first playthrough, they usually have been all price it.
With out moving into any spoilers and even mentioning what I noticed in a few of the trailers, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s narrative and the payoff are constantly incredible. I’m inquisitive about how not solely longtime followers, but in addition newer gamers react to some moments from the mid to late sport. Out of the brand new playable and non playable characters, Chitose and Eric are well-written, whereas the brand new interactions we see between the likes of Seonhee and Nanba with Kiryu and Kiryu’s interactions with Ichiban give this the texture of two legendary experiences coming collectively for a grand conclusion.
Talking of the conclusion, there’s a giant construct as much as how I anticipated issues to go within the story, however I spotted I used to be solely midway into the sport. It always stunned me, and even baited me into pondering how particular characters would act solely to do the other. All of that is elevated by nice cut-scene path with a mixture of in-engine and pre-rendered scenes. There may be additionally fairly a little bit of voiced dialogue all through which is a large deal for a sport so long as this one.
I can’t consider I’ve not even talked about thus far that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is about in Hawaii, the primary time a sport within the collection focuses on a locale like this. Hawaii isn’t just a few location added for a substory, however an enormous, colourful, and dense location stuffed with secrets and techniques, specialty espresso outlets (an enormous win in my e book), highly effective foes, and a ton of mini-games and NPCs. The truth is a few of the areas are so dense, I even observed the body price drop within the PS5 model there. After figuring out prior areas just like the again of my hand, it felt nice having a brand new location in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to find and in addition search for secrets and techniques and collectibles throughout the hidden locales.
Outdoors the primary story, there’s a wealth (I couldn’t resist) of aspect content material by way of completely different sorts of substories, mini-games, and some that might be fleshed out into their very own sport. The Dondoko Island mini-game might be its personal funds priced standalone launch. It has that a lot effort put into it, and it nearly pushes the sport engine an excessive amount of in its scope. Then there’s Sujimon which has its personal raids, battles, coaching, boss fights, and even a really cool factor you unlock after finishing it. Barring these two, Sicko Snap and the supply mini-games have been highlights. There are the standard arcade video games and extra that the Yakuza video games embrace, however I ended up spending an excessive amount of time on karaoke as ordinary.
Talking of substories in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kiryu has his personal set of substories and memoirs primarily that you could gather. I received’t particularly spoil what these embrace, however longtime followers of the collection and followers of Kiryu through the years will discover loads to like right here. A number of the moments right here stunned even me (in a great way) with how the builders tackled sure characters. I’ll depart it at that.
A whole lot of components in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s story, gameplay, and elective content material had me pondering whether or not it could find yourself being a “an excessive amount of of a great factor” scenario, however the workforce proved me improper. I solely thought perhaps one or two hours out of the over hundred hours I put into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth weren’t enjoyable, and that’s as a result of I attempted pushing my luck in a dungeon or story second the place I went in with out gearing up.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is structured a bit in another way due to the 2 protagonists. There are some story chapters the place you play principally with just one celebration, and don’t see a lot of the opposite, however most find yourself letting you do a bit with each Ichiban and Kiryu. The story begins unfolding completely the extra you play, and the whole lot slowly is sensible with character motivations, and in addition with Ichiban’s character coming into its personal. Kiryu’s character was all the time going to be superb, however the actual star of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is unquestionably Ichiban.
After I unlocked the job (fight class) system, or the flexibility to vary jobs in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth I used to be nearly spoiled for alternative instantly. You begin out with a couple of jobs unlocked, however can unlock extra by visiting particular areas or finishing sure mini-games. I didn’t spend an excessive amount of time experimenting throughout my first playthrough as a result of I used to be very pleased with my celebration setup for each protagonists, however I’ve been having a blast with the brand new jobs within the post-game.
One fear I had was how the sport can be balanced round a number of jobs with the strong job system, encounters, issue, and in addition tools. Barring having to recollect to equip your finest gear when you find yourself enjoying the opposite character, I had no actual points with how something was dealt with issue sensible. I even tried pushing issues by going right into a story scene a number of ranges under the advice with decrease high quality gear. It was doable, however undoubtedly a get up name. I might take these sport stage suggestions severely if I have been you.
In the case of the gear or tools in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the sport options crafting, tools per job, character-exclusive tools you’ll be able to unlock later, and in addition an improve system to reinforce your gear. The supplies you utilize to craft or improve are discovered everywhere in the sport, however some might be a lot simpler to acquire by way of mini-games, particularly in case you’re after the last word weapons for every character. Ichiban’s final weapon helped me out a ton in the course of the remaining space of the sport for instance.
At this level, you’re in all probability questioning if these stage suggestion messages are only a warning for issue spikes, however that couldn’t be farther from the reality. In the event you hold operating from enemies and skip battles, you can be decrease stage for positive, however the sport has a couple of methods of letting you stand up to hurry and even grind to be overpowered in case you’d like. That is the place the dungeons come into the image. Barring a couple of story areas which are smaller dungeon-style areas, you will have entry to 2 foremost dungeons within the sport. These are elective (outdoors of a narrative second that takes you into the early areas) areas the place you will get superb crafting supplies, weapons, and loads of expertise. There are checkpoints that allow you to save as nicely, so it isn’t one thing you have to full in a single go. I normally used to fill up on therapeutic and stamina restoring gadgets earlier than doing a dungeon run as a break from the story or a mini-game.
One new function in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that makes dungeons a lot much less boring than the sewer in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is the music participant. You may play a couple of songs from the beginning, however unlock a plethora of Sega and Atlus songs by way of exploration and mini-games. I don’t wish to spoil the shock songs they’ve included however I didn’t count on Sega to even bear in mind two of the video games featured right here. I’d additionally like to notice that some dungeons additionally function traps and hazards with the standard hidden collectibles, mimic chests, and particular enemies that reward extra expertise. A whole lot of the additions and enhancements in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth make it really feel extra like a JRPG whereas nonetheless sustaining the whole lot I really like in regards to the Yakuza collection.
Dungeons, exploration, bosses, and extra all revolve round Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s fight system. This time, you’ll be able to transfer round in a set radius to plan your assaults with the interface highlighting whenever you’re close to an object you’ll be able to decide up, given a proximity bonus, and even see the path an enemy might be knocked into letting you strategize on the go. The sport remains to be turn-based, however this stage of motion and the interface prompts offer you fairly a little bit of freedom to strategize in your directional assaults, space of impact expertise (with their very own highlights), and in addition in environmental interactions. Choosing expertise normally has brief fast time occasions like mashing Y/Sq. or completely timing your X/Triangle button press to get a injury enhance. Guarding in opposition to assaults by timing a press of A/O enables you to reduce the influence of assaults.
This movable space for the character you’re controlling now removes the randomness of the prior foremost entry. You additionally don’t want to fret about enemies blocking your path when you attempt to do a fundamental assault in opposition to an enemy additional away. My solely grievance with the fight system is in how the digital camera generally doesn’t reposition shortly sufficient on an enemy attacking. This implies you don’t get an opportunity to attempt to do an ideal guard in time. I’m unsure if this might be mounted for launch, however I hope it’s addressed sooner or later.
One facet that actually elevates the entire fight expertise is the brand new celebration members and in addition the celebration construction throughout the sport. Having Seonhee playable is superb, and I’m glad it occurred, however discovering your personal synergies with the job system and events to ultimately get to a degree the place you wipe out excessive stage enemies in a couple of turns earlier than they will even act by no means will get outdated. I loved Seonhee’s whip assault that makes use of a powerline to do space of impact injury, and adopted that up with one other space of impact assault doing fireplace injury mainly melting enemy well being bars.
The demo seemed that Kiryu can simply use brawler fashion fight as his final capacity at any time, however understand that you don’t simply get entry to it instantly, and you may’t simply spam it and play with Kiryu as a brawler. This can be a turn-based expertise by way of and thru, however Kiryu can get into brawler mode after a selected level within the sport, solely as soon as his particular bar fills up. The way in which you unlock additionally it is probably the greatest surprises within the sport.
Whilst you can quick journey to taxi factors throughout the map when you’ve unlocked them by strolling by, the actual pleasure of the expertise is operating round and discovering a random highly effective merchandise in a briefcase simply mendacity within the curb or choosing up a helpful merchandise from the bin. You may after all use the brand new segway-like gadget to hurry round city. I really like that you could even customise the colour and particle results for this and it requires its personal prices and upgrades. By in regards to the center of the sport, I nervous how I’d even hold monitor of all of this with the numerous improve and crafting techniques included, nevertheless it all comes collectively rather well. You simply want to recollect to improve your gear and purchase therapeutic gadgets usually.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s fight additionally options poundmates that are this sport’s summons, and they’re much more excessive than the prior sport. I ended up unlocking so many elective ones by way of substories and mini-games that I forgot to make use of lots of them by the tip, and solely remembered this in the course of the remaining space of the sport the place I let unfastened and simply loved the spectacle of the poundmate animations for some encounters.
I discussed Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s Dondoko Island mini-game already being very in-depth, however I used to be stunned at how a lot time I used to be keen to place into it. For mini-games like Sicko Snap, I ended enjoying after doing it sufficient instances to unlock the gear I wished, however right here I used to be simply utilizing Dondoko Island like I do karaoke in Yakuza video games, as a option to take a break from the primary story. It helps that Dondoko Island was nice to earn cash and one thing particular on the finish as nicely.
In the event you performed Like a Dragon Gaiden, you’d know that Sega added VTuber Kson to the sport as a hostess within the mini-game, and I used to be glad to see that. In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, she’s a bartender, however the VTuber presence doesn’t cease there, and I discovered it very fascinating how the builders and writers dealt with that facet within the story. Who knew including VTubers and extra espresso outlets would assist this a lot? However jokes apart, I undoubtedly loved that facet of the sport.
Regardless of enjoying the sport loads each day for some time now, I nonetheless didn’t find yourself seeing the whole lot it needed to supply, and might be dipping into it slowly aiming for 100% completion over the approaching weeks. It truly is a monster of a sport in nearly each method, and I used to be stunned at the way it by no means felt prefer it had padding. You even get a wealth of save factors and gadgets within the late sport areas that throw enemies at you always.
Visually, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth appears principally beautiful. There are some components that really feel a bit unpolished, however it’s a good step above previous video games in its scope and visuals in Hawaii. The dynamic climate system can also be very nicely accomplished. Character fashions are incredible, and the workforce undoubtedly stepped up with the manufacturing for story scenes. Efficiency will fluctuate in elements relying on what you’re enjoying on although.
I performed Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on each PS5 and Steam Deck for this evaluate, however will concentrate on the Steam Deck portion for the technical particulars. On PS5, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth targets 60fps and I solely observed the body price drop significantly in a single in-game location with a ton of NPCs and in addition in two late-game boss fights throughout assault cut-scene animations or throughout assault animations solely.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is Steam Deck Verified already which is all the time a great signal, however Valve generally marks video games that don’t run nicely as Verified. Fortunately, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is definitely actually good on Steam Deck, and you’ll seemingly already know what to anticipate in case you performed the demo or performed Yakuza: Like a Dragon on the hand-held. On Steam Deck, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth enables you to regulate show mode (borderless, fullscreen, windowed), decision (with 16:10 and 800p assist), refresh price, toggle v-sync, use graphics presets, regulate FOV, body price goal (30, 60, 120, limitless), and regulate superior settings.
The Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth superior graphics settings on Steam Deck allow you to regulate texture filtering mode, shadow high quality (which I set to low as ordinary), geometry high quality (Medium for me), realtime reflections, movement blur, SSAO, render scale, depth of subject, reflection high quality, and some upscaling methods. This contains AMD FSR 1.0, FSR 2, FSR 3, Intel XeSS, and in addition the sport’s default anti-aliasing. I ended up utilizing both FSR 2 or FSR 3 throughout my time with it on Steam Deck. Whereas I clearly couldn’t check this on Steam Deck, in case you have been questioning about DLSS, Nvidia introduced that it is going to be supporting it.
After testing the ultimate sport’s most up-to-date construct as of this writing, a locked 60fps isn’t actually doable on Steam Deck with out the sport wanting a bit too blurry for my liking. I’d advocate aiming for 40hz or 30fps in case you’re happy with that with a lot better visuals. Turning shadows to low, leaving geometry on medium, and utilizing movement blur in case you prefer it, whereas enjoying round with render scale and FSR 3 are your finest guess for a clean expertise proper now. You would get a lot better efficiency by decreasing the render scale under 100 to say 80, however I’m not a fan of the way it appears. I’d quite follow a 40hz goal with some compromises given it is a turn-based sport in spite of everything, or 30fps with higher visuals. Understand that whereas the opening of the sport might sound to run at 60fps for you, Hawaii is extra demanding in lots of elements with how dense the areas are with many NPCs strolling round. Even be warned that yet another crowded mall space and two boss fights appear to be fairly a bit heavier than the remainder of the sport.
On the audio aspect, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has superb music all through its upbeat battle themes, catchy themes performed throughout mini-games, glorious new and outdated karaoke songs, and memorable boss themes. Two of the later boss themes are superb, and I can’t wait to see the response to them when my associates play Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth additionally occurs to make use of a pleasant association of some older songs from the collection, however I received’t say the place that occurs. I do know some previews have proven this, however sit up for some good surprises within the sport’s soundtrack.
Whereas I anticipated Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to have glorious Japanese voice performing, I wish to spotlight Kazuhiro Nakaya, the Japanese voice of Ichiban Kasuga for his efficiency right here. It’s in all probability my favourite protagonist efficiency in any RPG alongside Ben Starr’s Clive in Closing Fantasy XVI and Harry McEntire’s Noah in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Kazuhiro Nakaya delivered one thing past particular right here. To not say the opposite solid members didn’t do an excellent job, however his supply actually caught with me all through even days after I hit sure story beats.
In the event you, like me, have been contemplating getting Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on PS5 or questioning what that model provides over the Steam Deck barring the visible and efficiency upgrades, the DualSense options are very good. The builders added correct haptic suggestions for a lot of small issues like ukulele strum assaults or for the segway whereas exploring. I anticipated some fundamental adaptive set off assist, however I’m very pleased with the DualSense implementation right here. It’s a disgrace that this seemingly isn’t obtainable on the PC model.
Barring some efficiency enhancements in elements I had points in, the one factor I’d wish to see improved is the digital camera in some encounters. The sport shouldn’t have enemies assault whereas the digital camera hasn’t adjusted but. I additionally would love Sega so as to add an choice to the PC port to power the show of particular controller button prompts quite than have it auto detect. The Persona ports let you choose or power Nintendo and PlayStation prompts no matter your enter methodology. This can be a minor concern, however because the PC port is so good in nearly each different method, it could be a pleasant addition.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio at its peak. It feels recent whereas nonetheless bringing collectively the perfect facets of my favourite video games from the studio. Not solely does it handle to ship a compelling story with twists and turns all through the massively lengthy foremost story run time, however the sheer high quality of its elective content material and mini-games places a few of the finest entries within the collection to disgrace. We lastly have a contemporary Yakuza sport that matches not solely the standard, but in addition the amount of Yakuza 0’s awesomeness. It will get my highest potential suggestion. I can’t wait to see what the studio does for the following sport.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Steam Deck Assessment Rating: 5/5
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