Kiryu Kazuma and Kasuga Ichiban are two sides of the identical Like a Dragon coin. Their personalities couldn’t be extra completely different — Kiryu, a world-weary lone wolf, and Kasuga, a Dragon Quest-loving golden retriever — however they dwell by an analogous code of ethics and share an analogous previous, each locked up for crimes they did not commit to assist out their yakuza households. It was a bummer that Kiryu did not stick round longer when he got here round in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The 2 males would positive as hell have loads to speak about.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth lastly brings the 2 mainline protagonists collectively for an ultra-compelling and sprawling sport that lives as much as its subtitle. The three-and-a-half-ish hours I spent roaming Honolulu and Yokohama, sprucing up the trashed Dondoko Island, and battling a Megalodon-sized shark felt like a drop within the Pacific Ocean by way of the sport’s scope. And that is simply talking to the gameplay. Having each Kasuga and Kiryu as playable protagonists place the story on a broad emotional spectrum that performs to the strengths of every character’s worldview: Kasuga and his ridiculousness, Kiryu and his legacy of battle. It is a fantastic steadiness between the previous and way forward for the Like a Dragon franchise.
Over in Honolulu, Kasuga and his buddies are out looking for his mom as soon as thought lifeless. The map right here is one thing to behold. It is Ryu Ga Gotoku’s biggest-ever space for the collection, superbly designed, and the quantity of element put into it’s staggering to soak up. Extra eating places, outlets, minigames, and substories can be found, and areas to unlock bond conversations with Kasuga’s teammates are actually conveniently marked. An even bigger map additionally means extra transportation choices. Apart from the taxi stands, trolley traces are throughout Honolulu, which is a extra relaxed choice to soak up the sights and have conversations with Kasuga’s teammates. Lastly, Kasuga acquires a chargeable Segway by way of an appropriately ridiculous substory, which is, in fact, a lot sooner than operating round on foot, much less inflexible than the set areas of trolleys and cabs, and intensely goofy-looking. Throughout, a web optimistic.
Infinite Wealth additionally carries on the identical turn-based fight as Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It both works for you or it does not — I am within the former camp — and the studio has made particular enhancements to that system in order that I felt extra engaged and had extra methods to behave strategically. It appears easy, however having a circle by which to maneuver round offers an actual benefit in the case of actions like using close by objects as weapons or sneaking behind an enemy to carry out a strong again assault. The command interface has additionally been improved (and Persona-fied). Tag Staff strikes are now not hidden in talent lists however proven straight subsequent to the command menu. Possibly the perfect enchancment on this class is a better strategy to keep away from combating. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, I all the time bought a bit of irritated once I bought tousled with a number of the road freaks once I was simply making an attempt to get from one place to a different, particularly in the event that they had been so many ranges beneath me that the expertise factors from defeating them can be negligible. In Infinite Wealth, enemies are actually coloration coded by power, and so they’re much less delicate to me operating by.
I can say a lot extra about simply hanging out in Honolulu — All my new associates! The abundance of job adjustments! Swimming within the ocean! — however then this could go on for an hour. As a substitute, I will simply say that Hawaii is a blast, stuffed with hidden gems and a incredible humorousness.
Dondoko Island might legitimately be its personal standalone sport that the comfortable players would possibly sink 300 hours into with out batting a watch.
Subsequent, I used to be ported over to Dondoko Island, which many individuals have already known as, rightfully, Like a Dragon’s Animal Crossing. The rubbish-filled landmass will get Kasuga as its one-man cleanup crew with the aim of constructing it up right into a five-star resort. Apart from the extra violent spearfishing, the mechanics of selecting up shells and netting bugs is just about equivalent to Animal Crossing, and time additionally equally passes. Kasuga has a comfy home to brighten, he can purchase junk from the island’s basic retailer, and he can craft new gadgets by buying sources like wooden and stone. However, in true Like a Dragon trend, even the serene Dondoko Island is not resistant to a bit of combating right here and there. It is the one place the place the sport turns again into an motion brawler to take out pirates and different threats. All in all, it is a good break from the principle storyline and will legitimately be its personal standalone sport that the comfortable players would possibly sink 300 hours into with out batting a watch.
Leaping over to Yokohama, Kiryu’s standpoint begins and the tone of the storyline turns considerably extra melancholy and existential. Kiryu has most cancers, and his new buddies in Kasuga’s outdated squad encourage him to write down a bucket listing of issues he needs to do earlier than he dies. On the high of the listing is, sure, karaoke. On high of these duties, the map is suffering from callouts to take nostalgia journeys that replay key elements of Kiryu’s life. The fast 30-or-so minutes I performed in Yokohama felt like the start of what would in all probability function a protracted, bittersweet goodbye to Kiryu.
In some ways, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a watershed second for franchise. It is fairly doubtless a last ship off for the cancer-stricken underworld legend Kiryu, and the official induction ceremony for Kasuga as Kiryu’s successor within the collection transferring ahead. It is no shock, then, that RGG would have put an immense quantity of effort and time to make such an enormous sport that ups the ante on the almost 20 years of titles that got here earlier than it whereas nailing the steadiness of foolish and critical. I’ve no cause to consider this sport isn’t gonna rule.
