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 stay 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 certain as hell have quite a bit to speak about.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth lastly brings the 2 mainline protagonists collectively for an ultra-compelling and sprawling recreation 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 chatting with 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 wrestle. It is a terrific steadiness between the previous and way forward for the Like a Dragon franchise.
Over in Honolulu, Kasuga and his friends are out looking for his mom as soon as thought useless. The map right here is one thing to behold. It is Ryu Ga Gotoku’s biggest-ever space for the sequence, fantastically designed, and the quantity of element put into it’s staggering to absorb. Extra eating places, outlets, minigames, and substories can be found, and areas to unlock bond conversations with Kasuga’s teammates are actually conveniently marked. A much bigger map additionally means extra transportation choices. Apart from the taxi stands, trolley strains are throughout Honolulu, which is a extra relaxed possibility to absorb the sights and have conversations with Kasuga’s teammates. Lastly, Kasuga acquires a chargeable Segway by 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 would 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 wherein to maneuver round provides an actual benefit in relation to actions like using close by objects as weapons or sneaking behind an enemy to carry out a robust again assault. The command interface has additionally been improved (and Persona-fied). Tag Workforce strikes are now not hidden in ability lists however proven immediately subsequent to the command menu. Perhaps the most effective enchancment on this class is a better solution to keep away from combating. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, I all the time obtained a bit of aggravated once I obtained twisted up with a few 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 under me that the expertise factors from defeating them can be negligible. In Infinite Wealth, enemies are actually colour 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 mates! The abundance of job modifications! Swimming within the ocean! — however then this could go on for an hour. As an alternative, I will simply say that Hawaii is a blast, stuffed with hidden gems and a unbelievable humorousness.
Dondoko Island may legitimately be its personal standalone recreation that the comfortable players may 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 purpose of constructing it up right into a five-star resort. Apart from the extra violent spearfishing, the mechanics of choosing up shells and netting bugs is just about equivalent to Animal Crossing, and time additionally equally passes. Kasuga has a comfortable home to brighten, he should buy junk from the island’s common retailer, and he can craft new gadgets by buying assets like wooden and stone. However, in true Like a Dragon style, 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 primary storyline and will legitimately be its personal standalone recreation that the comfortable players may sink 300 hours into with out batting a watch.
Leaping over to Yokohama, Kiryu’s viewpoint 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 put in writing a bucket checklist of issues he desires to do earlier than he dies. On the high of the checklist is, sure, karaoke. On high of these duties, the map is plagued by 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 closing ship off for the cancer-stricken underworld legend Kiryu, and the official induction ceremony for Kasuga as Kiryu’s successor within the sequence shifting ahead. It is no shock, then, that RGG would have put an immense quantity of effort and time to make such an enormous recreation 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 purpose to consider this recreation isn’t gonna rule.
