Gaming has had its justifiable share of moments when a brand new title would ostensibly be launched at simply the suitable time. The newest instance is Animal Crossing: New Horizons dropping in 2020 when the world wanted a way to soundly join through the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in 2024, for me — and possibly numerous players on the market — one other of those video games might be Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
After I first booted up the most recent Yakuza recreation from Ryu Ga Gotoko, I deliberate on experiencing a brand new journey starring plucky protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, dramatically imagining his foes as larger-than-life RPG archetypes whereas its stalwart hero, Kazuma Kiryu, serenades his companions with hours of karaoke, all whereas I inevitably ignore the principle story. What I wasn’t anticipating was for the builders to hit so near residence in its opening moments with the sport trade’s worst pattern: layoffs.
Spoilers for the opening hour of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth under.
On the onset of Infinite Wealth, it’s revealed that Ichiban’s not residing continuously on the again foot as a result of he lastly has a job at an organization referred to as Hey Works. Hey Works, which was first launched in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, is an employment workplace in Ijincho that Ichiban and his pal Yu Nanba utilized to achieve employment once they have been homeless. Gameplay-wise, Hey Work was additionally cleverly used to elucidate how every get together member would earn and degree up job expertise with Yakuza’s new turn-based Dragon Quest-inspired battle system.
It’s additionally revealed that Ichiban is using his place at Hey Work to help former yakuza members fill out their resumes and making use of for civilian jobs after the sudden dissolution of the Tojo clan on the tail-end of the earlier recreation.
For Ichiban, he sees it as giving again and paying it ahead to his Yakuza boss and deceased father, Masumi Arakawa, who needed the Yakuza’s dissolution to permit his subordinates to make an trustworthy residing exterior of Japan’s prison underworld. If I recall, I wrote in my evaluation notes “He identical to me for actual” due to how a lot I sympathized with how Iciban’s outlook mirrored my very own once I broke into the trade desiring to implement Options Journalism within the area when addressing the doom and gloom that hangs over studying and dealing within the video games trade.
All that to say, life for Ichiban was on the upswing. Of us on the road greet him because the hero of Yokohama, his staff respect his earnest efforts to enhance at his job, and his yakuza shoppers are appreciative of his skill to use their unorthodox expertise into the labor drive. The following day Ichiban exhibits as much as work, he’s been laid off identical to I used to be.
After solely two years and two months of writing gaming information and opinions, interviewing voice actors I may solely dream of assembly, and protecting massive anime occasions, I used to be immediately laid off from Kotaku final November. I’d be mendacity if I mentioned the waves of petrifying despair don’t routinely lap me underneath its undertow. Being laid off broke me in methods I’m nonetheless looking for methods to repair.
However Infinite Wealth had yet another kicker for me when the following textual content immediate appeared
Whereas it’s turn out to be uncomfortably commonplace to listen to about mass layoffs at media firms, this short-sighted pattern has just lately reared its ugly head into video games, tech, and past. As of the time of publication, the gaming trade has seen roughly 5,932 layoffs. These layoffs embody firms like Microsoft, Riot Video games, Conduct Interactive, Unity, and Twitch to call a number of. Whereas Ichiban later uncovers the merciless motive behind his unemployment, people in the true world are not often provided that luxurious. At greatest, individuals are informed, “Good luck in your future endeavors” in an exit interview. At worst, they get up in a chilly sweat to the information on social media. Both means, layoffs suck.
The one little bit of solace I had on the time was the truth that I’d quickly have the ability to take pleasure in a while with Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu whereas reviewing Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However now considered one of its heroes, who noticed a lot promise in a job he cherished, was in the identical place I’m.
Not like my layoff expertise—which was so abrupt I had little alternative to alternate goodbyes with my coworkers— Ichiban obtained ample time for solemn farewells together with his coworkers. These farewells twinged with the identical uncomfortable weight of well-meaning platitudes about issues turning round for the higher when he inevitably finds new work. All through all of it, Ichiban braves a grateful smiling face thanking his former coworkers. However as soon as Ichiban is given a second alone exterior of his workplace constructing, he breaks down. “All the things’s proper again to the way it was,” he says to himself.
However Infinite Wealth had yet another kicker for me when the following textual content immediate appeared:
Kasusga’s job has modified from Hey Employee to Freelancer.
Instantly following this new job change, Infinite Wealth successfully reveals the return of theTreasure Searching mechanic from Yakuza: Like A Dragon which requires you to scour for scraps of cash and gadgets from beneath merchandising machines, trash cans, and vehicles to pawn off for a fast buck. So as to add additional insult to damage, the sport tells me I can Treasure Hunt if I’m “down and out and unconcerned by the haughty stares of onlookers.” In the event you’ve by no means had the misfortune of job searching, Infinite Wealth’s Treasure Hunt mechanic is mainly what it’s like pitching media retailers.
Ichiban’s job standing as a Freelancer is additional underscored by the truth that the value tag of well-sought-after weapons and help gadgets in Infinite Wealth are extra exorbitant than they’ve ever been in earlier titles, with RGG Studios probably making a commentary on our inflation-addled instances. Oftentimes, Ichiban feels he has to debase himself by asking Kiryu Kazuma to mortgage him some money to progress the principle story ahead. To bridge the wage hole Ichiban and his get together discover themselves in, you’re incentivized to do a sequence of gig jobs in Hawaii like being a courier for an Uber Eats stand-in or amassing trash on the seashore to earn sufficient scratch to afford weapons he labored so laborious to have entry to within the earlier recreation.
All through Infinite Wealth, the sport touches on emotions of guilt and the hope of second possibilities led to by uncontrollable circumstances. Themes that hit significantly laborious contemplating the waves of layoffs going through the gaming trade, tech, the media that covers it, and past.
What I wasn’t anticipating was for the builders to hit so near residence in its opening moments with the sport trade’s worst pattern: layoffs.
The throughline of Infinite Wealth’s sprawling story facilities on what occurs to disenfranchised staff (yakuza, on this case) who wrestle to seek out civilian jobs for extended intervals. To make ends meet, some staff really feel beholden to take any job that’ll rent them, even when their employment is leaping from one boiling pot into the following.
Very similar to how Animal Crossing: New Horizons launch served gamers through the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, it is amusing encountering storylines in video games like Infinite Wealth in the mean time it resonates with you essentially the most. Though I doubt I’ll ever come to grips with being laid off as rapidly as Ichiban did over his workation in Honolulu; witnessing him rise above outlandish odds whereas championing his comrades—Kiryu included—once they have been on the point of giving up on themselves impressed me to maintain combating for my desires. Hopefully, people going by way of comparable hardships whereas taking part in Infinite Wealth can discover inspiration from Ichiban’s indomitable spirit as nicely.
Isaiah Colbert is a contract author for IGN. You may comply with them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
