The Dragon is back

The eighth chapter of Ryu Ga Gotoku's crime world saga, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth stands out as the most audacious of its endeavors. Not only does it offer an immersive plot that respects and develops the journeys of Kiryu and Ichiban, but it also boasts the largest map in the franchise. With its surreal subplots and a variety of addictive activities, could this be the peak of the series?

Infinite Wealth tells a story of duality. On one side, we have Ichiban, a funny goofball with an incredible ability to get himself into absurd situations. On the other, Kiryu, a hero with a complex past. Despite their personality differences, they share common values, resulting in a strong bond and a dynamic partnership that complement each other.



Set years after the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Ichiban now works at Hello Work, helping former Yakuza members find employment. Having been instrumental in the dissolution of a clan in Yokohama, he feels it is his responsibility to reintegrate ex-criminals into society.

Suddenly, his life is turned upside down when an online reporter misrepresents Ichiban's actions, portraying him as a villain in the media. This coincides with new information about his mother. Under the impression that she had died years ago, Ichiban discovers that she fled to Hawaii. This leads the former hero of Yokohama to cross the ocean in search of his mother.



After Kiryu goes through The Man who Erased his Name, he also finds himself in Hawaii, searching for the same person as Ichiban. When they meet, they decide to join forces to locate her whereabouts. It becomes immediately clear that something is different about the Dragon of Dojima, and we soon find out that he is actually battling cancer. This leads to a melancholic story centered on the rich supporting cast helping him complete his bucket list.

The vastness of the mechanics

Honolulu is the largest area in the franchise's history. The large number of activities scattered everywhere ensures that there is something to do in every corner of the map. As you wander around, conversation opportunities arise, building your relationship with the characters and offering insights into their pasts, strengthening the bonds with them. 

It's a very cool way to ensure that the narrative continues to develop as you face criminals in the streets. Additionally, the player will encounter various activities that provide unique gameplay experiences. For example, you'll roam the streets in a minigame delivering food around, and participate in other activities, like dating sites, among other crazy things.



The detailed design helps make the game world more vibrant. You can take a taxi, hop on the tram, or cruise the streets on an electric scooter to discover the many things to do. It's easy to get distracted, and that's one of the biggest draws of Infinite Wealth. From arcades with classics like Virtua Fighter and SEGA Bass Fishing to singing your heart out in karaoke bars, you'll lose hours in this crazy world. 

Certain activities also include their own stories and specific mechanics to make them valuable experiences. For example, the Pokémon parody, Sujimon, is back, but now it's bigger than ever. As a trainer, you can befriend characters to form a powerful team and take on the Discreet Four! This includes group missions, a Sujidex, and the ability to train and evolve your team. With its own triangular battle system, something really crazy to think about, considering it's a game within another game.



Following Nintendo's inspiration, Dondoko Island is basically Animal Crossing: Yakuza. You arrive on an abandoned island that needs love and development. To improve the land's appeal and attract tourists, you need to clean up the mess, build structures, and capture creatures. And you can decorate your cozy home, create items, and position them as you like. 

As for combat, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth improves the turn-based system established in its predecessor. Ryu Ga Gotoku introduced a movement circle that allows you to position yourself to maximize damage. Positioning and proximity are very important, as you can get bonuses by attacking from behind and staying close to your opponent. The environment is also your ally, allowing you to use nearby items to increase the power of your attacks.



Additionally, you can throw your enemy into others or to a member of your group to cause more damage. Although knocking out opponents is the goal, you will also need to defend against enemy attacks. If you time your defense perfectly, you can reduce the damage received. However, you will need to rely on healing items and recovery skills to restore HP during battle.
 
The beauty of Japan

The game nailed it in terms of beauty, maintaining the franchise's visual style, but with a significant improvement in graphics and cutscenes, the characters' facial expressions are much better and the city looks much more alive, both in the open world and in the fights and enclosed environments that the player often encounters.

The game's sounds are also very good, the ambient and combat music fits very well with the situations in which they are used, and we can't forget to mention the voice acting, which in English is very good, but everyone knows that the true charm of Eastern game voice acting is in Japanese, which is very well placed in the scenes.



The controls are also very responsive, even though it's a turn-based combat game, the mechanics work perfectly, both in combat and also in the moments when you roleplay the game, the secondary functions like jobs make the game become extremely more organic and alive.

Therefore, we can say that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is undoubtedly the best Ryu Ga Gotoku game. The expansive world full of content is very inviting to explore every inch of the map, although minigames and activities are a trademark of the series, they have never been as diverse and dynamic as they are now. With its touching and funny story, as well as its fun combat system with just the right level of difficulty.

We thank SEGA for providing us with the key for the content.