Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review: Japanese Action Adventure With a Hawaiian Twist

Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a pivotal game in the entire Yakuza franchise for multiple reasons. It was the first time Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio (RGG) switched from an action beat’em up approach to a turn-based RPG system. It also introduced Yakuza fans to their new hero Ichiban Kasuga, a highly optimistic and, good-hearted but dorky character who is never afraid of a fight. This means Kazuma Kiryu, the franchise’s main character so far, had to take a back seat for a while.

Three years later, RGG is back with its latest mainline entry in the series named Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The game brings both Kasuga and Kiryu together as many fans would have anticipated or wanted after the previous release. The franchise goes through another change which involves taking the characters and players outside of Japan. Yes, you read that right.

It is the first time the franchise has an international location and it is none other than the tropical lands of Hawaii. The game has stories that take place in both the homeland and abroad. While it’s my first time with this franchise, the game had me glued for the most part. But, what exactly does it all entail? Let’s find out in this review.

Story

Infinite Wealth begins after the events that led to the dissolution of two major Yakuza clans: the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance. Ichiban Kasuga aka The Hero of Yokohama has left the ruthless and harsh world of Yakuza to take up a normal office job. He works as a contractor at ‘Hello Work’ where his goal is to help each displaced ex-Yakuza get back into the civilian world.

Everything seems to be going well but as we know Kasuga, this will not last for long. He gets laid off from the job one day despite being the best employee. Soon after, Kasuga learns his mother is not only alive but lives in a different country. This is what results in the story moving to Hawaiian beaches and sandy lands for the next hours.

While Kasuga is looking for her long-lost mother in Hawaii, things get a bit out of hand which is an understatement. He finds himself butt naked on a beach, tailed by cops. Now, you must be wondering why Kasuga is completely naked. Well, we don’t want to spoil the story for you, it’s better if you discover this on your own. It’s a story that might not shock you if you have even the slightest idea about Kasuga’s personality.

Kasuga is saved by an unexpected but familiar ally, Kazuma Kiryu. The Daidoji faction has summoned Kiryu to find a woman. And, as fate would have it, the woman is Kasuga’s mother. In the middle of all this, Kasuga makes a couple of new friends in Hawaii. Kiryu also tells him that he is battling cancer and has only about six months at most.

This is not exactly a shocking revelation as this information was also revealed in the game trailer. RRG seems to be making it clear that it is time to bid farewell to Kiryu. Ichiban Kasuga will be the main Like a Dragon lead going forward. Nevertheless, you get to play as both Kasuga and Kiryu as you discover almost every bad guy or organization in Hawaii is after Akane. The real mystery is why and most importantly, where is she? Those are the big questions you try to answer as you move forward and get to know new things.

Gameplay

Infinite Wealth is an RPG game and a good one at that. It has cut-scene-heavy storytelling which you may find annoying if you are not into such games or if it’s your first time. A significant portion of the game will put you in long conversations with people, some of whom appear for that particular scene.

The good thing is you will rarely feel these conversations are out of place.

Each conversation adds depth to the story and motives of the characters. It’s not an exaggeration when I say that the game feels like a really well-directed Japanese movie. However, there are times when conversations could’ve been trimmed down. There’s a chance you might run out of patience, but try not to skip these scenes. You’ll thank us later.

Intense battles and heartwarming moments are elevated with the inclusion of a perfect background score.

The transition between these fight and lovey-dovey scenes is quite smooth, thanks to the weirdness of Kasuga. This character is filled with optimism, a good heart, and overall laid-back vibes, which further helps connect you to the game. You will find him doing the goofiest of things at most unpredictable times. This adds a fun and humorous element to the otherwise serious story of a son looking for her mother and a fan-favourite hero nearing his death.

The map of Hawaii is a massive one with plenty of locations, activities, mechanics, and side-quests. It may feel overwhelming at first but do not rush into anything. The developers have done an excellent job at unlocking new areas gradually. There are fun, little side-quests to introduce you to new mechanics that let you perform specific actions. It does not feel like you are being bombarded with do this, do that, go here, and go there. The game supports both first-person and third-person perspectives while exploring, which was quite exciting. You can explore Hawaii on foot or by taxi. The latter is helpful when you want to go to a location far away.

Booking cabs cost money and despite the name “Infinite Wealth”, you are actually short of it in the beginning.

This sadly leaves you with the choice to continue on foot. This will not only help you save money but also stumble upon items that can be helpful. And not to mention, it is the only way you can get into street fights with random goons, thugs, etc. to earn XP and money which plays a crucial role in your progress.

There are two more ways to go around Hawaiian streets. One is through trolleys that have pre-defined routes and stations. It also costs money but is a good option if you simply want to look around the shops and everything else Hawaii has to offer without walking or getting into random fights. It also gives you new opportunities to bond with characters which is another crucial part of the gameplay.

The second way is using Street Surfer, a Segway-like vehicle that can be customised. It is faster than walking and you don’t miss out on street fight opportunities either. It also has an auto-cruise mode if you want to put down the controller for a bit. The only thing is it needs to be recharged at charging stations spread across the map. Each charge costs money.

While we have covered combat systems separately, Infinite Wealth is not all about fights. It is also about bonding with your friends and party members. The good thing is both Japan and Hawaii are home to tons of activities that you can engage in. The Revolve bar lets you hang out with friends and have conversations, while Karaoke sessions give you a glimpse of Kiryu singing. Infinite Wealth also gives you an XP bonus upon ordering specific combos in different cafes, which was an interesting way of progressing through the game. You can also give gifts to friends to improve your bonding.

All of this is not there just for the sake of it. Improved bonding will help you in battles, especially against difficult opponents. It will help you unlock tag team skills and perform powerful combo attacks. It also keeps the game light and adds to the role-playing aspect of the game.

Overall, the gameplay is fun and meaningful but is a slow burn.

The story takes its sweet time to build and you will spend a good number of hours to complete Chapter 1. If you are someone who is not into slow build-ups, I would suggest you sit through it as you are in for an entertaining ride on the other side.

The game lets you choose whether to play with the original Japanese audio or any other supported language. But for some reason, Sega decided to make the New Game Plus mode exclusive to Deluxe and Ultimate editions. It is disappointing to see such a common free feature become one of the paid “perks”.

Combat

RGG has continued the turn-based combat system in Infinite Wealth which debuted in the previous installment. For the newcomers, it is a system where each character gets to participate in the fight turn-by-turn. You have a party of four including the leader. Kasuga is the leader every time except for chapters focused on Kiryu which does not happen until you are halfway through the game.

There are four options: Attack, Skills, Etc., and Guard. Each serves a specific purpose and you can check the assigned key for these on the left-hand side of the HUD.

• Attack: Perform basic attacks on enemies.
• Skills: Perform special abilities that consume Mental Points aka MP (shown in green colour in HUD). Choose from a list of options.
• Etc.: Consume items to recover health and MP from a list. Health is represented by red in HUD.
• Guard: Guard yourself against incoming attacks to reduce the damage received.

Every character has unique special abilities based on their class called Jobs. For example, Kasuga has The Hero and Freelancer jobs when you begin the adventure. This allows you to mix and match to maximize your advantage in battles. Do note that each new job starts with Rank 1 which you need to increase to get better. You can change jobs of any character by visiting Alo-Happy Tours travel agency once you have reached Chapter 5. Until then, you will have to play with default jobs.

While each character is stuck to a particular fighting style, Kiryu has a unique job called the Dragon of Dojima. It lets him switch between three fighting styles: Brawler, Rush, and Beast. The first one offers a balanced approach, the second one focuses on speed, and the last one is all about power. Beast is specifically helpful when you want to break through the guards of enemies.

This turn-based combat system has been improved in Infinite Wealth. You now have sufficient time to choose your next move. There is an icon that lets you know if you can pick up something nearby to throw at enemies. Your character will have a circle around him. It represents the area inside which he can move around.

There is a target pointer that appears on enemies once you have selected a common or special ability attack. It gives you an idea of how many enemies will get affected if you attack in that particular direction. Choosing the appropriate direction and position is vital as you can not only collide enemies into each other but can also make them fall on nearby objects, moving vehicles to increase the damage.

Your characters also have weapons that can be upgraded by visiting Julie’s Gearworks. It is a car mechanic shop at the front but does weapon upgrades behind the scenes. You will need special materials for the upgrade process that can be collected as you explore and indulge in activities around Hawaii.

Since Infinite Wealth combat involves loads and loads of street fighting, it is wise to be aware of the enemy level. The game does not reveal the exact enemy level unless the fight begins but gives you a rough idea. Enemies with a Blue icon above their head are weaker than you. The Red icon represents a fair fight, the Purple icon means they are stronger than you, and another Red-like icon (can’t really figure out the exact shade of the colour) represents enemies above your pay grade.

The approach is no different when it comes to boss battles. It does not tell you what level is the next boss but does give you warning signs at times before heading into a fight. It reveals the recommended character level and weapon star rating so that you can walk out and prepare. This brings us to the levelling-up aspect of the game.

You will mostly have to rely on street fights to level up your player during the early gameplay. Chapter 5 is where you are introduced to the first dungeon called Labyrinth. It is the fastest way to gain XP and level up characters. A dungeon is divided into multiple levels. You get to face high-level enemies with increased difficulty as you keep moving ahead. There are many lost souls in dungeons that you have to rescue. Apart from earning XPs, you will also stumble upon items that are either rare or impossible to find outside. If you lose a battle, you will transported back to the entrance for a restart unless you save your progress whenever an opportunity is provided.

Mini-games and Other Fun Stuff

It would not be a Yakuza/Like a Dragon without fun mini-games. Infinite Wealth has multiple mini-games that offer you a good break from the intensity of the main quest. The first one and my absolute favourite is Crazy Eats.

Crazy Eats is inspired by Sega’s popular Crazy Taxi video game released in 1999.

You work as a food delivery agent in the mini-game where your goal is to complete deliveries in crazy styles. Kasuga can pull off some stunts while delivering and based on those, deliveries are given a craziness rating. The crazier the delivery, the more rewards you earn. I had a lot of fun doing these whenever I was looking for something different than the usual fights and exploration.

Sujimon is a mini-game in Infinite Wealth which is a parody of Pokemon. You are briefly introduced to the game when Kasuga is leaving Japan but in-depth details are provided in Chapter 4. Sujimon Battles are 3v3 battles where you fight against other Sujimon trainers.

Sujimons are nothing but people in Hawaii that can be recruited to fight for you. The whole concept is the same as Pokemon where your goal is to recruit new and stronger Sujimons, win battles, rank up, and ultimately become the Sujimon Master. It can even become a stand-alone game if Sega wants it to.

Another Infinite Wealth mini-game which is almost an independent game is Dondoko Island. You get to visit the island in Chapter 6 which previously used to be a resort. It is on the verge of shutting down due to all the junk and trash thrown by some bad folks.

Kasuga decides to help out the owner and rebuild it into a 5-star resort. Dondoko Island is a parody of Animal Crossing and if you loved that game, you are likely to love this one too.

Infinite Wealth further offers various fun apps through Kasuga’s smartphone. These apps add mini activities that you can perform while doing all the main objective stuff on Hawaiian streets. One such app is Aloha Links which lets you make friends in Hawaii. You will find people with an emoji icon over their heads suggesting they also use the app. All Kasuga needs to do is say “Aloha” to them by pressing a dedicated button on your controller. They will be added to the Aloha Links’ friends list and will eventually help Kasuga’s personality.

You can say Aloha to others in Hawaii with just one press of a button.

Another such app is Photo Rally which encourages you to take photos of different spots in Hawaii. Kasuga can check out the app to find out spots that need to be clicked. Once you are at those places, click a photo. These photos can then be shared at Alo-Happy for rewards. Infinite Wealth is packed with many such fun mini-games and activities that you can spend a huge amount of time completing.

Verdict

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a fun turn-based RPG game that builds on everything the previous title had to offer. It has a main story that will keep you hooked once it picks up the pace after a slow start. There are tons of side content in the form of mini-games, activities, and side quests to keep you engaged whenever you want to move away from following the main campaign.

While all that is good, gatekeeping New Game Plus behind a paywall is something that could have been avoided. Other than that, it is a game that delivers complete value for every penny spent. You will be spending about 50 hours easily even if you focus mainly on the story. The game can offer 100 hours of gameplay for people who like to do every single thing.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a game that surely deserves an Aloha from your side.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Windows. It is priced at Rs 4,399 for the Standard Edition on the PlayStation store.