Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth Review: An unforgettable Hawaiian adventure

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is the latest massive story-driven adventure from RGG Studios and SEGA. It’s taken me a few days to really process how I feel about this game, even after spending 90 hours exploring Honolulu, Ijincho, and Kamurocho.

I was skeptical about it using a dual protagonist system: Kasuga Ichiban and Kiryu Kazuma. However, I have to say that it felt solid to me, with everyone getting time in the spotlight. I’m so glad that SEGA stuck to the turn-based RPG system that Kasuga started off with. The updates and changes to the gameplay felt good, but not everything is perfect.

There are some story moments that really left me frustrated, but overall, it’s been a positive, enjoyable experience. When SEGA claimed that Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth was the largest game in the series, they definitely were not kidding. With two full parties of party members, tons of flashbacks, and plenty of twists and turns, the latest LAD title does not disappoint.

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Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth’s story is incredible, but not without flaws

It all begins here: In Ijincho (Image via SEGA)

We already knew that Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth leads Kasuga Ichiban to Hawaii to meet his mother, but nothing is ever truly what it seems. I won’t go into the details of the story, or how it connects to the other cities and party members, but overall, I enjoyed this tale. However, the pacing was horrifying in the first couple of chapters.

I’m so used to Like a Dragon/Yakuza games being nice and slow at the start. There’s so much to learn and take in, so they tend to start nice and slow. This game starts at a breakneck pace and pushes so much information to the player at once. Before you know it, you’re in Honolulu, looking for Kasuga’s mother, Akane.

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth tells two stories, and tells them well. Kasuga Ichiban’s story is the drama surrounding his mother, and how mysterious forces are all seeking her. On the other hand, Kiryu’s story is how he is dealing with cancer, and the various sins of his life. It feels like a solid farewell for Kiryu Kazuma, with lots of cameos and memorable moments coming back to haunt him.

This might be the funniest line in the entire game (Image via SEGA)

Without going into details about the story to avoid spoilers, I’ve really been happy with how it’s all been presented. However, if I had to find a complaint, it’s in how the homeless are presented in Hawaii. They’re painted as violent criminals, shipped from the mainland United States.

This could be construed as people in this world being misinformed, and I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt. The rest of the trip to Honolulu felt great, even down to the social media app to make friends with people.

Game mechanics have been vastly improved in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth

Combat gets incredibly wild in this game (Image via SEGA)

There are some noteworthy changes to the overall gameplay of Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth that I didn’t think would become so important. When in battle, each character can move within a certain circle, which grows as you level up. While this sounds like nothing, many regular attacks have a knockback. We got a hint of this in the Adventure Demo, but I really loved how the game felt and played.

You can point enemies at each other to deal extra damage, or to knock foes into explosive barrels. I also appreciate that if you’re close to objects, you can grab them and smash foes for tons of damage. This is going to make it feel closer to previous Yakuza titles. There’s something satisfying about watching Kasuga snatch a bench and smash an entire enemy group with it.

One complaint about the new game mechanics has to be that it takes a great deal of time and money to start unlocking the new jobs that Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth offers. Money is incredibly tight for much of the game, and the more advanced jobs are quite expensive.

Bonds are much easier to build in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth (Image via SEGA)

However, I do love that the bond system has expanded, and that you can use this to mix and match your jobs. I loved how easy it was to find the important conversations you have with party members, to complete their Bingo Board - which builds even more bond.

The higher the bond is with a character, the more cross-class skills you can attach to them. This is, of course, except the major “Essence of” skills for a class. This way, you can have a Kunoichi with amazing healing skills, or a Desperado with some sword skills if you need more bladed, elemental moves.

Crafting has also been improved a great deal in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth. It’s less of a hassle to craft and improve weapons, though the cost of the actual base weaponry is quite expensive. Almost every enemy drops improvement materials, and you can even add enhancements. For example, you can make a weapon deal magic damage instead of physical damage, making Idols potentially quite dangerous.

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is overflowing with extra content

Dondoko Island is such a fun time, but time-consuming (Image via SEGA)

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is chock-full of content! Among the regular sort of mini-games and options, such as Karaoke and Fishing, you can do so much more. You can play a version of Crazy Taxi, where you bicycle around and deliver food to people. In addition, there’s a Pokemon Snap-style mini-game where you take photos of perverts.

These were incredibly fun distractions, but nothing compares to Dondoko Island and Sujimon. You can easily spend dozens of hours in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth just in these. Dondoko Island is SEGA’s take on Animal Crossing - you build the Island resort of your dreams, and invite people to come visit. It can be a great way to make money, but it takes a ton of investment when it comes to time.

Or you could become a Sujimon Master (Image via SEGA)

If that weren’t enough video game crossovers for you, Sujimon brings Pokemon battles to Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth. You literally capture Sujimon - criminals and hooligans - and pit them in battle against other trainers, as you work towards the Discreet Four.

There’s simply so much to do, and you don’t have to focus on just the main story. I spent a bit less on these than I’d like, but when I come back in Premium Adventure, I will dig really deep into these modes.

Should Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth be Kiryu’s final adventure?

This should be the end of the Dragon (Image via SEGA)

As I played through Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, I really felt like it was a proper farewell to Kiryu Kazuma. He goes through so much across the six mainline games, and part of his story is reliving some of these moments. That means cameos - so many great cameos. However, I’m worried that SEGA will decide he needs to keep coming back.

It’s time for Kiryu to hang up his cool suit, and either pass away peacefully or go back to the Orphanage with Haruka and Haruto. While I liked this game's two-party system, I want the focus to be on Kasuga and his adventures. He’s clearly popular enough to hold the franchise up on his own.

If Kiryu appears as an important character in Like a Dragon 9, it’s going to undo all the goodwill, and all the emotional weight that came with this story.

The graphics and audio for Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth are superb

Honolulu is scenic, and the visuals are superb (Image via SEGA)

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is certainly a gorgeous game. The cutscenes look beautiful, and the game plays smooth. The Japanese dub sounded terrific, and I was blown away by how beautiful Honolulu is. However, there is one thing when it comes to the subtitles that really frustrated me. Early in the game, you can unlock a Playlist system, where the CDs you collect can actually be played as you run around the world.

It includes a radio show that changes its topic every chapter. Unfortunately, it does not give English players the subtitles for these conversations. I was so excited to learn more about this radio talkshow that discusses the latest in gaming, and other pop culture. This might have been the most frustrating part of the game's overall presentation for me.

In Conclusion

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is a gorgeous, emotional game. I’ve spent nearly 100 hours playing it over the past couple of weeks, and while it’s not perfect, it’s enjoyable. Kasuga and Kiryu’s story is worth experiencing - I just hope it’s the final hurrah for Kiryu Kazuma.

It’s a quality turn-based RPG, and it really shows just how great of a protagonist Kasuga Ichiban is. He’s such a wholesome character, and I was pleased to see how it all turned out. There are some interesting twists and turns throughout this story, but you’ll have to experience that for yourself.

Although I'm definitely upset that New Game+ is hidden behind a paywall, I still loved my time with this title. I'm sure that is a decision that is not going to go over well, and I agree - it shouldn't go down like that. Regardless, Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is a beautiful, must-experience game. You don’t need to play Like a Dragon Gaiden first, but it will help fill in some important gaps.