A Lūʻau and leis from the comfort of your living room.
If Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth was a pizza it would be packed with pineapples, ham, and a whole lot of cheese. It’s as Hawaian as a pizza can get. The series continues to make wild but welcome changes in the eighth edition of the franchise.
From the more serious Kiryu Kazuma to the goofy but loveable Kasuga Ichiban, from the focus from action-based combat to a turn-based JRPG inspired affair, the series once again makes a bold leap this time around. A nearly 4,000 mile leap from Japan to Honololu, Hawaii.
Once again the guys and gals at Ryo Ga Gotoku make it work and they make it work beautifully. Because even if you don’t like Hawaian pizza, you’re gonna love Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Infinite Wealth stands out
After a mysterious and dark intro, Infinite Wealth quickly showcases its very lighthearted and nonsensical theme. Within the first hour of the game, Ichiban dives into a trash filled river for a stranger and even saves a homeless man from being mugged.
Ichiban’s heart of gold from the first game shines brighter than ever once again. Ichiban who is now known as the ‘The Hero of Yokohama." A brand-new quest has him pick his Hero-Bat/Laundry Hanger anew to look for his birth mother in the far-flung island nation of Hawaii, which coincidentally is the next big star of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Sakamoto Hiroyuki, a long-time producer of the Like A Dragon series, really made sure that the game’s portrayal of Hawaii would not disappoint. During a press event in the Philippines, he talked about the work of the Ryu Ga Gotoku team to make Hawaii as perfect as it can be and a brand new and memorable experience for the players.
“I wanted to make everyone have the experience of going to Hawaii like I did so myself”, he said. The meticulous work for Sakamoto-san even went as far as to make sure even the height of the coconut trees were spot on as well as the many other locales that the other players could explore in game.
A plethora of fun activities
The smorgasbord of activities you can do in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth comes very close to its namesake. Ichiban can try out Hawaii’s dating scene with Miss Match, take on adrenaline filled food delivery missions with Crazy Eats, and even make friends with hundreds of NPCs that include an eight-year old chicken who has seen too much of the world.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth also doubles down on the Sujimon. Become a Sujimon Master in the Sujimon League. Sujimon are basically Pokémon except they aren’t cute and cuddly creatures.
Sujimon are grown men (mostly weirdos) who like to dish out the pain. From bums who like to do battle to drunk men who use a trash can lid as a shield to lumbering giant babies with huge milk bottles they use like hammers.
There are over 300 Sujimon you can discover in Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth. Unlike in the first game where you only had to fill out a Sujidex by defeating them in combat, this time around you can capture, train, and even partake in battles with them. You wanna be the very best after all.
Then there’s Dondoko Island which is basically a game in itself, Animal Crossing but with Like A Dragon energy where you get to make and design an Island Resort all on your own. As someone who spent hundreds of hours in Animal Crossing, I know I’ll be spending a similar amount of time sprucing up my Dondoko Island. This is just the tip of the iceberg in Infinite Wealth’s mini games and there really is so much to do.
A diversified battle system
The battle system is also a stark upgrade compared to Ichiban’s first adventure. You can move your characters around in combat now allowing you to unleash attacks with pinpoint precision.
Characters can even make use of weapons lying around the battlefield to amplify their attacks even more. You see a bike lying around? Smash it on top of your opponent’s head.
Kiryu’s unique class ‘Dragon of Dojima’ even allows three different fighting styles and Heat Actions which long-time fans will surely appreciate. Speaking of classes, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth features a whopping 16 classes to play around with (18 if you pick up the pre-order Linebacker and Tennis Ace DLC classes).
From the unique classes to classes like the gun-slinging Desperado to the nimble Kunoich classes, the players are given a high degree of customization when it comes to their party set-up.
With activities to do left and right and an enthralling story featuring legends like Daniel Dae Kim and Danny Trejo, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a trip to Hawaii to remember. Enjoy the waves and the mahi-mahi at the buffet from the comfort of your own living room because Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is an instant classic.
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