Summary
Yakuza: Like A Dragonushered in a new era – and a new name (outside of Japan) – for the popular series, paving the way for a sequel inLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Most notably, the popular Action RPG series pivoted to turn-based combat, signaling a clear shift into a new design philosophy forRyu Ga Gotoku.
Despite the monumental change, the deeply intertwined stories and outrageous moments we’ve come to expect from a Yakuza game persist in both Like A Dragon titles. Whether you’re a longtime lover of Majima, or were enthralled by the antics of Kasuga and his crew, there’s plenty to enjoy for veterans and newcomers alike.
This list references necessary story beats and conventions from both games.
8Combat – Infinite Wealth
Kicking things off with the combat, it’s impossible to laud Infinite Wealth’s vast improvements tothe combat systemwithout acknowledging Yakuza: Like A Dragon (LaD) taking the plunge from pure action to turn-based. However, LaD was a very rough start, asintricacies like party positioningand follow-up attacks weremostly up to random chance.
Infinite Wealth smoothed over the pain points while adding anemphasis on strategyby allowing you to fullycontrol your party member’s positioningand even gave range-of-movement a standalone attribute.
Factor in the increased emphasis on button prompts that award bonus damage, and it becomes clear that Infinite Wealth puts you in full control of the tide of battle.
Certain Skills were also altered in Infinite Wealth, which increased the variety of useable jobs and characters.
7Depth – Infinite Wealth
When it comes to deliveringthe depth one would expect from a traditional JRPG, Infinite Wealth runs away with the trophy.
Among its many fleshed-out mechanics, Infinite Wealth most notably boastsKiryu’s Bucket List,which adds emotional story beats and combat style upgrades for the longtime protagonist.
Infinite Wealth even hopped on the Pokemon-like bandwagonin the form of the SujimonLeague.
It’s easy to get completely immersed in Infinite Wealth without even bothering to advance the story. Whether you’re maxing out Kiryu’s combat styles through Awakening, or prefer toget lost in a farming sim, there are aspects of Infinite Wealth that are arguablyinfused with enough detail to warrant a standalone game.
6Environments – Infinite Wealth
If we’re discussing environments in terms of the variety of locations available, then Infinite Wealth would win by default by combining our favorite locations in Japan with the massive new map in Hawaii. However, aside from the sheer size advantage of Infinite Wealth, it also manages tocreate a living, breathing worldthat exceeds its predecessors.
From the newly introducedfriend system called Aloha Links, to the incredible backdrop of the beach, to the talkative locals – everything feels closer to reality than ever in Infinite Wealth.
It’s clear the team at RGG put a great deal of time and research into crafting a believable new world and even polished the existing location in Japan with spots to reminisce on the characters' past adventures.
5Innovation – Yakuza: Like A Dragon
While there’s no doubt that Infinite Wealth refined various elements of the gameplay to near perfection,LaD broke the glass ceiling, making the seriesmore than just a goofy beat-em-up adventureknown for its absurd antics and charismatic characters.
From turn-based combat to Drink Links, to Sujimon, and much more,LaD’s core features laid the groundwork for an entirely new style of Yakuza game– not to mention the introduction of Ichiban Kasuga and the party-based system.
Infinite Wealth refines and expands upon the essential strides that LaD took toward a more nuanced and comprehensive JRPG experience.
4Minigames & Substories – Infinite Wealth
If we’re being honest,Dondoko Island aloneis enough to carry almost an entire game’s worth of features and depth, but can simultaneously be ignored if you’re just not into farming and crafting. Mukku, Gachapin, Matayoshi, and their friends are quintessential Yakuza characters in their absurdity and likability.
Aside from Dondoko Island, there are a variety of substories that delve into Hawaiian culture and masterfully capture the setting’s period. From Miss Match’s deep dive into online dating culture to Rise and Grind’s critique of journalism and misinformation,Infinite Wealth leans into our historical moment fearlessly and honestly, capturing authentic stories like never before.
3Pacing & Story – Infinite Wealth
If you’ve completed Yakuza: Like A Dragon, then you’re familiar with the incredibly grueling difficulty spike that comes with the Majima & Saejima fight around midway through the story. This misstep alone is enough to completely alter the story’s momentum while increasing frustration along the way.
No such difficulty spike exists in Infinite Wealth, with one dungeon training completion often proving more than enough to carry your party’s levels to a safe point.
In terms of story,swapping partiesand perspectivesin the latter half of Infinite Wealthinjects life into the way we discover new informationas the audience. While there’s still plenty of exposition cutscenes – it’s a Yakuza game, after all – we are let into the action and drive the story forward in the unique ways that Kasuga and Kiryu each would.
2Sound Design – Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Like A Dragon does an incredible jobpairing emotional moments with the perfect soundtrackto drive home their intended message. From Kasuga’s lighthearted Karaoke sessions with his party to the heart-shattering final scenes with Masato Arakawa, LaD set a new standard with perhaps the most cinematic storytelling the series has seen.
Infinite Wealth takes a page out of LaD’s book when it comes tomaking Karaoke feel intense, but the emotional impact the sound design had on Kasuga’s first adventure completely redefined what we should expect from the series.
1The Verdict – Infinite Wealth Wins
If you’ve been keeping score, then it’s no surprise that Infinite Wealth comes out as an improved version of its predecessor in almost every way. While it’s important to give credit to LaD,Infinite Wealth refined almost every featurepossible, fleshed it out, andthen proceeded to blow our mindsyet again.
For a series known for wacky moments and winding subversive storytelling, Infinite Wealth still had several tricks up its sleeve to keep us on our toes. Even coming into the game prepared for twists, you’ll struggle to pinpoint all of them in Infinite Wealth until the moment of their reveal.
Despite crowning a winner, Yakuza: Like A Dragon and Infinite Wealth are both must-play titles that willchange the way you look at the series and RPGs as a whole.
