Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is already a franchise highlight, receiving the highest metascores the series has ever received.
04.01.2024 - 15:47 / techradar.com / Hiroyuki Sakamoto
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthis full of color and joy but, true to previous installments in the series, the upcoming role-playing game (RPG) from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio doesn't shy away from tougher themes, too.
At a hands-on preview event in New York, producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto opened up about how one of the game's protagonists, Kazuma Kiryu, battles cancer during the game's main story.
«At every release, Kiryu actually gets older as the game progresses,» said Sakamoto. «We don't do this thing where the characters are the same age all the time — they're not Superman. We're following those characters aging, getting older, and hitting those different life stages. That's the story that we want to tell. Everybody goes through different stages in life and experiences different [...] problems and issues. We want to illustrate that and tell a very realistic life experience story.»
As part of this preview, I was able to play the first part of Kiryu's 'Bucket List' storyline, where the grizzled Yakuza puts together a list of things he wants to do before he dies with the help of his friends. It made for a deeply moving sequence that left me misty-eyed on more than one occasion.
However, it's important to emphasize that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn't all doom and gloom. Though the game makes a strong effort to treat heavy themes with respect, the title is full of lighter moments, too.
«We also don't want the story to be so bleak and predictable,» continued Sakamoto. «We don't want Kiryu to just rot away.
»We do have a lot of excitement in the story as a whole. It's what you want to see for Kiryu, turning things around [...] and figuring out what would make him the most happy. Obviously, we're not trying to make anything that's super sad or disappointing."
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on January 26 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
Want more poignant, narrative-heavy experiences? Our lists of the best RPGs and best story games have you covered.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is already a franchise highlight, receiving the highest metascores the series has ever received.
There’s a new way to travel in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. While you can still pay taxis to get around Hawaii faster, you can also use a Segway-like device called the Street Surfer. This battery-powered standing travel device lets you zip around the streets, and you can mount it at any time. There’s just one downside. The battery life is limited and gets used up, so you’ll need to recharge at stations located all over the city. Using the Street Surfer is very simple and it can be summoned (or put away) at any time. You can even purchase higher capacity batteries from Hawaii Pawn Shops. The Street Surfer isn’t just limited to Hawaii either, you can use it when you travel back to Yokohama.
The best healing items in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth can be acquired right at the start of the game — the tricky part is just farming all the materials you’re going to need to make them. As soon as you arrive in Revolve bar in Little Japan, you’ll be able to bring ingredients to the owner to mix drinks and other healing items. These are by far the best healing items in the game, able to heal your entire party or heal both HP and MP at the same time.
Jobs are back in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and they’re even more ridiculous. Instead of dressing up like Hosts and Idols your party can become fire dancers, hula girls or gun-wielding desperados. Some of the jobs are truly ridiculous, including a surfer that swings his board around like a club.
To craft the best gear in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, you’ll need rare materials called Geodes and Crystals. Geodes become easier to find in the very late portions of the story, but Crystals are always hard-to-find. If you’re looking for an easier and earlier way to get Fragments, Geodes, or Crystals — there’s a hidden vendor you need to check out. Here’s what you need to know about crafting late-game weapons and getting infinite crafting materials.
In Chapter 9 of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the Tattoo Parlor lady will demand $10,000 USD before she gives you any information you need about your missing person. That’s a lot of cash, but it isn’t impossible. Returning to Hawaii in Chapter 9, the enemies are much tougher and cash is easier to come by. There are multiple ways to earn the money you need, but there are a few ways that are extremely easy.
is RGG Studio's latest entry into the formerly-known-as franchise, and it's probably the developer's most ambitious project yet. After just giving protagonist Ichiban Kasuga his start as the face of, his second adventure puts him side-by-side with the most iconic character the series has ever had — its former protagonist, Kiryu Kazuma. It's the kind of decision that could easily sink a promising hero, and to be honest, there are moments where the game threatens to do just that, barely containing the myth of Kiryu to allow Ichiban more space to grow.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and Tekken 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, and Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island for Switch are the highlights of this week’s Japanese video game releases.
Fans of the Like A Dragon series aren't happy about streamer Felix «xQc» Lengyel promoting Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The latest Like A Dragon game will release on January 26, but xQc was able to play the game early for a sponsored stream.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases this coming week and takes the series' best boy protagonists to the new shores of Hawaii. It's one of our most anticipated games of 2024. There's a slight snag though: New Game+ mode, a staple of both the genre and the series, is this time locked away within the more expensive Deluxe and Ultimate Editions.
can make up for the worst combat sin committed by its predecessor — and no, it's not the turn-based combat. The previous game in the series,, served as a soft reboot for the long-running RPG franchise. It transitioned from the original English series title,, to a direct translation of its Japanese title,. It introduced a new protagonist, the shaggy-haired, -loving Ichiban Kasuga. And, perhaps most divisively, it replaced the series' classic brawler combat with a turn-based system, heavily inspired by RPGs of yore.
Bandai Namco is putting the Nintendo Switch on the highway to the danger zone, announcing that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition will be coming to Nintendo's hybrid console on July 11.