Yakuza: Like A Dragon was an excellent foray into turn-based chaos, however a few of its RPG components did not fairly lead anyplace. Properly, in swaggers the frankly ginormous Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth to tie off the free ends and provides us a follow-up that hyperlinks all one of the best bits of Yakuza into a much more satisfying reward loop. Among the refinements make for very good silliness, whereas others are a bit eh – not every thing is ideal. However spending time with Ichiban and his friends within the sun-soaked Hawaii and past is the actual deal with. It is a great, pleased JRPG and it’ll by no means fail to brighten my day. Thank goodness for Yakuza.
Infinite Wealth begins with Ichiban and his friends main regular lives, having escaped the chaos of organised crime… that’s, till they’re dragged again in by an opportunity encounter. I will not get into particulars, as I might quite not spoil a great deal of story beats for you, however I might say the inevitable pull of the yakuza is especially properly achieved right here and avoids leaning on the traditional “we have damaged out of jail once more, lads” crutch of the previous. As a substitute, it entails the yakuza’s dwindling presence in Japan – an indication of the occasions – and has the emotional hook of a familial thriller. Seems Ichiban’s mom is on the coronary heart of issues, with the primary clue inserting her someplace in Hawaii.
Ichiban’s arrival on Hawaii’s sunny shores delicately pulls him away from his established occasion and, at first, cleans the slate. Not solely is it thrilling once you recruit new friends – a taxi driver who robs you at gunpoint, and a woman who additionally robs you – it is great to find how their tales intertwine with Ichiban’s previous, and presumably, his future. Oh and Kiryu’s again, too! Besides it is really actually unhappy as a result of he acknowledges early on that he is affected by most cancers and does not have lengthy to stay. I used to be fearful he’d been shoehorned in as a playable protagonist and occasion member for the sake of it. However no, not solely does he make for an excellent dad of the group, his inclusion is a farewell in one of the best sort of sense: 1) He will get to hurl bicycles at thugs; 2) He lastly accepts his vulnerabilities; 3) He is surrounded by associates previous and new.
What’s great about Hawaii is the way it completely compliments Ichiban’s character and, to some extent, Yakuza as an entire. It bursts with color – maybe an excessive amount of, because the distinction would possibly blind you through the day – and has numerous districts with shiny malls, surf shacks, sleaze, and an azure sea you possibly can really swim about in. It simply sits as one in every of my favorite Yakuza locales ever, as a result of it additionally embraces the sluggish life (a bit like Y6’s Onomichi, my all time fave), as you stroll alongside its coastal paths or hop in a tram with nothing in thoughts apart from basking within the orange glow of the solar set. Simply as Ichiban radiates positivity, so does Honolulu.
Later, you may spend time with Kiryu in Yokohama as he ticks off issues on his bucket record. It is a neat option to remix the familiarity of Yokohama by the lens of a legend bowing out – a person who not solely imparts data to Ichiban’s unique gang, however shines a lightweight on how a lot everybody else has matured round him, too. For these invested within the story, each Ichiban and Kiryu’s paths make for all of the melodrama and occasional matches of silliness you would ask for.
And because the devs’ second crack at a turn-based RPG, I might say Infinite Wealth refines what got here earlier than, by making it in order that plenty of the character stats from LAD now feed right into a tighter reward system. For example, Ichiban’s character traits (ardour, mind, and so on) now tie closely to unlocking new jobs (courses), and your bond stage with friends now determines what number of slots you’ve out there for inheriting expertise from different jobs. In impact, Infinite Wealth has wrapped Yakuza: LAD’s free finish stats right into a extra motivating loop.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have additionally added new strategies to stage up all of this stuff, besides right here the standard varies from stable to shoulder shrug. Waving to the identical NPCs as you roam Hawaii enables you to steadily befriend them, however there is no substance to it past seeing bars go up. On the flipside, a hilarious courting app mini recreation enables you to stage up your stats by sending “passionate” advances with fast button combos and final ditch selections. Succeed and also you would possibly meet somebody good! Fail and also you would possibly get catfished by an oily perv. Or, if the sport requires a little bit of grinding, you possibly can complement it with a roguelike dungeon referred to as the Labyrinth, with procedurally generated halls and rooms of loot to plunder.
You see, there are moments all through the story the place the sport’s like, “Hey, you would possibly wish to attain stage 13 and have this kind of tools earlier than you enterprise onwards”. Infinite Wealth tweaks are additive, certain, nevertheless it’s nonetheless very a lot an RPG with a straight trajectory, the place the story follows one observe and will not veer astray it doesn’t matter what you do. And in a conventional JRPG sense, it is reliant on the occasional grind, as a result of it is solely your occasion’s stage that actually enables you to push forwards.
Yakuza LAD’s had a mid-game hunch due to this, and it was a bit naff, however the Labyrinth’s roguelike hook, mixed with tweaks to common EXP rewards, has dialled down Infinite Wealth’s want for levelling excursions. Or, if you happen to want, remodeled these journeys from barely insufferable to a welcome jaunt. However Infinite Wealth remains to be a Yakuza recreation with Yakuza-isms that may grate for some. In addition to the grind, count on some exceedingly lengthy cutscenes, repetitive strings of fights by places of work, and the incitement of rage from seemingly everybody on the streets.
Whereas east Hawaii’s ruffians are weaker than your west selection, it is tough to inform how a lot everybody’s ranges carry. There have been occasions once I went up towards some brutes round 4 ranges increased than me and bought obliterated. Then there have been occasions once I tackled a gaggle of goons seven ranges increased and emerged unscathed. Truthfully, I do assume the extent stability is slightly borked, and it may be particularly irritating as enemies’ ranges do not really seem till a struggle kicks off. Do not do a me of us: save usually, lest you get battered.
However I do assume my shock successes are, partly, because of turn-based tweaks to Yakuza: LAD’s setup that allow you to higher bend an obstacle to a win. Now you are in a position to transfer in a small zone throughout your turns, which feels like slightly change however provides a lot wanted selection. Rotate behind an enemy and you may lay down additional “Again Assault” harm, or you possibly can sidle over to a close-by visitors cone so as to add a spot of thermoplastic to your slaps. One of the best factor about it, although? Fights flip right into a recreation of skittles, as most foes could be smacked in direction of a pal, who’ll then carry out a follow-up haymaker (relying on the bond stage, and subsequently advantages, that you’ve got with them).
Spells and assaults have been tuned a bit too, making everybody’s suite of talents extra helpful. Adachi’s suplexes break guards, stopping enemies from hunkering behind titanium forearms, whereas Chitose’s fragrance bottle can spray a number of lads with a pungent debuff. And it is great having the ability to inherit any talent from any Job in a while, making it actually helpful to have enjoyable and experiment. The additional choices aren’t at all times sufficient to make common battles much less of a chore, however towards harder hoodlums they shine. Infinite Wealth’s lastly discovered the suitable mix of turn-based and chaos to graduate from an experiment that went properly, to a sequence staple that feels uniquely Yakuza.
Whereas some niggling Yakuza jank lingers, Infinite Wealth additionally retains what I consider to be the sequence’ most essential energy: comedy. Identical to the remainder of the sequence, the sport vaults between absurdity and seriousness with confidence. Nancy the crawfish is now Ichiban’s pet, and has a full on love story within the midst of every thing. And I like how the devs have infused lots of the facet tales with Hawaiian tradition and vacationer silliness. I’ve helped a rockstar conjure a storm for his music video by going to a neighborhood shaman, and kind of laugh-cried at an previous man making an attempt to fulfil his spouse’s remaining want to see snow. His method of going about it? Chucking shaved ice into the air. However it does the Yakuza factor! It goes so a lot deeper than shaved ice in essentially the most surprising of the way.
Yakuza’s at all times been large on additional facet stuff and Infinite Wealth has taken it up a number of notches, to the purpose the place I may most likely write two separate opinions for each of its choices. The primary is a Pokémon parody referred to as Sujimon, the place you seize, stage up, and battle bizarre goons. The second is Dondoko Island, an Animal Crossing parody the place you rejuvenate a polluted island and switch it right into a vacationer attraction. I feel Sujimon’s the lesser of the 2 (nonetheless an excellent chortle), whereas I can see myself dropping tons of of hours to what’s a little bit of a mash between AC and Yakuza’s actual property mini video games of the previous. What’s neat is you do not have to have interaction with both of them past their intros, however can reap large advantages if you happen to do (additional foreign money, the odd particular transfer, a Sujimancer Job).
Infinite Wealth is every thing I wished from a Yakuza: LAD sequel. It refines and expands on lots of Yakuza: LAD’s RPG free ends or underexplored bits, whisking you away to the great Hawaii within the course of. Sure, it could be a bit too expansive for some, retains a few of Yakuza’s extra annoying quirks, and is not an RPG within the sense of creating Ichiban’s story completely your individual. However the story it does inform, and the adventures you do go on, are heartfelt and humorous and instructed with such wealthy element. I will say it once more: thank goodness for Yakuza.
This assessment relies on a assessment construct of the sport supplied by publishers Sega.
