Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)

I'd really like to try out some of these games, but I'm also really reluctant to commit myself to playing 6+ previous installments. Scanning threads on Reddit, the usual feedback is "You'll really need to play the entire series!" - That may very well be true, but a lot of the discussion also happens in a echo chamber of die hard series fans.

So I'm looking for a perspective from someone who bought and played "Like a Dragon" and "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth" without having playing the previous installments: How much did you enjoy the games?

Just to make sure my question is not misunderstood, I'm not really looking for feedback on whether playing the previous installments enhances the enjoyment of the more recent entries (because I'm sure it does) - I'd really like to just know whether these two more recent installments, on their own merits, can be enjoyed.

Ended up getting this after Dunkey his YouTube video. I played and absolutely loved the first Like A Dragon game and this one is just incredible. It's everything I expected and wanted from a Like a Dragon game. I'm about 5+ hrs in, and the game feels like it's opening up. Very, very cutscene heavy. But I'm really in love with the mechanics, the flow, the story, the characters. And I cannot wait to delve deeply into the quircky, silly stuff.

The fact that I can play poker to unlock Persona 4 songs, to listen to on my in-game smartphone whilst playing the game. Is just, wow. Baffling.

Finished Infinite Wealth a few days ago and let some thoughts settle in.

• This is my favorite game to play in the series. Despite having one problem carried over from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, combat is vastly improved. They addressed the issue of not being able to move which blueballed you from taking advantage of positioning. Moving entirely freely would have been a compromise but they limit you so you can make more decisions. Also has, hands down, my favorite side content in the series
• Localization is good for the mosy part but as some weird kinks. Danny Trejo's character has a JP voice actor but in the last line before the fight, the audio switches to Danny Trejo speaking in English. (Correction: Dwight's English speaking in the Japanese audio was from a different actor yet Danny Trejo voices him in the English dub.) Movie actors learn skills for their roles. Have him learn Japanese to speak the Japanese script. Like how Kson speaks both Japanese and English in both dubs. The radio show has no translation when playing with Japanese audio.
• They really make Hawaii feel different from Yokohama and Kamurocho not only in looks, but in terms of how you interact with the world, how people talk on English and Japanese.
• Story is likely my least favorite so far out of the ones I have played. (0, Kiwami, 2 (PS2), 7). Towards the end, it feels like a lot of cutscenes and chapters were missing. I was shocked once I reached chapter 14 and learned that this was the last chapter.Stuff with the Daidoji is not Iaddressed, they don't address Tatara Hisoka exposing Kiryu to such an extent. Eiji went from evil to missing for a lot of the game to another Ryo Aoki moment but not as earned. No climax with Eiji. I have no emotional connection to Akane and Lani in the same way that I do with Haruka in Yakuza 1. I really would have asked for a lot more presence from those 2.

All in all though, I really liked this game. I haven't been so invested in a game in months so I guess that is really saying something. It's been a while since I have had consistently long play sessions with a game. Even if the story is the most underwhelmed I have been in a while

Trigger warning: sexual assault (no main story spoilers)

Don't do substories 47-52. I only did 47 and 48 because I wanted to complete the game as I am so close to done beating this game, but after 2 of these substories, I refuse. So you complete stuff by doing all of the Alo-Happy activities, the vocational exams, dating app matches, leveling up the weapons facility and the Poundmates rank to the max, giving the gifts to the women behind such stuff. The punchline is that the women in these substories throwing themselves at Ichiban and implied sexual assault with no consent from Ichiban. The scenes are treated as jokes with silly music. No excuses. These suck.

Anyone here finished this one? I'm deep into Chapter 4, and I'm really having to force myself to keep going. I know Yakuza games are usually slow starters, but I'm really not invested in this story, and I'm honestly starting to roll my eyes at the constant detours and distractions.

Is there a point where this game stops fucking around at gets to a narrative high, or is it just gonna continue to be flat like this?

Gotta say too - even for a Yakuza game, this one feels way too goofy and unrealistic in its scenario building. I dunno man. It also completely lacks the strong, progressive undertone of 7 that really had me invested in that one.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna sell this one and move on completely or just put it on ice for now, but I'm kinda disappointed so far. :/