Highlights
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth delves into Hawaii, adds new characters like Tomizawa and Chitose, and keeps combat tight with a ten-member party split.
- The game splits protagonists Ichiban and Kiryu between Hawaii and Japan, allowing deep character development and bonding within the split party dynamic.
- Infinite Wealth masterfully integrates latecomers like Joongi Han, utilizes backstory for character development, and maintains individuality among all party members.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth makes good on its promise to deliver a grander experience than its predecessor, giving players the opportunity to delve into Hawaii among new substories, minigames, and narrative considerations. The same can be said for its characters, building from the OG crew to include newcomers like Tomizawa and Chitose, while making familiar faces like Seonhee playable in combat. Having to juggle a ten-member cast would be daunting for any developer to tackle, though RGG uses these numbers deftly to both enhance Infinite Wealth‘s story and keep its combat tight, ensuring that no party member gets left behind.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth sees its protagonists split between Ichiban and Kiryu, serving as a way to honor the series’ past and further establish Ichiban as a worthy successor to the mantle. Its use of the party-based system works in tandem with its story to show the two working with different members of the cast, dividing time between Hawaii and Japan. Ichiban, Tomi, Chitose, Adachi, and Joongi work on uncovering the nefarious nature behind Palekana’s leadership, while over in Ijincho, Kiryu gets to establish his own bonds with OG members of the LAD7 crew. This division works on multiple levels, as separating Infinite Wealth‘s cast into five and five helps to keep party members from being reserved on the sidelines in both narrative and gameplay contexts.
After Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, The Series Already Has its ‘Next’ Seonhee
With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth adding Seonhee to its playable cast, the next entry already has a character who should receive the same treatment.
How Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Juggles a Ten-Member Cast
Many considerations were taken into this split party dynamic throughout Infinite Wealth‘s gameplay and story. Ichiban’s relationship troubles with Saeko, for example, are made more prominent in their separation between the party’s two halves, paving the way for Saeko’s perspective to be addressed in her Drink Links with Kiryu. The same can be said for how Infinite Wealth sets up other central conflicts in its beginning hours; giving Kiryu the chance to spend some time in Hawaii at first allows him to meet and establish relationships with Tomi and Chitose, ascertain what’s going on with the search for Akane, and above all, work directly alongside Ichiban, furthering the bond they share while making his cancer reveal all the more devastating.
Showcasing the Party’s Bonds
Once Kiryu returns to Japan, his participation in the plot is kept important through his work in uncovering Ebina’s plans, though he’s also able to receive some well-deserved breathing room. This is furthered by OG members of the LAD7 crew, Nanba, Saeko, and Zhao, who, alongside Seonhee, endeavor to return a spark to the Dragon of Dojima’s life. The resulting effect is both endearing and central to Kiryu’s character, as he learns the importance of vulnerability and the merits of leaning on others for help, made clear by the affection that the crew shows towards him. It’s an excellent way to demonstrate the game’s emphasis on bonds, tying into so many of its inner mechanics.
This party divide is also effective because of the work LAD7 put into developing its OG cast. The result is that Infinite Wealth can lean on the pasts of characters like Nanba and Zhao to further their bonds with Kiryu without having to establish their motivations or personalities from the ground up. This also allows Ichiban ample time to learn about newcomers Tomi and Chitose from his side of the party, giving them a level of narrative prominence that becomes central to their progression as characters. From the combat side of things, having the party split between five and five makes it so that Infinite Wealth‘s battle system, where there are four active participants at a time, doesn’t waver in letting each member feel important.
No Member Left Behind
Though some party members are added quite late into Infinite Wealth‘s story, the game still does an excellent job at making them feel integrated within its plot and side mechanics. Joongi Han, for example, is able to lean on his backstory from LAD7 while furthering his personality through features like Bond Bingo. Even in the smaller details, like Infinite Wealth‘s karaoke, the split cast dynamic is given attention; allowing a song to be performed by two different characters makes it so that the minigame feels robust from both sides of the party. It is through these details that Infinite Wealth‘s cast is afforded the time they deserve, allowing them to each stand out in their own right.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
$59 $70 Save $11
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
