Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review (PS5): A Wealth of Emotion

Within the opening hours of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, I experienced a wider range of emotions than most games evoke in their entire runtime. Reuniting with Ichiban after his memorable debut in Like a Dragon immediately inspired and motivated me to approach life from a different perspective, and that only cemented itself more as his adventure took turn after turn. This is a JRPG at its core, but a character piece at its heart. While the game is by no means lacking in content or depth for those who enjoy the more mechanical side of things, your enjoyment will ultimately come down to how much you resonate with characters, their personalities, and their stories.

Forgoing the often convoluted power struggles and betrayals centered around criminal organizations in conflict, this Like a Dragon title chooses a much more personal tale. Though certainly not lacking plenty of twists and melodrama, Infinite Wealth has positioned itself as the most approached and relatable entry to date. One moment you will be playing the role of a stuntman running against traffic as explosions go off. The next, the game will be ripping your heart out with an earnest and touching scene of loss. Somehow, Infinite Wealth manages to do this time and time again without any tonal whiplash. The only stumbling block lies in its pacing.

Unbreakable Spirit

Picking up after the events of Like a Dragon, Ichiban enjoys a few precious years getting his life together after all the major Yakuza clans have been dissolved. This short-lived era of peace crumbles around him, alongside the revelation that his mother is not only alive but wants to meet him. Like some of the best-told stories, what begins as a simple and empathetic premise slowly spirals and unwinds into deeper mysteries and conspiracies.

Marketing for Infinite Wealth featured Ichiban and Kiryu in equally prominent roles, but make no mistake; this is Ichiban’s game. Kiryu does have his own arc that pays a lot of respect to this character the studio and fans have spent almost two decades with. However, it feels like it lacks as much impact being a smaller part of someone else’s story rather than the main focus. 

Legacy aside, Kiryu’s stoic personality is a perfect counterbalance to Ichiban’s almost childlike flamboyance. Each of the 10 party members adds their own flavor that keeps the team dynamic fresh and evolving. As much plot as there is here, it’s the character and their stories that will enthrall you to go out and find every conversation and learn more about their backstories at the bar over drinks.

The main flaw with Infinite Wealth’s story comes down to pacing. Even as someone who loves story-heavy titles, Infinite Wealth tested my patience with massive blocks of exposition and cutscenes. In some instances, these scenes can go on for close to an hour at a time. If you’re not comfortable with sitting down for a session and end up hardly touching the controller, you might want to avoid this one.

Tag Team

Those bonds you develop with Infinite Wealth’s cast aren’t just satisfying in isolation, but are key in the combat system. The stronger your bonds, the more tag team moves and chances for follow-up attacks. Like its predecessor, Infinite Wealth continues the genre shift into a traditional JRPG. However, where the first game felt almost like a prototype of cramming the old systems into a turn-based mold, Infinite Wealth perfects the formula. 

Many issues previously stemmed from positioning. Despite there being contextual opportunities, you had no control over your character’s positions during a fight. This made it feel more luck-based as to whether or not you could take advantage of these interactions.

Infinite Wealth elegantly solves this problem by giving your current character a movement ring dictating where you can position yourself before launching an attack. Further, you also get notifications that indicate when you can use a contextual advantage. These notifications let you be more strategic with your choices. For example, paying attention to a knockback arrow showing where you will push an enemy, you can cleverly choose to knock them into other foes or teammates to deal additional damage.

A Slice of Paradise

Ryu Ga Gotoku are masters at representing hyper-specific places in excruciating detail. While Kamurocho isn’t technically a real place, it is about as accurate a representation of Kabukichō you could find. Applying that level of craftsmanship, plus cultural commentary, to an American city allows for sights and stories not possible in Japan. The only minor downside is Honolulu City’s scale. This is by far the largest single environment in series history, and although every street, building, and parking lot is unique, eventually I relied on fast traveling to objectives when the distance felt a bit too lengthy to walk (or segway). 

The two major pieces of “side” content are as large as the new map — which isn’t necessarily a positive. The Sujimon system, which was more of a joke in the last entry, returns as a full-on Pokemon clone. While there is an entire story, progression system, and battle mechanics to sink dozens of hours in, it isn’t nearly fleshed out enough to feel worth the investment. Once you know how battles work, all you need to do is grind your ‘mons to be strong enough to progress. It’s a fun enough diversion, and thankfully not required beyond its introduction if it doesn’t click for you.

Dondoko Island starts simple but gets complex and diverse enough to hardly be considered a mini-game. If you’re into management-sim games like Animal Crossing and The Sims, you’re basically getting a two-for-one here. I just wish it wasn’t introduced with the grace of a two-legged table. Unlike other optional content that only interrupts the main story for a couple of minutes at most, you’re ripped from the main narrative without warning for potentially an hour while you’re stranded on this island getting tutorialized, like it or not. 

Of course, all your favorite Like a Dragon mini-games return. Arcades, karaoke, mahjong, and the like are here to engage with or ignore as you please.

Cherished Memories

Like any vacation, Infinite Wealth has some sore spots. The story itself is gripping and feels far more personal than the crime dramas of the past, and the characters will stick with you long after you’ve said bon voyage. Ichiban and Kiryu in particular shine, despite the latter feeling a little sidelined for what he’s going through here. The pacing may turn you off at points, but if you let yourself get invested in the people and world presented, you will come away with a powerful message about overcoming life’s challenges.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was reviewed on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by Sega. It is also available on PC and Xbox on January 26, 2024.