HYPE
Yakuza’s paradise
W hile Kamurocho and the iconic red arches at its entrance have become synonymous with Like A Dragon during its almost two-decade history, it’s also true that plenty of instalments have taken place across other locations in Japan. Still, it’s uncanny to see the series uprooted from its native turf entirely as Infinite Wealth takes charismatic underdog Ichiban Kasuga and his friends to Hawaii. But if there were any fears that the growing global appreciation of a once-niche property has eroded its identity, the Pineapple State appears to be the perfect environment for RGG Studio to double down on Like A Dragon’s zaniness.
While Kasuga’s reason for coming to Hawaii is to find his birth mother – previously assumed to have been murdered by the yakuza – the plot quickly takes a back seat as we’re let loose on the game’s incarnation of Waikiki to effectively go on a jolly. That is, after we’ve run through the obligatory battle tutorial with some local thugs not versed in aloha welcomes. Like its predecessor, Infinite Wealth is a party-driven, turn-based RPG, which makes sense for a leading man such as Kasuga who fights alongside his friends – including co-protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.
This time, you can freely move each party member in a ring before committing to an action. It’s not exactly Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope, but it’s more meaningful than Dragon Quest XI’s ‘free’ movement. For instance, while you can choose to attack any enemy, you’ll get a damage bonus if you position yourself in close proximity to your target, while you can select an object in the environment to use as a weapon rather than hoping it happens contextually.
The combat system nonetheless remains as dynamic as before, with timing-based button prompts adding bonus damage to your attacks, while knocking down an enemy often sees an ally following up with a free booting. For those pining for the
