As a casual follower of the Like A Dragon series (formerly the Yakuza series until you look at the spine of the eighth game’s box), I was pleasantly surprised by Ichiban’s first outing in 2020. The move to a turn-based format was a perfect fit for a combat system that already encouraged a methodical rhythm of waiting, blocking and countering, and the supporting cast were generally a great bunch of virtual characters to hang out with. For the most part, the game was a fun twist on a formula that may have risked becoming overfamiliar, but I felt like it stumbled a bit in the later chapters. Whether you were meandering through a slower part of the narrative or hitting a wall with one of the notorious bosses found in the late game, such moments were blemishes on something that could have been a future classic with a little more balance and tweaking. And so when I’m deep into the last chapter of Infinite Wealth and considering the journey the game has taken, I’m torn – because I can’t decide if this is simply better than the previous game or if it’s rivalling some of my all-time JRPG favourites.
Fair fights
The truth is, I’ve found it really hard to tear myself away from Infinite Wealth. It’s another adventure through dungeons of turn-based encounters set against the backdrop of a modern urban open world, and whilst the characterisation, story, job system, minigames and battle mechanics are as good as they were before, the previous game had conditioned me into thinking that the high wouldn’t last forever. Sooner or later I’d be cursing a forced encounter that’s far more challenging than whatever I was fighting five minutes ago, and I’d walk back to one of the grind spots so that I can make some cash for gear and maybe level up my party. However, I’m currently at the doorstep of the final boss and most of the mandatory challenges have felt surprisingly fair. It’s still not a game where you can waltz through every boss battle on the first attempt, but your party is well catered for with the material and upgrade system, a satisfying selection of character classes in the job system and a couple of “optional” underground dungeons that fill the gap between the encounter you just completed and the one causing you problems right now. There always seems to be something that you can do to develop your party in some way, and it’s offered as a path that you’ve always had the chance to revisit, rather than something you’re thrown into because completing it is the only way you’ll see anything past chapter 12 of the previous game.
Infinite Wealth – recommended
Even Persona isn’t immune to questionable pacing, whether it came from the notorious party wipes experienced when you first attempt the next mandatory boss in 3 or 4, or the extended bespoke mazes introduced in 5’s palaces. Infinite Wealth, however, is performing an admirable balancing act of being just challenging enough. I’ve had a few tough battles in a couple of earlier chapters – as well as this last chapter I’m trying to complete (note from future self; train up a dedicated healer role, and save your Extreme skills and Tag Team moves to blow through the latter “phase” as soon as possible) – but they’re only tough in the way that JRPGs have their challenging bosses; there hasn’t been a “chapter 12 of the previous game” moment in Infinite Wealth. For the moment, it’s just provided a solid challenge and has been responsible for a lot of late nights and lost sleep as I’m desperate to see the next battle, the next dungeon floor, or the next story sequence.
And outside of the business of story progress, it’s just a fun game to be absorbed in. When you’re not busying yourself with upgrades and job levels, the move to Hawaii works as a new change of scenery for the player and the foundation for much of the game’s levity. Returning hero Ichiban plays the role of the bemused outsider exceptionally well, and exploring the streets and venues is enhanced with what is essentially a summonable Segway (that moves you through the streets faster, but needs to be recharged at stations for a small fee) and even a dedicated “aloha” button to greet passers-by. Furthermore, regular enemy encounters in the open city environments are engaging without taking up too much of your time, and encounters with low-level groups can be ended in an instant with a squeeze of a shoulder trigger. The usual abundance of minigames and amusements provide a welcome break from the fighting, and loading between the transitions is fast and painless (unless you’re walking into a lengthy FMV). The usual taxis are in place to send you between notable locations, and the map is continually an invaluable resource (although I do find myself hopping between multiple stores to find the one that has a particular piece of gear,)
This had previously shared the company of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as one of my most anticipated games of 2024, but Square Enix will have to deliver something exceptional in order to match this. If you have any interest in modern turn-based RPGs with impressive production, lots of optional distractions and customisation, and what seems to be a decent challenge for fans of the genre, consider this a confident recommendation.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC. For more information, visit https://infinitewealth.sega.com/
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