For years they were called the ‘Japanese GTA’: in the Like A Dragongames you play as a member of a criminal Yakuza family, surviving through constant gang wars. Like players in the popular Grand Theft Autogames put you in the shoes of American criminals. For years, Like A Dragon revolved around the grumbling antihero Kazuma Kiryu, in the previous part optimist Ichiban Kasuga was given the leading role.
Kasuga agrees Infinite Wealth in search of his mother, who is believed dead, who is at the center of the power struggle between the ailing Yakuza families. She has been spotted in Hawaii, meaning the game series leaves Japan’s borders for the first time. A location with a significant Japanese population, beautifully depicted by the game. For example, shortly after landing, Kasuga is confronted by a rogue taxi driver who robs him, because “those Japanese are always so polite and naive.” A street scene that you will not easily encounter in Western interpretations of the island.
Lead actor Kasuga says he grew up with video games. He often fantasizes about that, which determines how we as players see the world. During fights he thinks of Japanese role-playing games, so you also take turns fighting like in those games. A clever trick to explain game systems that normally don’t fit this story genre.
Holiday resort
The game is full of crazy excursions. For example, Kasuga can install a fake Tinder where you have to figure out how best to respond, and then press the right buttons as quickly as possible to enter it correctly. Or he can pop into a karaoke bar, where the game turns into something of a sort Guitar Hero where you press the right buttons rhythmically. The highlight is an island that Kasuga is able to buy and refurbish to turn it into a holiday resort, something that could have been a standalone game.
That fun is largely limited to optional parts of the game, meaning the main story never feels tone-deaf. Development studio Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has created a strong, varied game, although it can be difficult for newcomers to get into: the story builds directly on what happened at the end of the previous game.