Info about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth:

Official game description:
Editions
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About the Game
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**EPIC EMOTIONAL DRAMA**  
Two larger-than-life heroes brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister…  
Ichiban Kasuga, an unstoppable underdog who’s no stranger to crawling up from rock bottom, and Kazuma Kiryu, a broken man facing down his last days.  
**BEST-IN-CLASS RPG ACTION**  
Experience one-of-a-kind combat with dynamic, fast-paced RPG battles where the battlefield becomes your weapon, and anything goes. Adapt your party’s skills to the situation with outlandish jobs and customizations to strategically subdue enemies with over-the-top moves.  
**INFINITE ADVENTURE**  
Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an adventure so big it spans the Pacific. Unforgettable moments await at every step of the journey with a unique mix of quests and activities to enjoy at your leisure.  
**
Deluxe Edition Content
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**\- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth game  
\- Master Vacation Bundle: Explore a bonus dungeon, get special Sujimon, resort guests, outfits, new game+ & more  
**
Ultimate Edition Content
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**\- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth game  
\- Master Vacation Bundle: Explore a bonus dungeon, get special Sujimon, resort guests, outfits, new game+ & more  
\- Assorted Outfit Bundle: Customize your party's look with outfits & swimwear  
\- Sujimon & Resort Bundle: Get legendary Sujimon, resort guests and special boosters  
\- Yakuza CD Collection Set: Increase your in-game playlist with classic karaoke tracks

Release date: 25 Jan, 2024

Categories: RPG, Turn-based Combat, Single-player Story, Open-World Exploration, Character Progression, Mini-game Collection, Management Simulation, Monster Collecting


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Abundant Quality Mini-games (weight 0.99): The game features a wide array of well-developed and highly addictive mini-games, ranging from karaoke to karting and business management. These activities are praised for their entertainment value, often feeling like standalone games within the main experience.
- Compelling Story & Characters (weight 0.81): The game delivers an emotionally impactful and well-written main story, praised for its depth, humor, and dramatic twists. Characters, both new and returning, are exceptionally developed, charismatic, and foster strong emotional connections with players.
- Vast & Engaging Content (weight 0.78): The game is lauded for its immense volume of high-quality content, including a massive open world and numerous activities that provide hundreds of hours of gameplay. Players consistently find the content rich, diverse, and highly engaging, preventing boredom.
- Enhanced Turn-Based Combat (weight 0.77): The turn-based combat system is significantly improved from the previous installment, offering more dynamic action, strategic positioning, and satisfying impact. New mechanics like character movement, environmental attacks, and QTEs make battles more engaging and less rigid.
- Kiryu's Poignant Farewell (weight 0.58): The game provides a deeply emotional and satisfying conclusion to Kiryu Kazuma's long-running story arc, serving as a heartfelt tribute for long-time fans. His unique combat styles and "Memoir of a Dragon" content are particularly praised for their nostalgic value and engaging gameplay.
- General Gameplay & QoL Enhancements (weight 0.3): Beyond combat, the game features numerous quality-of-life improvements, refined mechanics, and increased gameplay versatility. The enhanced job system, skill inheritance, and overall polish contribute to a smoother, more enjoyable, and customizable player experience.
- Engaging & Varied Side Quests (weight 0.21): Side quests are a series highlight, offering a diverse range of experiences from bizarre and humorous to deeply touching and well-written. They are consistently engaging and provide significant narrative depth and rewards, making them far from mere filler.
- Addictive Dondoko Island (weight 0.12): The Dondoko Island mini-game, a resort management simulation akin to Animal Crossing, is a significant and highly addictive piece of content. Players enjoy building, customizing, and managing their island, often spending dozens of hours on this optional activity.
- Ichiban's Charismatic Protagonist (weight 0.11): Ichiban Kasuga continues to be a beloved and inspiring protagonist, praised for his good-hearted nature, optimism, and infectious passion. His character development and interactions with his party members are a significant draw, making his journey deeply engaging for players.
- Vibrant New Hawaii Setting (weight 0.1): The introduction of the new Hawaii map is a major highlight, praised for its vibrant design, meticulous detail, and immersive atmosphere. It offers a fresh and expansive environment for exploration, filled with activities that contribute to a vacation-like feel.
- Reduced Grinding & Balanced Progression (weight 0.09): The game significantly improves upon its predecessor by reducing the need for excessive grinding, allowing players to progress through the story without tedious repetition. The difficulty curve is well-balanced, and quality-of-life tweaks make character progression more enjoyable and less of a chore.
- Fun Sujimon Battles (weight 0.06): The Sujimon system, a monster-collecting and battling mini-game similar to Pokémon, is praised for its expanded features and engaging gameplay. It offers a unique and enjoyable distraction, allowing players to collect, train, and battle "Sujimon" with its own story arc.

Common complaints:
- Weak/Flawed Main Story (weight 0.59): The main story is widely criticized for its poor writing, illogical plot points, inconsistent pacing, and an unsatisfying, rushed, or inconclusive ending. Many reviewers found it bland, predictable, and inferior to previous series entries, particularly Yakuza 7.
- Repetitive Side Content & Minigames (weight 0.37): Many side quests and mini-games, particularly Dondoko Island and Sujimon, are criticized for being boring, repetitive, and overly grindy. Reviewers felt these activities were time-sinks, lacked originality, and often disrupted the main story's pacing, making them feel like busywork rather than engaging content.
- Kiryu's Disappointing Portrayal (weight 0.21): Kiryu's character arc, particularly his cancer diagnosis and the handling of his "final act," is widely criticized as forced fan service and a deviation from his established persona. Many felt his presence overshadowed Ichiban, and his story lacked a satisfying conclusion, especially for long-time fans.
- Ichiban's Flawed Character (weight 0.2): Ichiban's character is frequently criticized for being overly saintly, naive, and immature, which many reviewers found inconsistent with his background and previous portrayal. His character development is perceived as lacking, and his storyline often feels sidelined or poorly written, leading to a disconnect with player empathy.
- Paid New Game+ & DLC (weight 0.15): A major point of contention is the decision to lock New Game+ and higher difficulty settings behind paid DLC, which many reviewers found to be an unacceptable and "scummy" business practice. Additionally, other DLC content, including certain dungeons, is criticized for being overpriced and offering poor value.
- Frequent Game Crashes (weight 0.15): The game suffers from frequent and random crashes, often occurring during cutscenes or long gameplay sequences without save points, leading to significant loss of progress. This persistent technical issue severely detracts from the overall player experience and has been reported across different platforms.
- Repetitive Turn-Based Combat (weight 0.12): The turn-based combat system is frequently cited as repetitive, boring, and lacking depth, often requiring excessive grinding or becoming too easy. Many players expressed a preference for the series' traditional beat 'em up style, finding the current system tedious, especially during frequent encounters and long dungeons.
- Excessive/Unskippable Cutscenes (weight 0.07): The game is criticized for its numerous and excessively long cutscenes, many of which are unskippable, forcing players to sit through lengthy dialogues. This significantly impacts the game's pacing and can lead to frustration, especially during repeat playthroughs or after crashes.
- Problematic Female Characters (weight 0.05): The portrayal of female characters, particularly Saeko and Chitose, is criticized for being frustrating, inconsistent, and poorly written. Reviewers found their actions illogical, their romance arcs forced, and their personalities often unlikable or irritating.
- Underdeveloped Supporting Characters (weight 0.05): Beyond the main protagonists, many new and returning supporting characters, as well as antagonists, are criticized for being poorly developed, introduced too late, or lacking sufficient screen time. This often results in flat portrayals and a lack of emotional connection or memorable impact.

Gameplay feedback:
- Evolved Turn-Based Combat (weight 0.14): The game features a refined and dynamic turn-based JRPG combat system that incorporates strategic player movement, environmental interactions, and tactical positioning for varied effects. It offers more flexibility and depth than previous installments.
- Addictive Island Resort Builder (weight 0.12): The game includes Dondoko Island, a major Animal Crossing-like resort building and management simulation. Players clean, collect resources, craft, attract tourists, and defend against pirates, offering a substantial and often addictive side experience.
- Pokémon-like Sujimon Battles (weight 0.12): The game features a "Sujimon" system, a Pokémon-inspired mini-game where players recruit, train, evolve, and battle human-like "Sujimon" in a league format. While some find it a fun parody, others note its simplicity and repetitive nature.
- Vast & Varied Side Content (weight 0.11): Beyond the main story, the game is packed with a huge variety of side quests, substories, and mini-games. These range from arcade classics, mahjong, and karaoke to unique activities like the "Crazy Delivery" bike courier game.
- Kiryu's Nostalgic Brawler Style (weight 0.1): Kazuma Kiryu's inclusion offers unique gameplay, allowing him to switch between his classic fighting styles and even temporarily break into real-time beat 'em up combat. His storyline is filled with nostalgic flashbacks and references for long-time fans.
- Flexible Job & Skill System (weight 0.08): The game features an enhanced job system with many new and returning classes, allowing characters to change professions and inherit skills. This provides deep customization and strategic party building across two distinct groups.
- Dual Protagonist Narrative (weight 0.07): The game continues the story of Yakuza 7, featuring a dual-protagonist structure with Ichiban Kasuga and the returning fan-favorite, Kazuma Kiryu. This maintains the series' open-world style and turn-based combat foundation.
- Strategic Combat Positioning (weight 0.06): Combat emphasizes character positioning, allowing players to move within a radius to perform back attacks, hit multiple enemies with area attacks, and utilize environmental objects. This adds significant tactical depth to battles.
- New Hawaii Map (weight 0.04): The game introduces a completely new, expansive map in Honolulu, Hawaii, marking the series' first venture into a Western setting. Players can also revisit familiar locations like Yokohama and Kamurocho.
- Ichiban's Dating App (weight 0.03): Ichiban's storyline includes a unique dating app mini-game, "Miss-Match," where players can chat with women, increase affection, and unlock dates. This also contributes to improving Ichiban's personality traits.
- Optional Grinding Present (weight 0.03): While the main story generally doesn't require excessive grinding, the game does feature optional grind walls and dungeons for players aiming to complete all content or strengthen their party. Some reviewers noted less grind than previous titles.
- Combat Quality of Life (weight 0.03): The game includes quality-of-life improvements such as the ability to quickly skip low-level encounters and engage in "quick battles." This streamlines gameplay and reduces repetitive combat.

Performance notes:
- Frequent Crashes & Instability (weight 0.06): The game frequently crashes, often hourly, leading to lost progress due to infrequent autosaves. Users report various triggers like cinematics and suggest solutions such as locking FPS, using borderless windowed mode, updating drivers, or verifying game files.
- Strong Graphics & Optimization (weight 0.04): Many reviewers praise the game's excellent graphics, describing them as sharp and exquisite. The game is also well-optimized, consistently running at high and stable frame rates even on mid-range hardware.
- Steam Deck Performance (weight 0.03): The game generally performs well on Steam Deck, achieving playable frame rates (30-40 FPS) with adjusted settings and TDP limits. However, specific areas like Hawaii experience noticeable performance drops and stutters.
- FSR 3 Implementation (weight 0.01): While FSR 3 is supported, some players find its implementation mediocre or unnecessary due to the game's already good optimization. It can also introduce visual artifacts, such as pixelated hair.
- Geographical Inaccuracies (weight 0.01): Reviewers noted minor geographical and time zone inaccuracies, such as unrealistic travel times between Hawaii and Japan. These details do not impact gameplay.
- Minor Character Stutter (weight 0): A minor visual glitch causes the character to sometimes stutter during gameplay. This is a small, infrequent issue.

Recommendations:
- Essential for Series Fans (weight 0.23): The game is highly recommended for long-time fans of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, especially those who enjoyed Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Yakuza 7). New players are strongly advised to play Yakuza: Like a Dragon first for story context, or even Yakuza 0 for a full series immersion to understand character relationships and avoid spoilers.
- Excellent, Must-Play Game (weight 0.17): Reviewers widely consider the game an excellent, must-play title, often rating it highly. It offers a rich, unforgettable experience, making it a strong recommendation for fans of story-driven adventures and RPGs.
- Worth Buying, On Sale (weight 0.12): Many reviewers agree the game is worth playing, but frequently suggest waiting for a sale due to its full price. While some find it worth full price, a discount is often recommended for optimal value.
- Great for JRPG Fans (weight 0.07): The game is highly recommended for fans of JRPGs and turn-based combat, building upon the mechanics introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Its unique style and deep systems are particularly appealing to players who enjoy this genre.
- Caution: Crashes & Issues (weight 0.03): Some reviewers report frequent crashes and other technical issues, leading them to advise caution or even not to recommend the game until fixes are implemented. Monetization practices are also mentioned as a concern.
- Kiryu's Story Central (weight 0.03): Kiryu's character and his narrative arc are a significant draw for many players, with some even stating they wouldn't have bought the game without him. His story feels central, and playing previous games is recommended for full emotional impact.
- DLC Not Recommended (weight 0.02): The bonus endgame dungeon DLC is generally not recommended, with many suggesting it's not worth the price. Reviewers advise that the base game provides a complete experience, and the DLC is only for those seeking platinum achievements or additional content on sale.

Other player notes:
- Strong Series Continuity (weight 0.06): The game serves as a direct continuation of the 'Like a Dragon' series, featuring returning characters, familiar locations, and classic mini-games. It is designed to appeal to long-time fans, though it also attempts to be accessible to newcomers.
- Ichiban's Hawaii Journey (weight 0.04): The primary narrative for Ichiban Kasuga involves him losing his job and reputation in Japan, leading him to Hawaii to search for his biological mother. This journey draws him into the local organized crime world and sets up his interactions with Kiryu.
- Signature Humor & Mini-games (weight 0.03): The game maintains the series' characteristic blend of humor, over-the-top combat moves, and a wide variety of engaging mini-games. This contributes to a fun and often lighthearted gaming experience.
- Ichiban's Character Arc (weight 0.02): Reviewers discuss Ichiban's role as a protagonist, his character development, and the impact of his story beats. There's anticipation for his future in the series, though some found his specific story moments less impactful.
- Story Pacing & Accessibility (weight 0.02): The game's initial chapters are noted for their slow pace, focusing on character setup, but also for cleverly explaining previous plots. It's generally accessible to new players, though some deeper narrative elements might be missed without prior series knowledge.
- Quality Voice Acting & Graphics (weight 0.02): The game received praise for its professional voice acting, particularly the Chinese dub, and its well-optimized graphics engine. Multiple language options were also appreciated.
- Desire for Action Combat (weight 0.01): Some long-time fans expressed a preference for the series' traditional real-time action combat over the turn-based RPG system introduced in Like a Dragon. They hope for a return to the older style in future installments.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.33): Players expressed high satisfaction primarily due to the game's refined and improved turn-based combat system, often highlighting its strategic depth and engaging mechanics. The abundance of high-quality content, including diverse mini-games like Dondoko Island and engaging side quests, also significantly contributed to their enjoyment and perceived value. Additionally, the compelling story, strong character development (especially Kiryu's arc), and the vibrant Hawaii setting were frequently praised.
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Disappointment largely stemmed from perceived weaknesses in the main story, including its pacing, thematic inconsistencies, and the portrayal of certain characters like Kiryu and Ichiban. Many players also expressed frustration with the monetization strategy, particularly the decision to lock New Game+ behind paid DLC. Additionally, issues with specific mini-games (Dondoko Island, Sujimon) and general technical problems contributed to negative sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Player frustration was primarily driven by persistent technical issues, especially frequent game crashes that led to lost progress and prevented gameplay. The controversial decision to gate New Game+ and other content behind paid DLC was another major source of frustration. Additionally, players expressed annoyance with excessive grinding, slow pacing due to long unskippable cutscenes, and feeling forced into specific mini-games like Dondoko Island.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement stemmed from the game's high overall quality, significant improvements over its predecessor, and robust optimization. Players were thrilled by the vast amount of diverse content, including new features and a wide array of engaging mini-games. The compelling story, well-developed characters, and the anticipation for future installments in the series also contributed to a strong sense of excitement.
- Joy (weight 0.07): Joy was primarily derived from the game's overall fun and entertaining nature, often described as the "most enjoyable Yakuza game." Players particularly enjoyed the engaging and often humorous turn-based combat, as well as the abundance of fun and diverse mini-games and side quests. The game's unique blend of humor and emotional depth, coupled with nostalgic elements and character interactions, also contributed significantly to this positive emotion.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration was directed towards the game's exceptional overall quality, particularly its artistic direction and the seamless blending of various tones. Players highly praised Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio for their consistent quality and skill in crafting such a comprehensive experience. The deep and charismatic character writing, especially for Ichiban and Kiryu, and the game's innovative combat system were also significant sources of admiration.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger was primarily fueled by the controversial DLC monetization practices, especially locking New Game+ behind a paywall, which many perceived as greedy. Persistent technical issues, including frequent crashes leading to lost progress and unfixed bugs, also provoked significant anger. Additionally, players expressed frustration with perceived poor story writing, character decisions, and a lack of responsiveness from the developers or Sega regarding these issues.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement arose from the game's distinctive humor, often found in Ichiban's character, comedic moments, and the overall absurdity of the plot and side quests. The game's diverse and often wacky content, including various mini-games like Dondoko Island and unexpected gameplay elements, also contributed significantly to players' amusement. The unique blend of serious main story and lighthearted side content was frequently highlighted.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation was expressed for the game's compelling story and deep character development, particularly Kiryu's meaningful narrative arc and the emotional impact of key plot points. Players also valued the significant improvements in gameplay, graphics, and quality-of-life features, alongside the game's rich and extensive content, including well-designed mini-games like Dondoko Island. The developer's consistent fan service and unique charm of the series were also highly appreciated.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was predominantly triggered by Kiryu's central storyline, particularly his reflective "Ending Note" and "bucket list" segments, which provided a poignant look back at his journey. The return of familiar characters and numerous series references also evoked strong nostalgic feelings for long-time fans. Some players also felt nostalgic for older mini-games or Kiryu's previous combat style.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game stemmed from its exceptional overall quality, encompassing its compelling story, well-developed characters (especially Kiryu's impactful arc), and engaging gameplay improvements. Players expressed deep affection for the game's emotional impact, its rich narrative, and the developer's evident effort in crafting a memorable experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was frequently expressed by players who unexpectedly enjoyed the turn-based combat system, often despite a prior dislike for the genre, indicating successful implementation. Many were also surprised by the game's overall high quality, significant improvements over its predecessor, and the sheer volume of content available. The game's unique blend of serious narrative and absurd humor also contributed to this unexpected positive reaction.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from forced grinding segments and feeling compelled to engage with specific mini-games like Dondoko Island and Sujimon League. Players also found the slow pacing, excessive dialogue, and repetitive cutscene animations irritating. Additionally, issues related to DLC practices and certain narrative choices, such as repetitive plot loops or sudden character romances, contributed to their annoyance.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness was primarily evoked by Kiryu's poignant storyline, particularly his aging, illness, and the emotional depth of his character arc, including his "death diary." Some players also felt sadness over the perceived loss of the series' original charm or the diminished role of iconic locations like Kamurocho.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion often arose from the game's abstract plot writing and difficulty following the story without prior series knowledge, particularly regarding the ending and villain motivations. Technical issues like unexplained crashes also caused confusion. Additionally, some players expressed confusion while adapting to the turn-based combat system or understanding the overall direction and content structure of the game.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom was primarily caused by repetitive grinding and combat encounters, as well as perceived pointless activities and location switching. Players also found the story pacing slow and the narrative, along with some side content and mini-games (like Dondoko Island), to be boring. For some, the turn-based combat system itself contributed to the feeling of monotony.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement was driven by the game's immersive and addictive gameplay, often leading players to lose track of time, particularly with activities like Sujimon. The detailed story and strong character development also captivated players, drawing them deeper into the game's world. The anticipation of extensive playtime due to the abundance of content further contributed to a high level of engagement.
- Hope (weight 0): Hope was primarily focused on the future of the series, particularly for new stories involving Ichiban and the overall direction of the franchise and JRPG genre. Players also expressed hope for the return or inclusion of specific mini-games, such as management simulations or Taiko Island, in future installments, indicating a desire for continued innovation and beloved content.
- Disgust (weight 0): Disgust was primarily directed at perceived poor story quality, including specific plot elements, character actions, and the portrayal of certain characters like Ichiban, Eiji, and Chitose. Players expressed strong negative reactions to the narrative's values, instances of villain whitewashing, and the treatment of beloved characters like Kiryu and Haruka. The Taiko Island mini-game was also a source of disgust for some.}