Formerly known as Yakuza, the Like a Dragon series is one of SEGA’s premiere franchises developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, that began all the way back in 2005 on PlayStation 2. The franchise has seen a slow but well-deserved rise in popularity outside of Japan thanks to its remakes and remasters of older games, allowing new fans to enjoy them on modern consoles.

Kazuma Kiryu has been the main protagonist of the mainline games until 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which introduced Ichiban Kasuga as the new protagonist, whose vastly different personality brought something new to the games. Kiryu returned as the lead character one more time in 2023’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Now in 2024, the epic team-up of the Dragon of Dojima and the Hero of Yokohama are ready to knuckle up in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4|5 and PC.

The story takes place after the events of 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon and 2023’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, where the stories of both games happened simultaneously from two different perspectives. Kazuma Kiyru and Ichiban Kasuga both arrive in Honolulu, Hawaii for their own reasons. Even though they already met each other before during a big announcement with the Omi Alliance in Yokohama, they cross paths again and get mixed up in each other’s affairs.

They work together, much to Ichiban’s delight, while also making some new friends along the way, who join them and aid them on their quests. What was meant to be a simple trip to Hawaii, turns into the fight of their lives, as they take on gangs and criminal organisations in unfamiliar territory. The story is an emotional rollercoaster full of twists and turns, triumphs, and tragedies, making it almost impossible to trust anyone, in true Like a Dragon fashion.

Kiryu and Ichiban both serve as the main protagonists and certain chapters will switch between the two as the lead characters. They have a common goal, but also their own personal matters they wish to fulfil, as Kiryu is on a mission from the Daidoji Faction to find someone, and Ichiban is searching for his long-lost mother, who is rumoured to be living in Hawaii. They are joined by Chitose Fujinomya, and Eric Tomizawa, who also play big parts in the story.

Things become even more dire, as Kiryu reveals he has been diagnosed with cancer, and the end of his days is approaching sooner than expected. Kiryu still pushes through, however, as there is still unfinished business, but this time he is not alone.

The latest game uses the same turn-based strategy gameplay during battles, as seen in 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon. There are a lot of new additions to the combat system, and each character has their own unique abilities. Ichiban comes equipped with a weapon, Chitose mixes her martial arts and dancing background, and Tomizawa wields a wrench and an assortment of car-related items.

Kiryu himself has three different styles with Brawler, Rush, and Beast, which is a throwback to his past games. He even has the unique ability of entering a beat ‘em up phase, where players can step out of the turn-based strategy format and use the classic combat mechanics for a limited time, dealing some extra damage. Even more characters will join the party later on, to fight alongside Kiryu and Ichiban.

The characters can also perform their own special moves for bigger damage, taking out a group of enemies at once, and even heal their teammates and boost their stats, some with very entertaining cinematic cutscenes. A variety of tag team moves can also be performed and Poundmates also return, who can be called into battle to assist with beating down the enemy team. The Poundmates come in many forms, from a female bodybuilder, a movie director, a barista, and many more, which even include many familiar faces from past games.

The enemies come in all different shapes and sizes, with very interesting themes and quirks. From common thugs to surfers, street performers, chefs, and of course gangs and criminal organisations. The boss battles will be a real test of your mettle, as they deal heavy damage even if they fight solo. Being a turn-based strategy game instead of a beat ‘em up, which the series started off as, levelling up each character’s stats is strongly advised, so getting into as many fights as possible between missions will help boost those stats. In this case, fighting does solve everything.

Players will also be able to guard against incoming attacks, which helps reduce the damage taken. As handy as this is, it’s one of the game’s biggest flaws for a few reasons. Each enemy type has unique attack patterns, and players must time the block button with each hit, instead of just holding it down. The different attack patterns can make it really frustrating trying to memorise them all and anticipate when to press the block button. It becomes worse if the camera is in the wrong position or trying to catch up to the attacker, obscuring the player’s view of the action, making it unfair. The blocking mechanic and the camera issues during battles definitely need to be refined.

Just like the 2020 game, the playable characters can also have their own whacky themes as well, depending on the careers they choose at a job agency. They don’t work in these jobs, but it changes their movesets depending on if they want to be a samurai, surfer, hula dancer, chef, and more. As ridiculous as this all sounds, it damn sure is entertaining to see all of this unfold on screen.

The city of Honolulu is a fresh and brand-new setting for the franchise and the first time the series has gone outside of its home country. It’s a big change from Japan, with a very different culture. The currency is in American dollars, and the locals speak English with some Hawaiian phrases.

As Kiyru and Ichiban get familiar with their new surroundings, they of course also get into random fights. Trouble follows them no matter where they go. Thanks to the Dragon Engine, the graphics are the best they’ve ever looked, and Honolulu really benefits from this, looking bright, colourful, and vibrant with so much going on.

Whether it’s night or day on the beach or in the streets, surfers carrying their boards around, people sunbathing on the beach, and families playing it all looks amazing. The story also takes place in Yokohama, and Tokyo, specifically Kamurocho which longtime fans will appreciate being able to explore familiar surroundings. Being able to ride Segways is a fun addition and helps traverse around the city quicker.

Other than getting into fights with the locals, there are also plenty of activities to do, some small jobs to earn some extra cash and side missions. Everyone’s favourite activity, karaoke, is back yet again with many fan-favourite songs available, including ’Baka Mitai,’ ‘Judgment,’ and ‘Hell Stew’ just to name a few. Players can also deliver food, Crazy Taxi style, try their luck gambling, and play some classic SEGA arcade games including Virtua Fighter 3, SpikeOut, and SEGA Bass Fishing. Swimming in Aloha Beach is also possible, enjoying the crystal-clear waves, and can even collect some treasure, although it’s mostly trash, and trade them in. Unfortunately, surfing isn’t one of the activities but can be seen in some cutscenes.

It wouldn’t be a Like a Dragon game without cabaret clubs, where players can chat and drink with some gorgeous ladies. In Japan, they’re hostess bars, but in Hawaii, they’re more like gentlemen’s clubs, showing how different the cultures are. Sujimon also returns from the 2020 game, the not-so-subtle Pokémon inspired game where players collect and compete in Sujimon battles. The newest side activity is Dondoko Island, best described as their version of Animal Crossing, where players can build their own island resort, and invite various characters from past games to visit the island.

Many of the voice actors return from the 2020 game, reprising their roles in Japanese, English, and even Chinese. The Japanese characters sound just as good in any of the available languages. The English voice of Kiryu however, doesn’t feel like it fits. Only a few Yakuza/Like a Dragon games have English dubbing, and Kiryu sounded good in them.

Darryl Kurylo was the original English voice for Kiryu in the very first game and the 2020 game, and his performance felt like the ideal counterpart to the Japanese voice of Takaya Kuroda. Yong Yea is now the English voice for Kiryu, who doesn’t sound terrible but doesn’t feel like it suits the character’s personality. Kiryu is roughly in his 50s now and Yong’s voice work makes him sound younger. Regardless of how young he sounds, he still puts on a brilliant performance, especially in those heart-wrenching scenes that will hit hard for long-time fans.

Amongst the new cast is Machete star, Danny Trejo, who puts in a memorable, and terrifying performance just using his natural voice as Dwight Mendez, a leader of a criminal organisation

based in Hawaii, who Trejo was also the face model for. Other notable stars include Daniel Dae Kim who voices Masataka Ebina, the captain and acting chairman of the Seiryu Clan, and Aleks Le, best known as the voice of Luke in Street Fighter 6, as Eiji Mitamura, who’s wheelchair-bound and befriends Ichiban, who reminds him of someone from his past.

The cinematic cutscenes are truly something to behold, whether it’s action-packed, dramatic, or comedic. They utilise all the voice work really well and the characters look amazing on screen with so much detail, especially Kiryu who is now looking visibly older. The game’s soundtrack features tracks that suit any occasion, plus even tracks from past games and other famous SEGA games.

It’s nice to see Kiryu and Ichiban fighting side by side. Their personalities couldn’t be more different from one another, with Kiryu being more serious and sterner, while Ichiban is high energy and sometimes clumsy, but with a heart of gold. Their interactions together are entertaining and the same goes for the rest of the cast. There will be plenty of opportunities to initiate conversations with the group, which helps increase your bond with them, which can unlock new abilities.

The story portrays Kiryu as representing the past, and Ichiban as representing the future, and does a fantastic job of alluding to where the series is heading, while also acknowledging past events. At a certain point, players will have the option to explore Kiryu’s past life events for a real trip down memory lane. Loyal fans of the series will be in for a treat, seeing how far the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games have come and how much has changed.

The Like a Dragon series has always gone all out with their storytelling and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth keeps that momentum going by looking into the future while not ignoring the past and is once again, a big emotional rollercoaster. The turn-based mechanics have some new additions making it more fun and entertaining than before. Seeing Kiryu and Ichiban team up, plus a whole cast of characters new and old will surely be a treat for longtime fans, as they explore and fight their way through the streets of Honolulu, Yokohama, and Kamurocho. The Dragon of Dojima, and the Hero of Yokohama are keeping their heads high, fists raised until they die, and living by their own judgment in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Written by: Sammy Hanson