Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth contains the largest map in yakuza franchise Marking the series’ first venture outside of Japan, the upcoming title will take players to the tourist hotspot of Hawaii — Honolulu, to be exact. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio claims the massive new stage is more than three times the size of Yakuza: Like the Dragon’s Isezaki Ijincho, a suburb that featured afro-colossus Kasuga Ichiban. This means that the map of Hawaii is almost nine times the size of the Kamurocho area, the main Japanese setting of the series, stripped of shops, restaurants and nightclubs, where we sampled the action-packed illegal activities through the eyes of the series’ Kazuma Kiryu. The main character, who constantly returns to a life of crime.
As part of the announcement, RGG revealed several key locations to visit in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, starting with Aloha Beach, a lively sun-kissed coastline where players can even go swimming. Then there’s Anaconda Mall for yakuza Enthusiasts satisfy their arcade game needs and grab a quick bite, followed by the bustling Chinatown area, filled with steaming food stalls, markets and the Nirvana Bank Hotel, home to only the wealthiest. As a respected tourist destination, the Waiki Town area is the place to go to buy souvenirs, District 5 to chat with the local mafia, and Little Japan is the place to go for delicious sushi when our heroes feel homesick. Yes, we have two main characters this time as Ichiban Kasuga is sent to Hawaii with the promise of reuniting with his mother to meet Kazuma Kiryu, who challenges him to a “final battle”.
Released today!
The new stage of Ryu ga Gotoku 8 is Honolulu City, Hawaii.
A massive new stage said to be more than three times the size of Isezaki Ijincho.
So, what are these territories and what adventures await them? ?Click here to learn more 👇 https://t.co/FZjhLm1cPJ#Ryu ga Gotoku pic.twitter.com/10TruA9ek9
— Ryu ga Gotoku Studio Official (@ryugagotoku) November 24, 2023
The September trailer for the story showed Kiryu battling cancer as well as dealing with the complexities of old age. In a way, it seems that RGG Studio is taking Kirya out of the main role, which also explains why the new era yakuza the games were renamed “Like a Dragon” in the West. As such, the gameplay has also seen a huge shift from over-the-top real-time combat to turn-based gameplay similar to the Persona series of games. As always, anything goes in these battles, so feel free to use objects in the environment as your weapons, such as a car battery to electrocute enemies, summon muscular Allies to beat up enemies, blow them up with a car crash, and even shoot them cinematic shortcut… team moves. And of course, food items give temporary stat bonuses when you’re in a pinch.
Hoverbikes to travel the streets, pizza delivery mini-games and karaoke sessions are also part of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The head of RGG Studio, Masayoshi Yokoyama, called the game “a class of monsters”, adding that if someone played it constantly, they would get sick. “This means that a lot of people will be hesitant to play the game or it will end up sitting on their shelves. I thought the possibility of that outcome was sad, so I thought we should hype everyone up enough to play it,” he said in an interview. To combat this, the studio opted for a festival atmosphere that it believed would encourage players to finish it within a week or month, “even at the cost of their health.”
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be released on January 25th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.
