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Ah, the lap of the ocean is calm, isn’t it? And it’s hot here too. The strange thing is that the sounds of the sea are occasionally overshadowed by the sounds of Sega’s canals. It’s amazing.
Of course it is As a dragon: infinite wealth!
Ed. Technically Yakuza 8, Next to Yakuza: Like Dragon (technically Yakuza 7), Infinite Wealth follows Ichiban Kasuga and his friends to the sunny shores of Hawaii for the first time in the series’ history. And my goodness, what a beautiful place it must be. Broad. Sandy. Although there are situations he finds himself in that reinforce Kasuga’s laid-back attitude and sunny disposition. Those conditions? He goes to find his mother, who is — I won’t spoil it — the kind of typically complex yakuza-leader drama you’d expect from Raya Ga Gotoku Studios.
Sure, you’ve got improvements to turn-based combat, allowing characters to move like a bowling alley and knock enemies around like Skittles when you press the “hit them” button. Renovated dungeons make the level gates a little stiffer. And balancing personality traits leads to unlocking new tasks, with friend-bonding now leading to more activities – everything connects better and makes for a more rewarding reward loop while you’re banging sides about Hawaii.
In reality, though, Infinite Wealth is unique because of two things: 1) it’s a treasure (of things), 2) it’s a tale for fans both new and old (especially old).
I mean “riches” in the sense that infinite riches contain many. An Animal Crossing– esque island you can provide and develop, eventually the economy will support itself and a tourist destination completely different from the main game. Take on Pokemon, Sujimon, a minigame that allows you to collect exotic items to battle in Hawaii and beyond before being sent off to battle other factions like Temu Ash Ketchum. Not to mention the abundance of sub-stories and minigames, all of which will move you from tears to belly laughs.
Running alongside Ichiban’s tale is Kiryu’s, which is even more tragic on the face of it – he’s been diagnosed with cancer and given only a few months to live. Throughout the story you alternate between playing Ichiba and Kiryu, Kiryu’s perspective is sad, yes, but also very impressive. Not only will he support new friends for the first time, but he will also rediscover past relationships with you, many of Kiryu’s acquaintances over the years.
Besides all the minigames and battles, there are some really fun moments in these remakes. To see how their former friends have grown up, what they’re doing, and how they’ve enriched Kiryu’s life and vice versa. It’s a way for new fans to learn about Legacy. For old fans, these heartfelt moments are a reminder of the powerful power of the Yakuza.
As I said In my reviewThanks to the Yakuza.
Nick: Yakuza games have always struck such a delicate balance between serious, heartfelt crime drama and absurdist subtlety. It is what makes them special. On reflection, I think Infinite Wealth decided to follow the whimsy at the expense of the deeper storytelling I’ve grown to love about the series, but the result is still an incredibly charming RPG that I’m truly sad to see end.
Head Back to the advent calendar To open another door!
