When the studio behind Kiryu's great saga decides to show off, she doesn't pretend; after a Gaiden episode developed in a few months and which was able to free itself from a DLC status that it could (and should) have kept despite some great emotions, the RGG studio is finally releasing something new by securing Ichiban in lead, with the support of a Kiryu closer to the exit than ever.
Like a Dragon in the water
In the test of previous major part of the series, we met Ichiban Kasuga, a yakuza far too nice for his own good who had to face the consequences of the Great Dissolution of the Tojo clan and the Omi alliance upon his release from prison, as well as the powerful extreme organization right Bleach Japan in which his half-brother Masato Arakawa was involved before being assassinated when his yakuza past was revealed. Between betrayals, twists and turns specific to the series, Like a Dragon had however innovated with a shift to the game system directly inspired by J-RPG and the introduction of a successor to the eternal (but not so much) Kiryu, with an Ichiban who I readily described as a nice bastard. His charisma moved away from that of the alpha man that was his illustrious predecessor to that of a very beta man, the RGG studio managing to make its new hero extremely endearing in his style very different from the one he was to replace . The result of this revival was particularly successful and well received, so much so that it was inevitable that Ichiban would return, but what we expected less before the announcement of this new part was the presence in the foreground of Kazuma Kiryu who joins therefore the friend with the punch cup at the very first rank of Infinite Wealth while he was supposed to remain in the shadows under the orders of the Daidoji faction.
It was in one of the last trailers that we learned that Kiryu was doomed in the short term, suffering from cancer that was already well advanced; in Like a Dragon Gaiden, we learned that he was sent to Hawaii on a mission for the Daidoji, with his supervisor Hanawa who gave him a little free rein to honor a promise to a deceased woman – killing two birds with one stone. At the same time, Ichiban also landed in Hawaii at the insistence of his former captain Sawashiro, in search of his own mother who had taken refuge there since his birth. Circumstances inevitably make them cross paths again to fight together against new enemies and against the world itself, but they are not alone in this epic: for every J-RPG hero, you need a coterie and who says coterie says companions faithful. We will obviously find the clique from the previous part, as well as two newcomers – three if we count Kiryu himself who appears as the hero himself.
Kiryu or the philosophy deposit
Ichiban or the idiot bail
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Hawaii state behind the scenes
At level combat system, no major evolution this time, we return to turn-based Ichiban style, where placement has a huge importance on the progress of a fight, like getting closer to an object to get away from it grab and strike, a strike to the side or back inflicting more damage, or group up with an ally for a combined strike… Certain possibilities with your companions are unlocked with the development of your friendship with them – the closer you are, the better it is obviously, and for this you will have to (again) fight in their company (the more formidable the enemies, the more points will be won), chat with them during small skits in the restaurant for example or complete bingos of the friendship to learn more about their tastes, aspirations and other thoughts. And of course, these levels of friendship unlock for each side mini-stories among all the secondary stories which this Like a Dragon is once again full of.
Dwight, voiced by Machete himself
MUWICA
Just like mini-games, which without counting the classics (including a dungeon to go through to accumulate money, items and experience like in Like a Dragon) this time welcome a new version Uber Eats from Crazy Taxi, a tram photo safari of dancing perverts (!), but above all two mini-games with red threads: the first is a Yakuza version of Pokémon, namely the Sujimon that we “capture” by giving them gifts after luring them with musk, to make them work and face other Sujimon from master “trainers”… Except that instead of cute animals , Sujimon are (some of) the enemies encountered in the game! The mini-game is well designed enough to spend hours and hours completing your Sujidex, also with a range of secondary stories to boot.
More frail life
They see me rollin'
But if it stopped there in content, it wouldn't be a real Like a Dragon. The major piece remains the mini management game of a seaside resort on a lost island, I named Dondoko Island. It is a question of gradually cleaning up an island transformed into a giant dump by a company of corrupt waste cleaners who enjoy dumping there all the garbage that they are supposed to get rid of elsewhere; in doing so and with all the waste eliminated with his trusty bat, he can little by little build bigger and bigger furniture (from a stool to… buildings!) to make the island more attractive to potential customers according to four criteria: rustic, sordid, elegant or pop. Capturing insects, catching fish here and there, cleaning the beaches, collecting minerals or mushrooms… You can easily spend even more time there than with the Sujimon to create an island with small onions for the pleasure of creation and welcoming its customers, with the added possibility of other players virtually visiting your island. Yes, it's just completely a Animal Crossing in Like a Dragon. Oh and incidentally, it will be possible in the annex island to use your Sujimon to work, cultivate products, recycle waste or train… Thus coupling the two mini-games to perfection. Enough to spend days there before thinking of returning to the main story…
A main story that I find a little behind, on a personal level, compared to the other episodes of the series; but here, I'm only talking about the last chapters with the final conclusions, not the road to get there. Without revealing too much, it's about worship around a guru, widespread corruption, ecology, all with an international scope while still keeping a link with the vestiges of the old well-known clans of the series after the Great Dissolution a few years earlier and addressed again in Like a Dragon. Who says any new territory means new gangs and of course the clique… Finally, the cliques of Kiryu and Ichiban find themselves mixed up and a lot of breaking of mouths is to be expected, all allegiances combined, and as usual each smashed boss is a moment of satisfaction. We also find some moments clearly over the top signatures of the series with absurd bosses, allowing a few breaks between other moments with a much more deleterious atmosphere, especially with the health of a Kiryu who keeps enough fishing to stick to the others. And to accompany the legend to the end, many memories can be found in key places to record them in Kiryu's memories. For those who have lived through all his stories, more than one tear will be drawn away as in the conclusion of Like a Dragon Gaiden.
Dondoko Island mascots
The best trainer!
Until my last breath in the conch-lusion
In the review of the previous major title introducing Ichiban, I called this one a nice bastard, and I clearly stand by those words here; we can totally put the attitude of the naive Ichiban and that of the dragon Kiryu in this title. When the latter attracts with his charisma stemming from his power and his taciturn side, the former knows how to surround himself with his cheekiness and his innate optimism. They are not comparable, but complementary, and I still find it admirable that the RGG studio managed to bring Ichiban Kasuga as a natural successor for the series while avoiding the pitfall of “more of the same”. And in a game ultra-packed with content, new features and bars of laughter and fits of tears, with very well several dozen hours of play to go around (and well over a hundred for all TO DO), Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has more than enough capabilities to play at the top of the table for the best games of the year. If I had to mention a downside, I would mention the absence of new game+ excluding… Paid DLC. Arg.
Where it all began…
Test carried out by Bardiel Wyld on PlayStation 5 from a version provided by the publisher.