Previously announced as Like a Dragon 8, we now have more information on the upcoming sequel to the excellent Yakuza: Like a Dragon, now titled as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The franchise is in full swing at the moment, with the latest release being Like a Dragon: Ishin, a remaster of the Japan-only release from 2014, which was critically acclaimed, including by ourselves. Only three days ago the next instalment was announced to be releasing later this year with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, starring Kazuma Kiryu, and bridging the narrative gap between Yakuza: Like a Dragon and the newly announced Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Related: Like a Dragon: Ishin Review: The Man with Two Names (PS5)
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Ichiban-Inspired Madness
The trailer will undoubtedly leave you as confused as poor Ichiban seems to be, and it certainly doesn’t give much away. Waking up on a beach with no idea where he is, or even that he’s apparently completely starkers, one thing is clear. Ichiban is no longer in Japan. His more familiar stomping grounds seem to have been replaced by an American beach filled with outraged onlookers.
For fans of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, this sort of situation isn’t out of the ordinary, with the franchise skating the line of ridiculous and heavy-hitting in its tone. One second you’re fighting a diaper-wearing head of Yakuza, the next you’re weeping at the loss of your closest friend. It’s a franchise with an odd, if not compelling history.
We won’t have very long to wait before we get answers to the many questions the trailer has brought us, with Ryu ga Gotoku having their own showcase on June 15th. No doubt both this game and the upcoming Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name will be shown off in far more depth, and maybe we’ll find out more about the mysterious globe-trotting exploits of Ichiban.
Last seen teaming up with Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will follow the two protagonists in a ‘larger-than-life RPG adventure’ set in motion ‘by an unexpected chain of events’ according to the studio. Unlike the other franchise entries, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will follow its predecessor, and will be a turn-based party combat game, instead of the real time combat the other mainline games favour. Considering the turn-based combat was one of the best parts of the Yakuza: Like a Dragon, this is no bad thing, and the promise of an extended party, hopefully filled with the same zany, eclectic characters Ichiban’s first adventure had can only be a good thing.
No concrete release date was shown, other than it coming in 2024, but with two Yakuza games this year already, its no surprise we’ll be waiting a little while for our next Ichiban adventure. Are you looking forward to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?
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