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Kotobukiya has opened pre-orders for its figure featuring Kazuma Kiryu, the first protagonist of Sega's Yakuza game series, which is nowadays known formally as Like a Dragon. The company will release the figure in October 2025.

The figure will have a scale of 1/6 with a total height of around 29 cm (~11.41 inches). Kotobukiya will depict Kiryu in a pose where he is about to launch a punching attack with meticulous detail to the attire, including the watch under the sleeves. However, the figure will be completely static without any swappable or movable parts.

This figure will have a tax-inclusive price tag of 27,500 yen (~$192). People who place orders for the figure on the Japan-exclusive Kotobukiya Online Shop by May 27, 2025, can get an exclusive acrylic block featuring the dragon tattoo motif on Kiryu's back. Those who reside outside the country can alternatively order the figure via AmiAmi, which s worldwide shipping with a discounted price of 26,120 yen (~$182).

Here are some of the sample images for the figure:

Kotobukiya is not the only company working on a figure based on Kazuma Kiryu. Good Smile Company is producing the chibi Nendoroid figure of Kiryu, along with Ichiban Kasuga and Goro Majima. Previously in 2024, Digsta released the figure showing topless Kiryu that also revealed the tattoo on his back.

The 1/6 scale figure of Kazuma Kiryu from the Like a Dragon / Yakuza series by Kotobukiya will be available in October 2025.

The post Kotobukiya Will Release New Kazuma Kiryu Figure This October appeared first on Siliconera.

Sega announced that it has given an official license to BBGame to release a mobile game themed after the Yakuza game series, which is nowadays formally known as Like a Dragon. The game's full title is City of Wars Powered by Like a Dragon, and BBGame just released it in Japan and East Asia on March 27, 2025.

BBGame also set up the Yakuza mobile game's official website, which includes a video message from Masayoshi Yokoyama, the head of the Like a Dragon series developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. The site also includes a set of images that explain the mobile app's gameplay systems.

City of Wars Powered by Like a Dragon will have players build their own town and a faction while cooperating with fellow to capture towns owned by other opposing factions. The mobile game has a single unified global server, so players will engage in cross-regional interactions regardless of their set languages.

Players can also recruit characters from the Like A Dragon / Yakuza game series, including Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, to their fighting team. Their respective Japanese voice actors, such as Takaya Kuroda and Hidenari Ugaki, will also return to reprise their roles. The mobile game also has a Yakuza series staple feature where players can interact with cabaret club hostesses and give them gifts to receive skills in return.

Here are official images of the Yakuza mobile game.

City of Wars Powered by Like A Dragon is now available for iOS and Android mobile devices in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The post Yakuza Mobile Game Is City of Wars Powered by Like a Dragon appeared first on Siliconera.

A new collab is coming to Among Us featuring various iconic characters from the Like a Dragon, aka Yakuza, series. The collaboration is set to start on March 26, 2025, and it will run in-game until June 24, 2025.

Innersloth teased the collaboration by sharing a picture on a social media post in which silhouettes of the crewmates doing karaoke appeared to be dressed in cosplay and singing karaoke. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio) would later confirm the crossover by revealing the characters present in the image on its social media .

The Like a Dragon character skins featured in the new Among Us collab include Kazuma Kiryu, Ichiban Kasuga, Tianyou Zhao, Taiga Saejima, various versions of Goro Majima including his classic design, his design from Yakuza 0, and his latest appearance as a pirate captian in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, as well as the lobster Nancy.

Furthermore, the latest showcase by RGG Studio included a music video of the famous “Bakamitai” Yakuza song performed by Kiryu Kazuma’s voice actor Takaya Kuroda with the video featuring the Among Us crossover. The music video appears on minute 1:21 of the stream, and you can check it out here:

Innersloth has added various crossover characters to Among Us in the past including ones from Hololive, Ace Attorney, Untitled Goose Game, and Undertale. Additionally, the crewmates also appeared in other games like Balatro, with the most recent one being an appearance in the Switch exclusive title Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble.

Among Us is readily available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and the Yakuza Like a Dragon crossover is on the way.

The post Yakuza Characters Among Us Like a Dragon Collab appeared first on Siliconera.

Ahead of the release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, several Yakuza games will be leaving Xbox Game . Thankfully, neither of the titles that will be leaving the service aren't integral to enjoying the spin-off game. As of February 28, 2025 Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered will be leaving Xbox Game on console, cloud, and PC.

The Yakuza 3 and 4 Remaster won't be the only games that will be removed from Game . Microsoft shared a list of what will no longer be accessible once February 28, 2025 rolls around. This includes the following:

• F1 22
• Gris
• Maneater
• PAW Patrol World
• Space Engineers
• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
• Wo Long Fallen Dynasty

That said, Microsoft has added a handful of games to the Xbox Game service, which includes Avowed and Eiyuden Chronicle.

However, those looking for another taste of the Like a Dragon, or Yakuza series, will be able to get their hands on a Dave the Diver crossover DLC. This DLC will see the addition of Like a Dragon series protagonist Kasuga Ichiban to the game sometime in April 2025.

Yakuza 3 Remastered and Yakuza 4 Remastered will be available on Xbox Game until February 28, 2025, after that date it will be leaving the service.

The post Yakuza Games Leaving Xbox Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Though it’s always been some part of the franchise’s DNA, more and more of the Like a Dragon games increasingly operate on an ethos of “why not.” Instead of flipping a switch between gritty crime drama and hijinks, the latest releases spend almost all their time on the silly side. So given that, why not make Majima a pirate captain? Someone at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio inevitably made a joke about his eyepatch and here we are with Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, an entire adventure bent around the goal of making that joke work.

So yep, the Mad Dog of Shimano washes up on a beach with amnesia and becomes a real-fake pirate in a world where a gambling scheme has made old ships and cannons all the rage. Like previous side-story releases, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is made to recycle the environments from the main games and offer something a little different. So in addition to Infinite Wealth’s Honolulu, the new release tacks on sailing and a few islands and makes traversing between locations a big part of the draw.

The narrative is framed as Majima recounting his story months later, making any inaccuracies and embellishments for the sake of fun gameplay totally intended. The first big opponent is a pirate with the less-than-fierce name Keith, and the number of times the game manages to put a full-screen, serious-looking “Keith” interstitial up on screen tells you everything you need to know about the game’s tone. Augmenting this feel is the mix of Yakuza rock with pirate instrumentation and shanties. You can tell the audio team had fun with this one.

Sailing is fairly simple, and much like random ruffians on the games’ streets, you’ll have small ship fights along your way too. These battles, as well as more momentous ones in boss fights and coliseum matches, serve as the primary game progression. You collect crew to operate cannons and machine guns, as well as some to be part of boarding party combat. Money and materials can craft and upgrade better weapons. Pirate renown gates progression. All the side activities feed into at least one of these systems. It ultimately works to tie the game together, in our experience, as everything feels like it’s at least a bit productive.

On land, Majima has access to two combat styles. Mad Dog feels like an offering to old fans, recreating his punching and slicing sort of approach from older games. But most of the work feels like it went into Sea Dog, his pirate-y style. You have swords you can throw, a powerful gunshot and, our favorite, a grappling hook. You can use this to essentially teleport across the fight to a distant foe, and since so many enemies back away and shoot guns, this speeds things up considerably.

The hook is also used outside of battle to retrieve items or swing up to roofs and other platforms for hidden treasures. The generous lock-on function really makes fishing or bug collection easy, and we appreciate that the dev team didn’t insist on making it a test of skill. It’s also not the only unlikely battle accessory you’ll find along the way, but we won’t spoil anything.

While there’s no Animal Crossing island or Pokemon spoof this time, there’s a decent collection of side activities. Of note are the return of Dragon Kart and a nice selection of Master System games! But it’s a bit thinner, for sure. It puts its new ideas largely into the main quest sequences, like ill-advised attempts at 2D sword-fighting and laser-dodging platforming. Hey, they don’t work well, but they’re short! And that makes them tolerable.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is fairly long by side game standards, though length will vary wildly depending on how much you get into the side stuff. You can probably power through the five story chapters in 15-20 hours if you only pause to gather what you need, and if you prefer more challenging combat to grinding for power and health upgrades. If you invest fully in completing every single thing? We wouldn't be surprised if you get 45 to 50 out of it. We landed right around 35, working through most main activities while only dabbling in the staple minigames like karaoke and gambling and such.

Without the, ahem, near-infinite wealth of content of its predecessor, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is unlikely to be anyone’s favorite Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio game. But as a side story? It’s a great time.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches February 21, 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and PC.

The post Review: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a Seafaring Side Quest appeared first on Siliconera.

Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are running a survey for fans of the Like a Dragon (or Yakuza) series to vote on the items included in the next merchandise line inspired by the games. The survey features 100 different items, including the “great fortune gold undies” armor and a karaoke mic, among others.

Fans can now vote on the survey from its official website and the deadline is March 21, 2025. The merchandise survey is being held in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Yakuza video game series on December 8, 2025, and to involve fans in the 20th anniversary project. The highest ranked items will be turned into merchandise goods and sold within the next two years.

However, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio didn’t specify the number of items will be considered the top. Most of the images used for the goods in the site are only for reference, with the exception of some reproductions. The look of these items might change if they become merchandise.

In addition to the aforementioned items, some other options available to vote include a golden Majima statue, a tattoo gold folding screen, gold plate, 20th anniversary logo crystal trophy, a 20th anniversary sake bottle, character pins, clan pins set, a RGG Studios hoodie, a variety of different types of glasses, a sommelier knife, a karaoke tambourine, a MesuKing card collection, themed apparel such as kimono’s or Yamai’s coat, and more.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will come out for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on February 21, 2025. A Captain Majima – EP album featuring various tracks from the game will come out in Japan on February 7, 2025.

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Goro Majima will sing new karaoke songs from Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on a new album to be released on February 7, 2025 ahead of the game’s release. The “Captain Majima – EP” album will feature 3 songs performed by Goro Majima’s Japanese voice actor, Hidenari Ugaki. [Thanks, PR Times!]

The EP costs 1,500 yen (or approximately $9.87) and will be available for sale from the Wave Master Store. The new Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii album includes 3 tracks performed by Goro Majima’s Japanese voice actor, Hidenari Ugaki. These are “36.5C°Sun,” “Midnight Desire,” and “Goro Pirate Crew Theme” (“Goro Kaizokudan no Tema”) as well as the instrumental version for each one. The album also includes an original sticker as a bonus gift.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a new spin-off title in the Like a Dragon series formerly known as Yakuza outside of Japan. The game follows Goro Majima, the Mad Dog of Shimano, after he wakes up in a Hawaiian island with amnesia and embarks on a pirate adventure to recover his past as well as discover hidden treasures.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will come out for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on February 21, 2025. The “Captain Majima – EP” album costs 1,500 yen (~$9.87) and will release on February 7, 2025.

The post Majima Sings on Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Album appeared first on Siliconera.

The November slate for Xbox Game has been revealed, and some notable entries will no longer be available. On November 15, 2024, a number of games will be unavailable to Game Subscribers, including Persona 5 Tactica, and two entries in the Like a Dragon series: Like a Dragon: Ishin and Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name.

While Persona 5 Tactica is leaving, those with access to Game will still be able to play Persona 3: Reload, the most recent Persona entry and a remake of the 2006 classic installment. And don't worry, consumers will still have access to the rest of the mainline Like a Dragon titles such as Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2, all the way up to Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon. Even if Like a Dragon: Ishin and The Man Who Erased His Name will be unavailable after November 15, 2024.

Players who want to keep enjoying Persona 5 Tactica and the two Like a Dragon spinoffs on their Game linked devices will be able to use their member discount to get 20% off on the titles to keep them as part of their collection even after they go.

As for what will be arriving in November, Game owners will be able to get their hands on Metal Slug Tactics on November 5, 2024, Harold Halibut on November 6, 2024, and Goat Simulator Remastered on November 7, 2024. StarCraft Remastered and StarCraft II: Campaign Collection will also appear on Game on November 5, 2024

Persona 5 Tactica, Like a Dragon: Ishin, and Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name will remain on Game until November 15, 2024.

The post Like a Dragon and Persona 5 Tactica Games Leaving Xbox Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company offered us a first look at the initial Like a Dragon Nendoroid, which is a figure of Yakuza staple Kazuma Kiryu. The unpainted prototype of the figure debuted at WonFes 2024 Shanghai, showing what we can expect from it at launch.

As this is an early take on Kazuma, it’s a very stark picture. We only get to see the character in a stoic pose. He’s wearing a suit, and holding no accessories. However, the little paint that is present does show how his beard will look on the face plate. The design does match the concept art that showed up at WonHobby 38 in February 2024.

To compare, here’s how the concept art for the Kazuma Kiryu figure looked alongside the new unpainted prototype.

We first learned Good Smile Company committed to a Like a Dragon Nendoroid line back in October 2023, and the first announcement for each Yakuza figure only included official art. We don’t know how the Goro Majima and Ichiban Kasuga ones are coming along yet.

There’s no release window for the Kazuma Kiryu Nendoroid yet. The next game in the series is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It stars Goro Majima and will be out on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 28, 2025.

The post Like a Dragon Nendoroid Photo Shows the Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu appeared first on Siliconera.

Sega and Atlus have updated their annual Tokyo Game Show website with the TGS 2024 edition. The companies have yet to announce the list of games they will feature at the event. However, they have revealed the list of items that will be available for purchase at their t merchandise booth.

The lineup will include franchises from both companies. Sega is listing items from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise—including those branded with the title Sonic X Shadow Generations—and the Like a Dragon series which was formerly known as Yakuza. Meanwhile, Atlus will bring in items themed after Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance as well as Persona 3, 4, and 5 titles.

Some of the items in the list are also available for online pre-orders. Amazon Japan will release the items on October 12, 2024, and it can also ship them internationally. However, it only lists items from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and Like a Dragon series. That means people who are after Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei and Persona merchandise will have to get the items directly from the physical booth at TGS 2024.

Tokyo Game Show 2024 will take place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on September 26-29, 2024. Sega and Atlus will set up their TGS 2024 merchandise booth at Hall 11.

The post Sega and Atlus Reveal TGS 2024 Merchandise Lineup appeared first on Siliconera.

Sega announced that the iconic Yakuza and Like a Dragon song “Bakamitai” will receive an official vinyl release. The record will go on sale on November 3, 2024 to commemorate Record Day in Japan, and there is no confirmed price nor release regions for the vinyl yet.

The Yakuza (also known as Like a Dragon) “Bakamitai” vinyl record will include "Bakamitai (Taxi Driver Edition)" as the main Side A feature, with the remix song “Bakamitai -sorrow-” as its Side B. Both sides will include full, short, and karaoke versions of each song for a total of 6 tracks. The song is performed by Kazuma Kiryu's Japanese voice actor Takaya Kuroda.

The vinyl record is wine red imitating Kiryu's iconic shirt color with the jacket having the same color. In addition, the jacket features Kiryu in his appearance in Yakuza 5, the game which first introduced “Bakamitai.” The song also made appearances in Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, among other titles in the series.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest title in the Yakuza series and it is readily available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

The post Classic Yakuza Song ‘Bakamitai’ Getting Vinyl Release appeared first on Siliconera.

DIGSTA announced a new Like a Dragon Battle Style figure of Goro Majima, the Mad Dog of Shimano and Kiryu’s rival and friend in the Yakuza titles. The new figure is now available for pre-order, and it is expected to be released in October 2024.

The figure is available from the DIGSTA Japanese online store, where it costs 9,460 yen (or about $61.15). Furthermore, there are also listings for the figure outside of Japan. The AmiAmi website shows two versions of the figure. The regular version costs 8,980 yen (~$58.05,) while the second version includes a limited edition bonus display cloth and also costs 9,460 yen (~$61.15.)

You can take a better look at the new Like a Dragon Battle Style figure of Yakuza fan-favorite Goro Majima here:

And here’s the bonus display cloth. It features Majima’s tattoo rendered in line art and two shades of blue on the left side, with a silhouette of Majima wielding his dagger to the right.

As a reminder, DIGSTA recently announced another Battle Style figure of Kazuma Kiryu and it will be coming in September 2024.

The latest Yakuza game is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which was released on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The new Goro Majima figure will appear in October 2024.

The post Next Like a Dragon Figure Is Goro Majima From Yakuza appeared first on Siliconera.

There’s a new Like a Dragon figure, and it’s of Yakuza mainstay Kazuma Kiryu with his shirt off, ready to fight. Pre-orders are already open for the Battle Style figure ahead of its expected September 2024 debut.

Though this is a Japanese DIGSTA figure, retailers are showing it for sale outside Japan. For example, AmiAmi has standard and bonus versions of it for sale. The standard one is listed for 8,980 yen (~$61). The one with a bonus is 9,460 yen (~$64), and it comes with a display cloth of Kiryu to stand it on. 

This is a static figure that stands at about 175mm (under 7 inches) tall. There are no additional parts to it. However, in the past a DIGSTA version of Kiryu in his full suit did appear.

Here’s a gallery showing off the figure.

And here it is with the bonus display cloth.

While Kazuma Kiryu was set to “retire” in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, he returned in the standalone title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. 

The most recent Yakuza game is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. This Kazuma Kiryu figure of the Like a Dragon protagonist in his classic Yakuza attire will arrive in Spetember 2024. 

The post Kazuma Kiryu Takes His Short Off for New Yakuza Figure appeared first on Siliconera.

The Like a Dragon (or as it was formerly known, Yakuza) series is roughly two decades old, spanning a total of nine mainline entries and several spin-offs. As the series has gained popularity internationally, players worldwide have had a chance to experience some of the most interesting characters the games have to offer. Below, we've provided a list of who we feel is the best character in the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series!

Oh, it absolutely has to be Goro Majima. He's just such a hilarious figure, and it's amazing the range he has. The Mad Dog can be incredibly serious at times, but then we also have him popping out of garbage cans to ambush Kiryu-chan. I also will never forget his Yakuza: Dead Souls "Get to the Top" performance. — Jenni

The most obvious choice here is Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. After all, there wouldn't be a Yakuza series without these two. However, despite playing the Yakuza franchise for over a decade now, I am going to pick Ichiban Kasuga from Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth. When Like a Dragon was first announced, I was extremely skeptical about the series taking on a new protagonist. Plus Ichiban just looked goofy in that run-down suit that looked like it had been a holdover from the 80s.

What I didn't expect from Yakuza: Like a Dragon was to cry. But when I reached the final moments of that game, I bawled my eyes out. Not only was it one of the most emotional stories I've ever experienced in gaming, but the developers made me truly care about Ichiban. What can I say, as a protagonist he's just so damn likable. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he has this aura that makes everyone want to be better - including those playing the game. And in a world that has become cruel and cynical, I find Ichiban Kasuga to be a shining light in the darkness. Okay, that might be a bit dramatic, but I genuinely think he's not only one of the best characters in Yakuza but possibly one of the best gaming characters to be created in the last twenty years. — Brent

There are so many amazing characters in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games that it's really hard to choose the best! So I'm going to be a bit controversial here and pick a personal favorite: Tanimura. Now, I mean specifically the original version of Tanimura because I got into the series through his actor, Hiroki Narimiya. As a character, too, I thought his arc in Yakuza 4 was the best, even if it may feel closer to something from Judgment than Yakuza.

His battle style was so fun once you unlocked more Heat Actions, too! It's a shame that Tanimura will probably never return to the series, even with a new face and voice actor, because they wrapped up his whole deal so neatly in his game. On the flip side, though, he can't overstay his welcome or be shoved into another installment. — Stephanie

Despite my plethora of Yakuza merchandise featuring series protagonist Kiryu, exclusives from the SEGA Store in Japan included, my favorite character in the series is Yoshitaka Mine. Perhaps one of the most devoted and loyal characters in the franchise, he is honestly one of the best foils and mirrors of Kiryu, which makes him one of the best antagonists of the series.

Yeah, Majima is great, and Ryuji Goda from Yakuza 2 is immediately memorable due to his imposing figure and absolutely stellar design. But Mine was striking in everything he did, taking everything to an extreme that often crossed the line in a way that was truly shocking for the series at the time. (Also, you gotta love a man who loves another man so intensely that he'd do anything to keep him safe.) — Kazuma

Goro Majima used to be my favorite from Yakuza 0 through 3 (and he’s still incredible), but I’ve recently come to love two other characters a bit more: Shun Akiyama and Kasuga Ichiban. Akiyama is such a likable guy, and I adored his character arc and weird romance in Yakuza 4 and 5. And then there’s Ichiban. This guy turned me into a ionate fan of the series Yakuza: Like a Dragon with his lovable and charming personality and goofy moments. I haven’t seen a video game protagonist carry their entire story better than him. — Cody

The post Who Are the Best Yakuza and Like a Dragon Characters? appeared first on Siliconera.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, a game that SEO and general cultural awareness requires me to constantly remind you is the eighth main entry in the Yakuza series, follows Ichiban Kasuga as plot reasons send him to the bright environs of Hawaii. Infinite Wealth takes place in a wild fantasy version of our world, in which famous online personalities have a reputation for fact-checking and currencies have a reliable and consistent exchange rate. It follows the last game as a turn-based RPG, sticking with this new scheme as the future of the franchise.

There’s definitely a degree to which starting to play a new Like a Dragon game feels a lot like continuing to play the last one. You’re in the same worlds as the same characters, and previous minigames and personalities return whenever possible. The franchise is happy to continue with the level of world interaction and environmental design it established almost two decades ago. Boxes block stairwells, and lines of people or invisible walls funnel you to destinations. There's no significant effort to make the world feel more real. It is what it is.

And these aren’t necessarily bad things. Sure, we want a more immersive world, but these restrained ambitions mean all the effort goes into adding more things to do. And there’s truly a lot! The game, like ones before it, has a lot of half-baked systems and minigames mixed in, but the sheer quantity of things to do makes forgiving that a lot easier. The big advantage of throwing so much at the wall is that not everything needs to stick. The game has dozens of little mini games, and you’ll find a few engrossing and play the plot-mandated one round of the rest.

The “Sujimon” miscreant collecting scheme from the last game makes a return here, but with a lot more to it. This time, it's essentially a Pokemon Go parody, with trainers all around to fight and locations to visit for occasional free items. It's also built around triple battles. There are a few different systems here, but most of the time you'll move your attacker to the middle and hit the opposing party with splash damage from there.

Making this side game a little more useful is the “Sujimancer” class. Ichiban can summon one of each element for magical attacks, and the stronger they are, the higher the damage. This compelled us to dig a little deeper in the mode, equipping strong hooligans for the rest of the game.

Still, it’s nice to just wander around the streets. There’s even a dedicated button for waving at people this time around, and NPCs respond in kind. There's a “game” attached to this too, but it's incredibly minor and not nearly as important as just saying “what's up” to ersby.

It's good and helpful for both English and Japanese to be used by different characters. Generally the main characters get dubbed one way or the other depending on settings, and we guess that's largely unavoidable. Some characters on the Japanese track do speak English, but they're supposed to be fluent and they're not! That’s because they're using the same voice actor for both sides and they're cast for Japanese, so their English delivery is awkward at best. We know it might be hard to match the English actor enough for them to use those voices for those lines, but if done well, that'd be less immersion-breaking. And if it's feasible to do a third voice option with everyone speaking the language they should as often as possible? That'd be nice for those of us who'd want that. But it’s certainly not an enviable position, and the game manages better than most under the circumstances.

As always for the Yakuza and Like a Dragon titles, there’s a strange clash between the serious main narrative and the side adventures. It approaches story moments in a lot of different ways. Sometimes, they’re full pre-rendered animations. Occasionally there’s an action moment or two. In addition, Infinite Wealth presents many sequences in something close to a motion comic, fully voiced but with new still poses and angles every second or two. We’d feel less charitable about these if that was the only type of scene and it was done just to save development resources, but it feels like it’s deployed in specific moments and mostly when people are recounting their own past actions to another.

It does feel like Ichiban Kasuga as a character is built to help bridge this divide, though. He approaches serious moments with quirk, and quirky moments with earnest seriousness. This is most prominently shown here, as he adventures side-by-side with a late-stage Kiryu who’s a bit too reserved and competent for some hijinks and slip-ups.

But can we talk about the name change again? There’s even a whole segment in Infinite Wealth in which Ichiban, for marketing reasons, emphasizes calling himself yakuza. Someone involved in making the game seems to get the issue.

The biggest and most promoted side adventure in Infinite Wealth is Dondoko Island, a take on Animal Crossing that’s at times both send-up and homage. It’s substantial, too. It feels almost like a standalone application, with different menus, text treatments and action mechanics. It connects to the main game in a few ways, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was developed separately and stitched together near the end.

In it, you rehabilitate an island resort, mostly through Ichiban hitting things with a bat until they dematerialize. It’s also an income source for the rest of the adventure, as you get paid when guests visit and have a good time. We went from start to finish in Dondoko’s progression in about 15 hours, which is a lot for a minigame and not much at all for an Animal Crossing replacement, but we’re happy it doesn’t pad things out to overstay its welcome.

Dondoko Island’s ambitions exceed its grasp sometimes. The frame rate in the object placement mode literally made us sick at times. And the ability to shape your island? It’s a bit limited by the parts you can get, which are almost exclusively recycled building and street clutter assets from the franchise’s previous settings. And some of the later-unlocked areas show up a bit after they might have been most useful.

Still, you can lose yourself in Dondoko for a few days. It's not Animal Crossing deep or polished, but it's a fun thing to do and integration with other things in the game helps a lot. In other words, the franchise’s most successful formula.

We won't spoil any late-game happenings, but Infinite Wealth truly is huge. We figured the “it wouldn't have fit” excuse for Gaiden’s existence was more marketing than fact, but playing through this? Yeah, that might just be true. About 50 hours in, the tone of the game shifted a bit, turning into a love letter to the franchise’s Kiryu-led past.

As overstuffed as it is, we didn't want Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to end. It's such a high-effort package with tons of heart, and it's hard not to let that endearing feeling sand down some of the game’s rough mechanical edges.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and PC.

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