Excerpt of full review: https://gameluster.com/?p=101209&preview=true
When you’ve been in the video game review business for over four years, as I have, it’s hard not to compare a game you’re reviewing to other games you’ve played. It’s something I try (and usually fail) to avoid, because ultimately my goal is to inform you, the reader, if the game in question is worth your valuable time and hard-earned money. So, sometimes that means saying a new game is like Dark Souls meets The Legend of Zelda; if only someone would be brave enough to be inspired by these games! So here I am, hat in hand, unable to find a way to succinctly tell you about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth purely by its own merits. Infinite Wealth is a love letter to the entire medium of video games.
The latest entry in the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series is at once fifteen other games you’ve already played, but better, carefully sewn into one of the best games I have ever had the joy of playing. But even ignoring all that, Infinite Wealth stands on its own story and gameplay among the best RPGs ever. I also don’t want to bury the lede here – ignore the pulse-pounding narrative, intelligent mechanics, amazing graphics, and best-in-class music for a moment. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is fun.
With no repeating quests or grinding, it’s over 70 hours long – there’s just that much game to play. I’m so excited for players to discover what it has to offer; perhaps both the best story and combat in video games. That said, I want to make an earnest recommendation to play Yakuza: Like a Dragon before dipping into Infinite Wealth; you will not be able to follow the story otherwise. It happens to be one of the best games of all time too, so that’s just a bonus for you. I am simultaneously awestruck, confused, and enamored with what RGG has done with Infinite Wealth. With gameplay this good, a narrative this gripping, and punches that will hit you straight in the heart, this is the apex of gaming as I know it. Echoing Kiryu and Ichiban’s struggles, Infinite Wealth keeps one eye firmly focused on gaming’s past, with the other on a bright horizon for its future.
When you’ve been in the video game review business for over four years, as I have, it’s hard not to compare a game you’re reviewing to other games you’ve played. It’s something I try (and usually fail) to avoid, because ultimately my goal is to inform you, the reader, if the game in question is worth your valuable time and hard-earned money. So, sometimes that means saying a new game is like Dark Souls meets The Legend of Zelda; if only someone would be brave enough to be inspired by these games! So here I am, hat in hand, unable to find a way to succinctly tell you about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth purely by its own merits. Infinite Wealth is a love letter to the entire medium of video games.
The latest entry in the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series is at once fifteen other games you’ve already played, but better, carefully sewn into one of the best games I have ever had the joy of playing. But even ignoring all that, Infinite Wealth stands on its own story and gameplay among the best RPGs ever. I also don’t want to bury the lede here – ignore the pulse-pounding narrative, intelligent mechanics, amazing graphics, and best-in-class music for a moment. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is fun.
With no repeating quests or grinding, it’s over 70 hours long – there’s just that much game to play. I’m so excited for players to discover what it has to offer; perhaps both the best story and combat in video games. That said, I want to make an earnest recommendation to play Yakuza: Like a Dragon before dipping into Infinite Wealth; you will not be able to follow the story otherwise. It happens to be one of the best games of all time too, so that’s just a bonus for you. I am simultaneously awestruck, confused, and enamored with what RGG has done with Infinite Wealth. With gameplay this good, a narrative this gripping, and punches that will hit you straight in the heart, this is the apex of gaming as I know it. Echoing Kiryu and Ichiban’s struggles, Infinite Wealth keeps one eye firmly focused on gaming’s past, with the other on a bright horizon for its future.