51 reviews liked by Goldowo
Persona 3 Reload
2024
This game is about life, about growing up, connecting with others, and walking trought complicated paths and creating beautiful and life-defining moments.
♥
♥
Persona 3 Reload
2024
Where to begin...
Persona 3 FES is one of my favorite games, a game that made me think about it every day for months after finishing it, a game that I started not liking so much (in fact, I only really enjoyed it after about 20 hours of gameplay) and ended up loving it, considering it one of the best experiences in media.
When the remake was announced, I was quite hopeful that they would fix everything I considered problematic in the original while keeping the same content, the same story beats, not removing what makes the original game so important to me.
And I must say that Atlus succeeded. Not only did they succeed, but they gave me much more than I asked for, and for that, I am eternally grateful for this release. Precisely because they focused more on changes in form than on altering the soul of the work.
Of course, not everything is truly perfect. For starters, the new OST is not always better than the old one, and it's strange in the first few hours playing Persona 3 and not hearing Yumi's voice. However, the game has incredible new songs, and the new opening is great too.
Another thing is that the lighting sometimes falls short compared to the old one. Far from being a dealbreaker or something horrible, but the old lighting matched the scenarios better.
Some things matter less to me, such as The Answer and FeMC. I don't like the first in the original and think it should undergo a complete revamp (so I understand them releasing it later as DLC), and FeMC I just find somewhat redundant.
That said, I can say that even though they changed the form a bit, modernizing the visuals and shifting from the edgy and dark look to a cleaner and milder one, the content, especially the emotional content of Persona 3, which is a rollercoaster, remains intact. And this new look not only is very well executed, pleasant to the eyes, and consistent, but it also makes sense. After all, we don't use CRTs anymore; technology has changed, and the number of pixels has too.
Beyond that, there is so much to praise, so much that makes this version by far superior to all the others. From small things like changing the beach scene to bigger things like localization in my native language (Portuguese), which is by far the best localization work I've seen, in Portuguese or not.
And I love that everything expected to be changed has changed for the better. The gameplay is even more fluid; we no longer have the fatigue system; the calendar is better; Tartarus looks beautiful, and each block is visually quite different from the others; and the new balance of the game supports all the improvements and QoLs like Baton Pass and Theurgy Attacks (which, by the way, have beautiful animations. I love the idea of limit breaks in Atlus games). And yet it remains a dungeon crawler, a formula that I enjoy, that makes me lose track of time, that makes me forget about problems while climbing those floors.
But for me, the best addition is not in the gameplay itself, even though these improvements are massive. The best addition is undoubtedly the Linked Episodes, which greatly enrich certain characters who didn't shine as much in the original. Sanada and Shinjiro have become two of my favorite characters, and Ken has improved a lot in my eyes because of these new moments with them. And I can say that the Persona 3 party is my favorite not only in Persona but in any JRPG I've played.
Persona 3 Reload is beautiful. I have no other word that describes it better. What wonderful moments these characters gave me, how cool a character Aigis is, what a message this game constantly hammers into your head. What interesting contexts are behind many Social Links (special mention to Sun, Tower, and Hanged-Man). And how good it is to see stories of overcoming challenges, even if they are of fictional characters. When you are there in the eye of the storm, that doesn't matter so much.
Remember that you are mortal. Remember that things come to an end. Remember that nothing lasts forever. Celebrate life and moments while you can. When the credits rolled, and I couldn't control my tears, I thought about the experience and the gratitude of being able to relive everything that Persona 3 has to offer anew. And everything I've experienced in my life since I played Persona 3. Few works, whether videogames or not, have had this weight in my life. I'm not ready to say that I prefer Persona 3 to Persona 4, but I certainly see that day coming. That said, I'm prepared to say this is probably the most meaningful Atlus work.
Persona 3 FES is one of my favorite games, a game that made me think about it every day for months after finishing it, a game that I started not liking so much (in fact, I only really enjoyed it after about 20 hours of gameplay) and ended up loving it, considering it one of the best experiences in media.
When the remake was announced, I was quite hopeful that they would fix everything I considered problematic in the original while keeping the same content, the same story beats, not removing what makes the original game so important to me.
And I must say that Atlus succeeded. Not only did they succeed, but they gave me much more than I asked for, and for that, I am eternally grateful for this release. Precisely because they focused more on changes in form than on altering the soul of the work.
Of course, not everything is truly perfect. For starters, the new OST is not always better than the old one, and it's strange in the first few hours playing Persona 3 and not hearing Yumi's voice. However, the game has incredible new songs, and the new opening is great too.
Another thing is that the lighting sometimes falls short compared to the old one. Far from being a dealbreaker or something horrible, but the old lighting matched the scenarios better.
Some things matter less to me, such as The Answer and FeMC. I don't like the first in the original and think it should undergo a complete revamp (so I understand them releasing it later as DLC), and FeMC I just find somewhat redundant.
That said, I can say that even though they changed the form a bit, modernizing the visuals and shifting from the edgy and dark look to a cleaner and milder one, the content, especially the emotional content of Persona 3, which is a rollercoaster, remains intact. And this new look not only is very well executed, pleasant to the eyes, and consistent, but it also makes sense. After all, we don't use CRTs anymore; technology has changed, and the number of pixels has too.
Beyond that, there is so much to praise, so much that makes this version by far superior to all the others. From small things like changing the beach scene to bigger things like localization in my native language (Portuguese), which is by far the best localization work I've seen, in Portuguese or not.
And I love that everything expected to be changed has changed for the better. The gameplay is even more fluid; we no longer have the fatigue system; the calendar is better; Tartarus looks beautiful, and each block is visually quite different from the others; and the new balance of the game supports all the improvements and QoLs like Baton Pass and Theurgy Attacks (which, by the way, have beautiful animations. I love the idea of limit breaks in Atlus games). And yet it remains a dungeon crawler, a formula that I enjoy, that makes me lose track of time, that makes me forget about problems while climbing those floors.
But for me, the best addition is not in the gameplay itself, even though these improvements are massive. The best addition is undoubtedly the Linked Episodes, which greatly enrich certain characters who didn't shine as much in the original. Sanada and Shinjiro have become two of my favorite characters, and Ken has improved a lot in my eyes because of these new moments with them. And I can say that the Persona 3 party is my favorite not only in Persona but in any JRPG I've played.
Persona 3 Reload is beautiful. I have no other word that describes it better. What wonderful moments these characters gave me, how cool a character Aigis is, what a message this game constantly hammers into your head. What interesting contexts are behind many Social Links (special mention to Sun, Tower, and Hanged-Man). And how good it is to see stories of overcoming challenges, even if they are of fictional characters. When you are there in the eye of the storm, that doesn't matter so much.
Remember that you are mortal. Remember that things come to an end. Remember that nothing lasts forever. Celebrate life and moments while you can. When the credits rolled, and I couldn't control my tears, I thought about the experience and the gratitude of being able to relive everything that Persona 3 has to offer anew. And everything I've experienced in my life since I played Persona 3. Few works, whether videogames or not, have had this weight in my life. I'm not ready to say that I prefer Persona 3 to Persona 4, but I certainly see that day coming. That said, I'm prepared to say this is probably the most meaningful Atlus work.
Persona 3 FES
2007
Gonna preface this review by saying P3 is my favorite game of all time, and all my bias for the hodgepodge of weird quirks and gameplay design choices that perfectly collided into making this bizarre and wonderful game is unavoidable.
I think there's a lot of games out there that do far better in terms of individual metrics like gameplay or graphics - but what makes this game truly special is how everything flows together. Nearly all of it's gameplay functions - no matter how egregious or tough to work with they might seem - have a purpose in it's story, and it all flows together in a cohesive masterpiece unlike anything I've seen before.
A perfect example of this is the way you cooperate with your teammates; there's no direct control over the other characters. Most people hate the AI control to the point where they don't want to even give it a chance - but being a dysfunctional group that slowly learns to depend on each other is exactly what the main characters are and the way this gets expanded on by the range of tactics that you're able to assign your teammates expanding each month you survive together is absolutely brilliant.
The main character is also my favorite silent MC (and one of my favorite characters of all-time, even) because of how well him being a silent MC is implemented; which I can't quite mention without going too deep into the story, but he has such a genuinely fantastic reason for being the way he is and it truly makes sense for him to adapt to a different mask for every person he comes across.
People like to think of him as the same blank slate silent main characters they're used to when they start the game (especially if they've played P4 or P5 beforehand and aren't expecting much) but trust me, he'll end up being so much more than that.
I think the game's definitely a slowburn, and the pacing regarding that isn't perfect by any means, but it is absolutely worth it.
I've never experienced a more gripping and genuinely warm story of love and hope despite how bleak the world might be, and I'm so glad I found it exactly when I needed it.
So yeah, if you're looking for some game you'll enjoy for revolutionary gameplay alone; you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
But, if like me, you adore it when a game makes use of all it's quirks and design choices to make the message it's trying to send even stronger, you're in luck. I don't think I'll ever find a game that does that as strongly as Persona 3 does.
This game is.. incredible. I think personal circumstances had a lot to do with it, but I genuinely wouldn't know where I'd be without it.
And for that, I'll love it through all eternity.
I think there's a lot of games out there that do far better in terms of individual metrics like gameplay or graphics - but what makes this game truly special is how everything flows together. Nearly all of it's gameplay functions - no matter how egregious or tough to work with they might seem - have a purpose in it's story, and it all flows together in a cohesive masterpiece unlike anything I've seen before.
A perfect example of this is the way you cooperate with your teammates; there's no direct control over the other characters. Most people hate the AI control to the point where they don't want to even give it a chance - but being a dysfunctional group that slowly learns to depend on each other is exactly what the main characters are and the way this gets expanded on by the range of tactics that you're able to assign your teammates expanding each month you survive together is absolutely brilliant.
The main character is also my favorite silent MC (and one of my favorite characters of all-time, even) because of how well him being a silent MC is implemented; which I can't quite mention without going too deep into the story, but he has such a genuinely fantastic reason for being the way he is and it truly makes sense for him to adapt to a different mask for every person he comes across.
People like to think of him as the same blank slate silent main characters they're used to when they start the game (especially if they've played P4 or P5 beforehand and aren't expecting much) but trust me, he'll end up being so much more than that.
I think the game's definitely a slowburn, and the pacing regarding that isn't perfect by any means, but it is absolutely worth it.
I've never experienced a more gripping and genuinely warm story of love and hope despite how bleak the world might be, and I'm so glad I found it exactly when I needed it.
So yeah, if you're looking for some game you'll enjoy for revolutionary gameplay alone; you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
But, if like me, you adore it when a game makes use of all it's quirks and design choices to make the message it's trying to send even stronger, you're in luck. I don't think I'll ever find a game that does that as strongly as Persona 3 does.
This game is.. incredible. I think personal circumstances had a lot to do with it, but I genuinely wouldn't know where I'd be without it.
And for that, I'll love it through all eternity.
Kill the past. Secure the future.
This review contains minor spoilers for Yakuza 5, 6, 7 and Gaiden.
Kiryu has to move on from his past mistakes. Put his trust in others for the first time.
Ichiban has to secure the future for all the ex-Yakuza he helped tear down. They are human too.
Ichiban has to use the past as a stepping stone to reach for even greater highs. If he got up from rock bottom, he is capable of dreaming of greater heights. His father’s footsteps. His failed confession. A brother he didn’t have the chance to change.
Kiryu has to see a brighter tomorrow, secure what little future he has left. Even if he himself tries to deny this fact. Still too afraid to let others into his life.
Wandering around the city with Kiryu, reminiscing on all the past events you and him have been through together. The hardships you have faced against the insurmountable foes behind the many multi-layered conspiracies. The laughs you had with the side characters. The infuriation you felt whilst fighting the near-immortal Amon, or the fun you had batting your stress away at the cages. Finally being able to see some of the long lost characters. This is the life Kiryu has lived. You have seen it all through. Reminisce on it one last time.
But he can't wallow in despair. He has new friends to keep his chin up. You have been an empty, depressed shell of your former self since 2011. It’s time to gain back some of that old spark. Enjoy life whilst it lasts Kiryu. Gather some positivity, if anyone could tell you how to do that, it’d be Ichi and his gang.
This is partially Ichiban’s story after all, and what is Ichiban’s story if not a spontaneous bundle of misfits reaching for the sky?
Ichiban’s tale is always penned in the love he has for his friends. The pals he can always confide in, Adachi and Nanba. The person most unapproachable to him, Saeko. The unpredictable ex-mafia who can whip up a mean dim sum, Zhao. The initially cold, but ultimately human members of the Geomijul, Joongi and Seonhee.
Joining Ichiban’s group of middle aged do-gooders are the helpful wheelchair-bound Eiji. The cabbie who tried to rob him at gunpoint, Tomizawa. The girl who knows more than she lets on, Chitose. Lastly, the brick-faced Yakuza legend, Kiryu Kazuma himself.
Putting Kiryu in Ichibans crew was an interesting decision. These are people he has never had a heart to heart with before. Complete strangers as far as he is concerned. But it worked. The relationship between Kiryu and these people clicked. Ichiban’s cheerfulness can even tear down the greatest of walls. Kiryu quickly found that he had a lot more in common with this pick ‘n’ mix of Japan's (and Hawaii’s) most bold.
What really, really helps the bonds you forge with the party is all of the gameplay additions surrounding it. Wandering around the map could trigger a conversation where Seonhee mentions Joongi watching videos of rubber bands blowing up watermelons. Or a discussion between Ichiban and Tomizawa about hermit-crab real estate. Every one of these conversations is as enamoring as the last.
But it's not limited to just this, eat at restaurants and the crew might burn their tongues on sesame balls or talk about how their sensitive molars make the party weak to ice magic. Levelling up your bonds allows you to do tag team attacks, combo enemies with your allies, and unlock new skills and jobs to experiment with.
Everything you do with your party increases their bond level, as you increase their bond you can go out and grab drinks, usually resulting in a small character arc for that party member. Unlike 7, the characters have plenty of good moments and screen time. So it's not like Zhao or Joongi get a particularly short end of the stick like they did previously. Most of these drink links have nice conclusions, or add particularly entertaining bits of depth to the characters.
So all of this makes the party fantastic. But what's a good band of heroes without some ruthless masterminds?
The majority of the villains are quite good. Together they form a super solid antagonistic cast, though individually they are a bit hit or miss.
Yamai is the standout here. Solid design, fantastic arc, great boss fights and extremely memorable voicework to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone among the fanbase who didn’t end up a fan.
Ichiban’s final boss is not bad, but it definitely will not make it to the hall of fame of RGG’s greats like Aoki, Shishido or Mine. However, Ichiban’s story does not end there. His big moment comes afterwards. His final scene, helping up someone from rock bottom through a naive, one-sided love is just so… Ichiban. The dream present in this scene never came to fruition before. But he made it possible now.
Kiryu’s final boss has a few minor issues. I really don't know why they felt the need to include a “we are not so different, he and I” moment, when I think that much was made clear. But at the same time,
I…
I APOLOGISE.
This game is nothing short of fantastic, following up on every idea, every core concept in this 9-game series is nothing short of monumental work. To be able to do it in this fashion, and deliver it with this much purpose is stunning.
Something as special as this does not come around often.
This review contains minor spoilers for Yakuza 5, 6, 7 and Gaiden.
Kiryu has to move on from his past mistakes. Put his trust in others for the first time.
Ichiban has to secure the future for all the ex-Yakuza he helped tear down. They are human too.
Ichiban has to use the past as a stepping stone to reach for even greater highs. If he got up from rock bottom, he is capable of dreaming of greater heights. His father’s footsteps. His failed confession. A brother he didn’t have the chance to change.
Kiryu has to see a brighter tomorrow, secure what little future he has left. Even if he himself tries to deny this fact. Still too afraid to let others into his life.
Wandering around the city with Kiryu, reminiscing on all the past events you and him have been through together. The hardships you have faced against the insurmountable foes behind the many multi-layered conspiracies. The laughs you had with the side characters. The infuriation you felt whilst fighting the near-immortal Amon, or the fun you had batting your stress away at the cages. Finally being able to see some of the long lost characters. This is the life Kiryu has lived. You have seen it all through. Reminisce on it one last time.
But he can't wallow in despair. He has new friends to keep his chin up. You have been an empty, depressed shell of your former self since 2011. It’s time to gain back some of that old spark. Enjoy life whilst it lasts Kiryu. Gather some positivity, if anyone could tell you how to do that, it’d be Ichi and his gang.
This is partially Ichiban’s story after all, and what is Ichiban’s story if not a spontaneous bundle of misfits reaching for the sky?
Ichiban’s tale is always penned in the love he has for his friends. The pals he can always confide in, Adachi and Nanba. The person most unapproachable to him, Saeko. The unpredictable ex-mafia who can whip up a mean dim sum, Zhao. The initially cold, but ultimately human members of the Geomijul, Joongi and Seonhee.
Joining Ichiban’s group of middle aged do-gooders are the helpful wheelchair-bound Eiji. The cabbie who tried to rob him at gunpoint, Tomizawa. The girl who knows more than she lets on, Chitose. Lastly, the brick-faced Yakuza legend, Kiryu Kazuma himself.
Putting Kiryu in Ichibans crew was an interesting decision. These are people he has never had a heart to heart with before. Complete strangers as far as he is concerned. But it worked. The relationship between Kiryu and these people clicked. Ichiban’s cheerfulness can even tear down the greatest of walls. Kiryu quickly found that he had a lot more in common with this pick ‘n’ mix of Japan's (and Hawaii’s) most bold.
What really, really helps the bonds you forge with the party is all of the gameplay additions surrounding it. Wandering around the map could trigger a conversation where Seonhee mentions Joongi watching videos of rubber bands blowing up watermelons. Or a discussion between Ichiban and Tomizawa about hermit-crab real estate. Every one of these conversations is as enamoring as the last.
But it's not limited to just this, eat at restaurants and the crew might burn their tongues on sesame balls or talk about how their sensitive molars make the party weak to ice magic. Levelling up your bonds allows you to do tag team attacks, combo enemies with your allies, and unlock new skills and jobs to experiment with.
Everything you do with your party increases their bond level, as you increase their bond you can go out and grab drinks, usually resulting in a small character arc for that party member. Unlike 7, the characters have plenty of good moments and screen time. So it's not like Zhao or Joongi get a particularly short end of the stick like they did previously. Most of these drink links have nice conclusions, or add particularly entertaining bits of depth to the characters.
So all of this makes the party fantastic. But what's a good band of heroes without some ruthless masterminds?
The majority of the villains are quite good. Together they form a super solid antagonistic cast, though individually they are a bit hit or miss.
Yamai is the standout here. Solid design, fantastic arc, great boss fights and extremely memorable voicework to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone among the fanbase who didn’t end up a fan.
Ichiban’s final boss is not bad, but it definitely will not make it to the hall of fame of RGG’s greats like Aoki, Shishido or Mine. However, Ichiban’s story does not end there. His big moment comes afterwards. His final scene, helping up someone from rock bottom through a naive, one-sided love is just so… Ichiban. The dream present in this scene never came to fruition before. But he made it possible now.
Kiryu’s final boss has a few minor issues. I really don't know why they felt the need to include a “we are not so different, he and I” moment, when I think that much was made clear. But at the same time,
I…
I APOLOGISE.
This game is nothing short of fantastic, following up on every idea, every core concept in this 9-game series is nothing short of monumental work. To be able to do it in this fashion, and deliver it with this much purpose is stunning.
Something as special as this does not come around often.
"If your heart's in the right place, that's all that matters"
This review contains spoilers
It’s incredible that after 19 years and 10 mainline games RGG can still make something so fun to play and with such thematic strength to the point that elevates the Yakuza series to not only one of my favorite game franchises, but also favorite media franchises in general.
Gameplay-wise, Infinite Wealth is a huge upgrade from 7. For starters, the exp curve is really great. The scaling for exp and job levels means that it’s very easy to catch up thanks for the game design choice of granting the player more stat points for leveling up the character itself compared to the points you earn by leveling up your job, which combined with the new inheritance system, gives room to experimentation with your builds.
Job design and skills are also excellent, each new job has a really cool and distinct aesthetic, a really fun playstyle that is way more interesting than they were in 7. The way you unlock them is also hilarious, with Ichiban and the gang doing some tourist activities in Hawaii, resulting in Ichiban having a Revelation for a new job, or Chitose having that revelation when the job in question is female-only.
Speaking of which, Hawaii is a delight to explore, going from urban-packed cities like Yokohama and Kamurocho to a more tropical Hawaii is a nice change of pace, I was constantly exploring the place for various reasons like the minigames, party talks, or even greeting the locals and adding them as your friends, which surprisingly I found myself doing most of the time.
The new combat changes are also great. The fact that you can now position your characters so that you can change the AoE of attacks, the added proximity bonus, back attacks, combo attacks, rebound attacks, all of these changes make the turn-based combat more fun and dynamic.
With the gameplay section out of the way, the game’s themes in this instalment of the series focus on closure, but not necessarily as a way of ending things, rather as a conduit for new beginnings in life.
Along the journey we find new and returning characters that are basically at the crossroads of their lives. Tomizawa is a taxi driver who, despite not having the most comfortable life, still had a happy one with his girlfriend and with a baby on the way, which was unfortunately taken away from him because of him being framed for a crime he did not commit. Only when he confronts who is responsible for it, and reuniting with his ex and seeing that she is now living a happy life if you have done his drink links, can Tomizawa move on.
Chitose is also a new party member, born of a rich family, she never had any type of control in her life until she started the Tatara channel where she could be more herself behind of a vtuber persona, which unfortunately was also taken from her by Eiji to be a means of destroying the lives of yakuza trying to integrate to society, and only when she is motivated by her new allies is when she has the courage to go against Eiji and take back control of her life.
The same can also be applied to returning characters of the series. Adachi wants to redeem himself for not being able to stop a robbery that could have been prevented, Nanba wants to return the job that a coworker of his lost and find out the true reason of why he was fired so that he can lift some of the blame off Ichiban’s shoulders, Seonhee wants to live up to her status as the chief of both the Geomijul and the Liumang, Zhao wants to do what he loves in life and not doing something that was chosen for him, Saeko wants closure with her feelings of love and her feelings for Ichiban.
Yamai was a character that I didn’t expect to like so much when I played the game. He starts off as a regular criminal boss, with a weird tic of always feeling cold, even when dressed in almost winter clothes in a hot location as Hawaii. We later learn that this is because of a lack of closure he has for his previous life as a Tojo clan yakuza and unfortunate ending he had with his love for the patriarch’s wife. Along the journey we see him trying to cope with that, first with setting up the Yamai Syndicate and trying to take over the Hawaii criminal underworld, next trying to defeat Kiryu in battle, but each time he can’t get rid of himself of the coldness that he feels. Only when he meets Ichiban and he starts to warm up to him (no pun intended) is when he finally decides to reunite with his loved one, only to find out that she’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer and no longer recognizes him, “It’s over. There’s nothing romantic left to this” as he says, but when she starts to complain that she is cold and Yamai decides to give her his jacket, it’s the first time when he does something for her where she is genuinely thankful for, giving the closure that Yamai needed. “Yeah… I was too warm anyway”.
Which brings us to our main protagonists. Ichiban is trying to continue the legacy of Arakawa by trying to integrate every yakuza back to society after the great dissolution, which has not been easy thanks to the new 5-year ex-yakuza clause, and adding the stigma that society has for ex-cons then you have a recipe for disaster. People later accuse him of using these new hires for committing different types of crimes, which results in him being fired from his job. He then finds a new purpose when Sawashiro makes a return and asks him a favor of reuniting with his mom and give her Arakawa’s ashes. During the trip he meets Eiji, who at first, we are led to believe that he’s wheelchair bound and this obviously starts a relationship that parallels the one Ichiban had with Ryo Aoki, almost like he’s trying to redeem himself for not being able to save him and giving the chance of redemption that he needed. Later we learn that this was all an act to prey on Ichiban’s emotional vulnerabilities, but this does not stop him, in each turn Ichiban tries to save Eiji from going down this path of hatred and revenge, and only in the end, where Eiji’s ploys are revealed to the world, is when Ichiban can convince him to turn himself in and start life anew.
Kiryu is a man who lived a life full of regrets. We have seen his journey since 0 and along each iteration we’ve seen how the yakuza life has changed him, first inspired by Kazama and the luxuries of this lifestyle, it quickly turned on its head leading to a life full of violence and sadness, each time trying to quit and living a normal life it has been failed, and since the end of 6, Kiryu faked his own death to separate himself from his loved ones. And now it is revealed that not only he has cancer, but also that he only has 6 months left to live. Kiryu in the beginning is at peace with this, he is supposed to be dead after all, and even if he fought back, it would only result in him living a life that is not his own. But when he starts to hang out with Ichiban and later when he returns to Japan starts to do his bucket list is when he finally gains reasons to keep on living (which is juxtaposed with the awakening mechanic, each thing you do for the bucket list is more points to upgrade his combat styles). With this said, I think it’s fair to say that the first sparks to truly fight back is when he visits Daigo, Majima and Saejima. The three of them started a security company in Osaka to serve as a safe net for the ex-yakuza so that they can integrate back to society, but when the company is exposed, the company went under. This left them devastated and since their presence alone destroyed any type of chance that their new employees had at having a normal life, they decided to remove themselves from society, and if they got their way, they would be forgotten by everyone. When Kiryu sees this, he calls them out for being cowards, instead of fighting back and earn their place that they would rather die in a desolate cold place, which is ironic since it is what Kiryu was also doing until now, and this moment is imo where the will to fight back truly begin. At the final battle, Kiryu wears his old suit which fabric colors have faded along with the time, and also rocking with his classic haircut, signaling the return of the Dragon. And in the post-credits scene we see a frail Kiryu, but one that has decided to fight and live on. We see a man who has regained his name.
The final confrontation in this game is against Ebina. He is the son of Arakawa and the daughter of his family patriarch. We of course know that Arakawa didn’t love her, which resulted in Hikawa raising her son alone and falling into sickness. This fueled Ebina to go through a path of revenge, trying to kill every yakuza that he could thanks to the deal he made with palakana. This is further indicated with the tattoo on his back that represents an Oni, violent creatures that are fueled with bloodthirst and rage. This all ends when Kiryu defeats him in battle and then begs him for forgiveness, that is the moment where all his rage is gone. His mother’s final words were of her begging him to forgive his father and the yakuza, and Kiryu’s “final” words are of him begging Ebina to forgive him.
Which brings me to the final topic. What is Infinite Wealth? The answer that the game gives (or at least my interpretation of that answer) is that infinite wealth is the life that you choose to live. During the game we meet character that face many adversities in their lives, and we see how society treats people that live in the rock-bottom, in Japan we have the 5-year ex-yakuza clause, and in Hawaii we have the Island that has been repurposed as a nuclear waste deposit, these both used as means to not rehabilitate them, but to cast them aside and ignore them. You can only take back control of your life and change for the better if you fight for it. As Kiryu says to Ebina, “You can’t change anything if you’re dead”.
The final cutscene plays a song by Sheena Ringo called “The Invaluable”. The song is about the value of life, of how even if the world takes something from you, it cannot take away or destroy the way you live your life, because it’s something that has no equal value.
I’ll leave this review/analysis/thoughts/whatever you want to call this with something that Kazuhiro Nakayama (Ichiban’s VA) said before the game released:
"I think there are a lot of things that happen in life, but when you play Like A Dragon 8, you can look up and see the shining sky with a smile on your face."
Gameplay-wise, Infinite Wealth is a huge upgrade from 7. For starters, the exp curve is really great. The scaling for exp and job levels means that it’s very easy to catch up thanks for the game design choice of granting the player more stat points for leveling up the character itself compared to the points you earn by leveling up your job, which combined with the new inheritance system, gives room to experimentation with your builds.
Job design and skills are also excellent, each new job has a really cool and distinct aesthetic, a really fun playstyle that is way more interesting than they were in 7. The way you unlock them is also hilarious, with Ichiban and the gang doing some tourist activities in Hawaii, resulting in Ichiban having a Revelation for a new job, or Chitose having that revelation when the job in question is female-only.
Speaking of which, Hawaii is a delight to explore, going from urban-packed cities like Yokohama and Kamurocho to a more tropical Hawaii is a nice change of pace, I was constantly exploring the place for various reasons like the minigames, party talks, or even greeting the locals and adding them as your friends, which surprisingly I found myself doing most of the time.
The new combat changes are also great. The fact that you can now position your characters so that you can change the AoE of attacks, the added proximity bonus, back attacks, combo attacks, rebound attacks, all of these changes make the turn-based combat more fun and dynamic.
With the gameplay section out of the way, the game’s themes in this instalment of the series focus on closure, but not necessarily as a way of ending things, rather as a conduit for new beginnings in life.
Along the journey we find new and returning characters that are basically at the crossroads of their lives. Tomizawa is a taxi driver who, despite not having the most comfortable life, still had a happy one with his girlfriend and with a baby on the way, which was unfortunately taken away from him because of him being framed for a crime he did not commit. Only when he confronts who is responsible for it, and reuniting with his ex and seeing that she is now living a happy life if you have done his drink links, can Tomizawa move on.
Chitose is also a new party member, born of a rich family, she never had any type of control in her life until she started the Tatara channel where she could be more herself behind of a vtuber persona, which unfortunately was also taken from her by Eiji to be a means of destroying the lives of yakuza trying to integrate to society, and only when she is motivated by her new allies is when she has the courage to go against Eiji and take back control of her life.
The same can also be applied to returning characters of the series. Adachi wants to redeem himself for not being able to stop a robbery that could have been prevented, Nanba wants to return the job that a coworker of his lost and find out the true reason of why he was fired so that he can lift some of the blame off Ichiban’s shoulders, Seonhee wants to live up to her status as the chief of both the Geomijul and the Liumang, Zhao wants to do what he loves in life and not doing something that was chosen for him, Saeko wants closure with her feelings of love and her feelings for Ichiban.
Yamai was a character that I didn’t expect to like so much when I played the game. He starts off as a regular criminal boss, with a weird tic of always feeling cold, even when dressed in almost winter clothes in a hot location as Hawaii. We later learn that this is because of a lack of closure he has for his previous life as a Tojo clan yakuza and unfortunate ending he had with his love for the patriarch’s wife. Along the journey we see him trying to cope with that, first with setting up the Yamai Syndicate and trying to take over the Hawaii criminal underworld, next trying to defeat Kiryu in battle, but each time he can’t get rid of himself of the coldness that he feels. Only when he meets Ichiban and he starts to warm up to him (no pun intended) is when he finally decides to reunite with his loved one, only to find out that she’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer and no longer recognizes him, “It’s over. There’s nothing romantic left to this” as he says, but when she starts to complain that she is cold and Yamai decides to give her his jacket, it’s the first time when he does something for her where she is genuinely thankful for, giving the closure that Yamai needed. “Yeah… I was too warm anyway”.
Which brings us to our main protagonists. Ichiban is trying to continue the legacy of Arakawa by trying to integrate every yakuza back to society after the great dissolution, which has not been easy thanks to the new 5-year ex-yakuza clause, and adding the stigma that society has for ex-cons then you have a recipe for disaster. People later accuse him of using these new hires for committing different types of crimes, which results in him being fired from his job. He then finds a new purpose when Sawashiro makes a return and asks him a favor of reuniting with his mom and give her Arakawa’s ashes. During the trip he meets Eiji, who at first, we are led to believe that he’s wheelchair bound and this obviously starts a relationship that parallels the one Ichiban had with Ryo Aoki, almost like he’s trying to redeem himself for not being able to save him and giving the chance of redemption that he needed. Later we learn that this was all an act to prey on Ichiban’s emotional vulnerabilities, but this does not stop him, in each turn Ichiban tries to save Eiji from going down this path of hatred and revenge, and only in the end, where Eiji’s ploys are revealed to the world, is when Ichiban can convince him to turn himself in and start life anew.
Kiryu is a man who lived a life full of regrets. We have seen his journey since 0 and along each iteration we’ve seen how the yakuza life has changed him, first inspired by Kazama and the luxuries of this lifestyle, it quickly turned on its head leading to a life full of violence and sadness, each time trying to quit and living a normal life it has been failed, and since the end of 6, Kiryu faked his own death to separate himself from his loved ones. And now it is revealed that not only he has cancer, but also that he only has 6 months left to live. Kiryu in the beginning is at peace with this, he is supposed to be dead after all, and even if he fought back, it would only result in him living a life that is not his own. But when he starts to hang out with Ichiban and later when he returns to Japan starts to do his bucket list is when he finally gains reasons to keep on living (which is juxtaposed with the awakening mechanic, each thing you do for the bucket list is more points to upgrade his combat styles). With this said, I think it’s fair to say that the first sparks to truly fight back is when he visits Daigo, Majima and Saejima. The three of them started a security company in Osaka to serve as a safe net for the ex-yakuza so that they can integrate back to society, but when the company is exposed, the company went under. This left them devastated and since their presence alone destroyed any type of chance that their new employees had at having a normal life, they decided to remove themselves from society, and if they got their way, they would be forgotten by everyone. When Kiryu sees this, he calls them out for being cowards, instead of fighting back and earn their place that they would rather die in a desolate cold place, which is ironic since it is what Kiryu was also doing until now, and this moment is imo where the will to fight back truly begin. At the final battle, Kiryu wears his old suit which fabric colors have faded along with the time, and also rocking with his classic haircut, signaling the return of the Dragon. And in the post-credits scene we see a frail Kiryu, but one that has decided to fight and live on. We see a man who has regained his name.
The final confrontation in this game is against Ebina. He is the son of Arakawa and the daughter of his family patriarch. We of course know that Arakawa didn’t love her, which resulted in Hikawa raising her son alone and falling into sickness. This fueled Ebina to go through a path of revenge, trying to kill every yakuza that he could thanks to the deal he made with palakana. This is further indicated with the tattoo on his back that represents an Oni, violent creatures that are fueled with bloodthirst and rage. This all ends when Kiryu defeats him in battle and then begs him for forgiveness, that is the moment where all his rage is gone. His mother’s final words were of her begging him to forgive his father and the yakuza, and Kiryu’s “final” words are of him begging Ebina to forgive him.
Which brings me to the final topic. What is Infinite Wealth? The answer that the game gives (or at least my interpretation of that answer) is that infinite wealth is the life that you choose to live. During the game we meet character that face many adversities in their lives, and we see how society treats people that live in the rock-bottom, in Japan we have the 5-year ex-yakuza clause, and in Hawaii we have the Island that has been repurposed as a nuclear waste deposit, these both used as means to not rehabilitate them, but to cast them aside and ignore them. You can only take back control of your life and change for the better if you fight for it. As Kiryu says to Ebina, “You can’t change anything if you’re dead”.
The final cutscene plays a song by Sheena Ringo called “The Invaluable”. The song is about the value of life, of how even if the world takes something from you, it cannot take away or destroy the way you live your life, because it’s something that has no equal value.
I’ll leave this review/analysis/thoughts/whatever you want to call this with something that Kazuhiro Nakayama (Ichiban’s VA) said before the game released:
"I think there are a lot of things that happen in life, but when you play Like A Dragon 8, you can look up and see the shining sky with a smile on your face."
A fantastic second chapter for one protagonist, and a perfect final chapter for another protagonist
Another RGG game releases and of course it becomes a new favourite of mine, however this one in particular feels really special. Back when this was first revealed, I was hyped to see Ichiban’s next game but also wasn’t sure about how I felt about Kiryu returning as a main character, and I know I was far from the only one. Before Infinite Wealth, my favourite Yakuza game was 6, which I thought was the best conclusion for his saga, as well as his scenes in 7. Although along with this, Gaiden was also revealed, showing that there was still more to be shown. Now that both of them are here… I can easily say that this is the new perfect ending for the Kiryu saga
Seeing how much the gameplay improved here was really insane. The switch to turn based RPG was a huge move from RGG back in Y7, and yet it still managed to be great, though did have its issues that stopped it from being perfect, but man did they improve on it a ton here. I’d even say this is my new favourite JRPG combat, to the point where I can’t imagine going back to Y7’s gameplay. They made it so much more fun here in so many ways, with my favourite new mechanic being able to move around during your turn, which adds even more. It was good to see the same jobs return, and the new ones were some of the best. A big issue I had with 7 were the sudden difficulty spikes at certain bosses, forcing you to spend hours grinding with no warning. But that barely felt like a problem here, for me anyway since I’d usually be around the recommended level anyway… except for the final boss, of course the one time where they didn’t give a recommended level for it (no spoilers, but if you’re reading this and not there yet, I’d recommend getting to level 50 first). But speaking of bosses, each one here felt really great, a huge step up from 7. The last thing I’ll say about the gameplay kinda ties back into the jobs, but the way they handled Kiryu’s Dragon of Dojima job was way too good. I didn’t even want to change it because it felt so perfect, and shows just how close the new turn based combat feels to the combat of the other games
It’s difficult to talk about the story without spoiling so I won’t say as much as I’d want to to avoid that, but it was everything I was hoping for. In many ways, RGG took risks with this one, and in my opinion it all paid off perfectly. It was really nice to see the main party return, and the new characters were also great too. It made me realise that the Y7/8 crew are one of my favourite casts ever. That ending… I’m still not over it even now, I just know it’ll stick with me. I’ll keep this part short and end it by talking about the side content. Of course this franchise is known for how ridiculous the side content is, and it’s been some of my favourite in Infinite Wealth. It was cool to see them expand on Sujimon, and the new/returning mini games were really fun. I still have yet to do Dondoko Island, so I’m prepared to sell my life to that. Of course the biggest highlight here was the memoirs and life links. I won’t say any more about those but god… that’s just what I wanted from this game. It really knew exactly where to hit
I just had to get my thoughts on this game down, this all probably sounded kinda messy and not everything I want to say is here but this game has made me feel emotionally exhausted, and even with my extremely high expectations it still managed to end up going beyond that. Playing through this reminded me why this franchise is so special to me and what makes it my favourite of all time. This long journey with Kiryu throughout these years is one that I’ll never forget, since there are very few characters that I feel as connected to as I had with him. And there aren’t enough words to describe how much I’m looking forward to seeing the future of Ichiban’s saga
Another RGG game releases and of course it becomes a new favourite of mine, however this one in particular feels really special. Back when this was first revealed, I was hyped to see Ichiban’s next game but also wasn’t sure about how I felt about Kiryu returning as a main character, and I know I was far from the only one. Before Infinite Wealth, my favourite Yakuza game was 6, which I thought was the best conclusion for his saga, as well as his scenes in 7. Although along with this, Gaiden was also revealed, showing that there was still more to be shown. Now that both of them are here… I can easily say that this is the new perfect ending for the Kiryu saga
Seeing how much the gameplay improved here was really insane. The switch to turn based RPG was a huge move from RGG back in Y7, and yet it still managed to be great, though did have its issues that stopped it from being perfect, but man did they improve on it a ton here. I’d even say this is my new favourite JRPG combat, to the point where I can’t imagine going back to Y7’s gameplay. They made it so much more fun here in so many ways, with my favourite new mechanic being able to move around during your turn, which adds even more. It was good to see the same jobs return, and the new ones were some of the best. A big issue I had with 7 were the sudden difficulty spikes at certain bosses, forcing you to spend hours grinding with no warning. But that barely felt like a problem here, for me anyway since I’d usually be around the recommended level anyway… except for the final boss, of course the one time where they didn’t give a recommended level for it (no spoilers, but if you’re reading this and not there yet, I’d recommend getting to level 50 first). But speaking of bosses, each one here felt really great, a huge step up from 7. The last thing I’ll say about the gameplay kinda ties back into the jobs, but the way they handled Kiryu’s Dragon of Dojima job was way too good. I didn’t even want to change it because it felt so perfect, and shows just how close the new turn based combat feels to the combat of the other games
It’s difficult to talk about the story without spoiling so I won’t say as much as I’d want to to avoid that, but it was everything I was hoping for. In many ways, RGG took risks with this one, and in my opinion it all paid off perfectly. It was really nice to see the main party return, and the new characters were also great too. It made me realise that the Y7/8 crew are one of my favourite casts ever. That ending… I’m still not over it even now, I just know it’ll stick with me. I’ll keep this part short and end it by talking about the side content. Of course this franchise is known for how ridiculous the side content is, and it’s been some of my favourite in Infinite Wealth. It was cool to see them expand on Sujimon, and the new/returning mini games were really fun. I still have yet to do Dondoko Island, so I’m prepared to sell my life to that. Of course the biggest highlight here was the memoirs and life links. I won’t say any more about those but god… that’s just what I wanted from this game. It really knew exactly where to hit
I just had to get my thoughts on this game down, this all probably sounded kinda messy and not everything I want to say is here but this game has made me feel emotionally exhausted, and even with my extremely high expectations it still managed to end up going beyond that. Playing through this reminded me why this franchise is so special to me and what makes it my favourite of all time. This long journey with Kiryu throughout these years is one that I’ll never forget, since there are very few characters that I feel as connected to as I had with him. And there aren’t enough words to describe how much I’m looking forward to seeing the future of Ichiban’s saga
Legit cried when Itchyballs said "We are Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth"
Steins;Gate
2009
Trama cuasi-inexistente durante 10 horas, personajes superficiales estereotipados al límite sin ningún tipo de desarrollo en 20, misoginia, pedofilia, acoso sexual, exposiciones que duran más de 20 minutos que podrían ser resumidas en 4.
El arte es bonito y tal
El arte es bonito y tal
As someone who started with Like a Dragon 7, hearing from long-time fans that the series generally didn't focus on being all that interconnected despite having its overarching narrative blew my mind.
You're telling me they knocked it out of the park like this, in a way I've hardly ever seen before on essentially their first try? Holy shit dude. It's incredible.
Not only does it follow up on LaD7 incredibly well, by the time the protagonists split up and form their own parties, it manages to be such a fantastic love letter to Kiryu's entire journey as well.
And sure, this might seem like it doesn't mean much coming from someone who didn't witness any of it; but honestly, that's exactly what makes it so impressive for me.
Without feeling like an overblown or elongated trip down memory lane, it manages to make him reminisce about just about everything he's been through so damn well at such a critical point in his life that it left an impressively emotional impression despite me not having much knowledge of these events, because he's such a ridiculously charismatic character.
That blends into this game in many ways; even newly introduced characters have so much respect for his legacy that it shapes their entire story influence in ways you wouldn't expect, impressing you even further.
It making him this endearing for me already, I can't imagine how it'd be for long-time fans. Gotta be some of the most cathartic fanservice I've ever seen, and it's done so damn well.
Ichiban continues to be the absolute best aswell; the story starts off pretty slow and meticulously, focusing more on the two new party members, Tomizawa and Chitose; and the effect he has on them, much like with the original cast - is yet again colossal. He's the best, man. Nothing but good in his heart, and it makes you fall in love with him all over again.
The impact both of these characters have on the story is phenomenal, and this.. might just be the best implementation of dual protagonists I've ever seen? Genuinely can't think of any examples where it amazed me as much as this game did.
They're both so involved that it doesn't feel like either's ever left out, even when you're ping-ponging between two different parties. The stakes mean so much to both of them, and that's done so damn well. Really impressive stuff.
Much like LaD7 (and previous entries, I'm sure!), this game manages to balance the inherent goofiness this series love to have with an incredibly poignant and emotional story that I absolutely adore.
On a gameplay front, it's also a major improvement from it's predecessor - which is great to see. I didn't mind it's gameplay all that much, but it was definitely a little stiff and janky in some ways.
Adding movement during to turns to allow you to angle AoE attacks or group up with your party to get in range for buffs and healing is SUCH a welcome change. Not only that, it plays around with said movement options in a lot of fun ways - like adding combo attacks if you're close to teammates (both in bond levels and combat range), or back attacks that are guaranteed crits. It allows you to line up your abilities so much better, and gets you thinking what angle's best for your regular attacks too.
You can even knock back enemies towards allies and have them follow-up on it; so yeah, there's a lot to do with it and it adds so many layers to the combat as a whole. Makes for one of the most fun turn-based games I've ever played, honestly.
All that to say - this game is fucking incredible. Genuinely can't think of things that remotely bothered me during my playthrough, it's been such a blast.
As I mentioned, it is a bit on the slow side - but exploring Hawaii as the most endearingly goofy protagonist I've ever seen known as none other than Kasuga Ichiban more than makes up for that, so I didn't mind that at all myself.
I get the feeling there'll be plenty more Like a Dragon games in store for Ichiban even if Kiryu understandably bows out; and I'll be there for them no matter what. But man, I'm gonna be impressed if they ever manage to top this one for me.
It's such a fantastic story that implores you to live on, no matter how deplorable you think you or the world might be - because the only way you can change that is to keep going.
You'll always worry about things you can no longer change - you might regret them or be angry at yourself about them; that's life.
But as long as you keep going, life will always throw a few open doors your way.
And so I'll gladly do just that.
You're telling me they knocked it out of the park like this, in a way I've hardly ever seen before on essentially their first try? Holy shit dude. It's incredible.
Not only does it follow up on LaD7 incredibly well, by the time the protagonists split up and form their own parties, it manages to be such a fantastic love letter to Kiryu's entire journey as well.
And sure, this might seem like it doesn't mean much coming from someone who didn't witness any of it; but honestly, that's exactly what makes it so impressive for me.
Without feeling like an overblown or elongated trip down memory lane, it manages to make him reminisce about just about everything he's been through so damn well at such a critical point in his life that it left an impressively emotional impression despite me not having much knowledge of these events, because he's such a ridiculously charismatic character.
That blends into this game in many ways; even newly introduced characters have so much respect for his legacy that it shapes their entire story influence in ways you wouldn't expect, impressing you even further.
It making him this endearing for me already, I can't imagine how it'd be for long-time fans. Gotta be some of the most cathartic fanservice I've ever seen, and it's done so damn well.
Ichiban continues to be the absolute best aswell; the story starts off pretty slow and meticulously, focusing more on the two new party members, Tomizawa and Chitose; and the effect he has on them, much like with the original cast - is yet again colossal. He's the best, man. Nothing but good in his heart, and it makes you fall in love with him all over again.
The impact both of these characters have on the story is phenomenal, and this.. might just be the best implementation of dual protagonists I've ever seen? Genuinely can't think of any examples where it amazed me as much as this game did.
They're both so involved that it doesn't feel like either's ever left out, even when you're ping-ponging between two different parties. The stakes mean so much to both of them, and that's done so damn well. Really impressive stuff.
Much like LaD7 (and previous entries, I'm sure!), this game manages to balance the inherent goofiness this series love to have with an incredibly poignant and emotional story that I absolutely adore.
On a gameplay front, it's also a major improvement from it's predecessor - which is great to see. I didn't mind it's gameplay all that much, but it was definitely a little stiff and janky in some ways.
Adding movement during to turns to allow you to angle AoE attacks or group up with your party to get in range for buffs and healing is SUCH a welcome change. Not only that, it plays around with said movement options in a lot of fun ways - like adding combo attacks if you're close to teammates (both in bond levels and combat range), or back attacks that are guaranteed crits. It allows you to line up your abilities so much better, and gets you thinking what angle's best for your regular attacks too.
You can even knock back enemies towards allies and have them follow-up on it; so yeah, there's a lot to do with it and it adds so many layers to the combat as a whole. Makes for one of the most fun turn-based games I've ever played, honestly.
All that to say - this game is fucking incredible. Genuinely can't think of things that remotely bothered me during my playthrough, it's been such a blast.
As I mentioned, it is a bit on the slow side - but exploring Hawaii as the most endearingly goofy protagonist I've ever seen known as none other than Kasuga Ichiban more than makes up for that, so I didn't mind that at all myself.
I get the feeling there'll be plenty more Like a Dragon games in store for Ichiban even if Kiryu understandably bows out; and I'll be there for them no matter what. But man, I'm gonna be impressed if they ever manage to top this one for me.
It's such a fantastic story that implores you to live on, no matter how deplorable you think you or the world might be - because the only way you can change that is to keep going.
You'll always worry about things you can no longer change - you might regret them or be angry at yourself about them; that's life.
But as long as you keep going, life will always throw a few open doors your way.
And so I'll gladly do just that.