Infinite Wealth is alot to digest when you get down to brass tacks. It's the game that really solidified my belief in RGG Studio's mastery of gameplay loops and feedback systems, with every inch of the game being stuffed with content - every 5 minutes you're knocking off completion list achievements which feed into your personality and bond levels and so on and so forth. My time is never wasted at any point. The combat is engaging and fun and satisfying and is going to make ever returning to Like A Dragon a pain in the ass due to how GOOD all the improvements are. Hawaii as a location is incredible and features some of the best minigames seen in the franchise.
Where I take pause is I don't feel like this was an Ichiban game. This is very much a Kiryu story, right down to the game's theme of atonement. The game tries really hard to figure out a way to get Ichiban to Hawaii and to meet up with Kiryu but it doesn't feel natural in its execution. Additionally, as with all Yakuza games, the game does sag a bit in the middle of the game - but the constant introduction to new systems, jobs and minigames made things feel fresh and exciting, even when the overall narrative was taking a bit of a backseat. I understand that Ichiban is the new protagonist as of Like A Dragon 7, but I feel like his inclusion was an overall detriment to the game's storytelling. His plotline didn't feel nearly as fleshed out or taken seriously by the writers compared to Kiryu's beautifully done storyline.
That being said - Infinite Wealth really proved to me that Ichiban is one of the best JRPG protagonists in gaming right now, and Kiryu Kazuma is one of the most humanly written characters in the medium. Despite my woes with the narrative overall, I was still thoroughly entertained by Ichiban and I have no worries about him being the LAD protagonist in future games.
I did think the ending was very well done, and I think it was respectful enough that it opened and closed some doors narratively. No matter what, Kiryu is treated with the utmost reverence and respect by RGG (even with Toshihiro Nagoshi departing the studio) - and at no point did I feel like the emotional threads were cheap or weakly implemented into the story.
Some minor complaints and nitpicks I have are the lack of level suggestions on substories was frustrating at points as I'd wander into a substory with a fight where I am way below the intended level for the quest. Also, while combat is great, an animation skip for enemies or fast-forward option would've been a great inclusion for the longer, multi-enemy fights where I'm waiting for 6 people to take their turn.
I greatly enjoyed my overall experience with Infinite Wealth and being in Hawaii. I don't know how RGG will one-up themselves with the next mainline entry or where it will go narratively, but I have full confidence in post-Nagoshi RGG Studios to deliver.
Where I take pause is I don't feel like this was an Ichiban game. This is very much a Kiryu story, right down to the game's theme of atonement. The game tries really hard to figure out a way to get Ichiban to Hawaii and to meet up with Kiryu but it doesn't feel natural in its execution. Additionally, as with all Yakuza games, the game does sag a bit in the middle of the game - but the constant introduction to new systems, jobs and minigames made things feel fresh and exciting, even when the overall narrative was taking a bit of a backseat. I understand that Ichiban is the new protagonist as of Like A Dragon 7, but I feel like his inclusion was an overall detriment to the game's storytelling. His plotline didn't feel nearly as fleshed out or taken seriously by the writers compared to Kiryu's beautifully done storyline.
That being said - Infinite Wealth really proved to me that Ichiban is one of the best JRPG protagonists in gaming right now, and Kiryu Kazuma is one of the most humanly written characters in the medium. Despite my woes with the narrative overall, I was still thoroughly entertained by Ichiban and I have no worries about him being the LAD protagonist in future games.
I did think the ending was very well done, and I think it was respectful enough that it opened and closed some doors narratively. No matter what, Kiryu is treated with the utmost reverence and respect by RGG (even with Toshihiro Nagoshi departing the studio) - and at no point did I feel like the emotional threads were cheap or weakly implemented into the story.
Some minor complaints and nitpicks I have are the lack of level suggestions on substories was frustrating at points as I'd wander into a substory with a fight where I am way below the intended level for the quest. Also, while combat is great, an animation skip for enemies or fast-forward option would've been a great inclusion for the longer, multi-enemy fights where I'm waiting for 6 people to take their turn.
I greatly enjoyed my overall experience with Infinite Wealth and being in Hawaii. I don't know how RGG will one-up themselves with the next mainline entry or where it will go narratively, but I have full confidence in post-Nagoshi RGG Studios to deliver.