I completely missed the boat on the Yakuza series when it first came around. The first one I actually played was Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and only because it showed up on PlayStation Plus like a lost puppy. I always kinda knew who the characters were—thanks to memes, gaming forums, and the occasional guy shouting “Kiryu-chan!” in YouTube compilations—but I had no idea what the actual story was. Honestly, I still don’t feel like I totally do.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth picks up where the last game left off, following our lovable underdog Ichiban Kasuga—ex-Yakuza, ex-fall guy, full-time idealist. He’s not the sharpest katana in the armory, but his heart is absurdly big and his willpower is basically unkillable. He’s the kind of hero you want to root for, even if you’re not always sure why.

At the start of the game, Kasuga’s trying to live a normal, boring adult life—working at Hello Work (Japan’s version of the unemployment office) to help other ex-Yakuza guys find legit jobs. Things are going okay until he gets exposed by a clout-chasing streamer who claims he’s secretly rebuilding a criminal empire. Naturally, he gets fired. You know, just a normal Tuesday for the guy who once started a billion-yen cookie empire with a chicken as his business partner. But I digress.

JRPG With a Side of Fire Breath

If you’re new to the series, here’s a quick gameplay crash course: the Like a Dragon entries (Kasuga’s games) flip the original Yakuza brawler format into a full-on turn-based JRPG. Think Final Fantasy—but instead of summoning dragons, you’re spewing literal fire after chugging a bottle of liquor. Instead of casting thunderbolt, you’re slapping dudes with an electrified whip or breaking out a shaken-up champagne bottle like it’s a Molotov. It’s absurd, stylish, and kind of amazing.

In the old Yakuza games, you mostly played solo as Kiryu, a one-man wrecking crew in a white suit. But Kasuga rolls deep with a party of colorful allies, each with their own class-like quirks, jobs, and upgrade paths. It’s a perfect system for mixing drama with unhinged chaos.

The Gang’s (Mostly) All Here

Returning from the first game are Namba and Adachi—ride-or-die pals who also get caught up in Kasuga’s streamer-induced cancellation. Namba loses his job, Adachi’s bank connections dry up, and they all end up poking around the Seiryu Clan, who’ve started recruiting ex-Yakuza for some reason. Enter Masataka Ebina, a mob boss-turned-sanitation tycoon who’s basically running a redemption arc factory. He’s trying to dissolve the Yakuza permanently, which is noble… and suspicious.

Things really kick off when Kasuga visits Jo Sawashiro in prison—yeah, the guy who was a whole situation in the last game—and gets handed a plot twist straight out of a soap opera. Turns out Kasuga’s long-lost mom, who he thought was dead or disappeared into the ether of backstory, is alive. In Hawaii.

Welcome to the Aloha Arc

Cue the tropical theme music. Kasuga hops on a plane to Honolulu, determined to meet his mom and maybe catch a tan. But almost immediately, he gets hustled by a local named Tomizawa and drugged by a woman named Chitose who steals his clothes and passport. Tourism brochure material, right?

This sets up the return of Kazuma Kiryu—the guy from the original Yakuza series. But now he’s older, scruffier, and dressed like a guy who just gave up halfway through a parent-teacher conference. Still a badass though, don’t worry.

There’s also Eiji Mitamura, a wheelchair-bound character who becomes one of the few people to genuinely bond with Kasuga in Hawaii. But of course, even paradise isn’t safe from gang wars. Enter the Barracudas and the Yamai Syndicate, because what’s a Yakuza game without at least four different criminal organizations?

Tomizawa eventually has a change of heart (as one does after betraying the protagonist), and joins the crew. The gang escapes together and learns Chitose used Kasuga’s ID to sneak into District Five—Barracuda territory run by a guy named Dwight Mendez, who sounds like he should be coaching the Dolphins but is actually a massive threat.

Plot Soup, But Make It Delicious

By this point in the game, I’ll admit—I needed a notebook just to keep track of the names, gangs, backstabs, and side quests. But that’s part of the Yakuza charm. These games don’t hold your hand. They drop you into a web of drama, betrayal, and shirtless brawls and expect you to hang on for dear life. If you’re new to the series, some of the emotional beats may feel like they’re referencing inside jokes you weren’t around for—but thankfully, the story mostly stands tall on its own.

Without spoiling too much more: things get wild. You’ll fight a giant shark. And a giant squid. And a giant Roomba with a death wish. Also, a bloodthirsty mascot named Michio who has laser eyes. If that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is.

Side Quests, Sujimon, and Sweet Distractions

Outside of the main story, Infinite Wealth is packed with minigames, activities, and distractions—most of them delightfully unhinged. The usual suspects are back: karaoke, gambling, batting cages, darts, can collecting. There are also dungeons for grinding XP and loot.

Sadly, the business sim from Like a Dragon (RIP Ichiban Confections) is gone. But it’s replaced by two major side quests that might actually outshine the main campaign. First, there’s a Pokémon Snap-style minigame where you ride a trolley and snap pics of “freaks” in different-colored outfits for points. The harder the target, the higher the reward.

And then—brace yourself—there’s the Sujimon League. It’s straight-up Pokémon, but instead of cute critters, you capture ridiculous enemies, train them, and fight your way through a full league to become Sujimon Champion. There are even legendaries. It’s both hilarious and surprisingly deep.

Final Thoughts: Is It Worth It?

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is emotional, absurd, packed to the brim with content, and occasionally overwhelming—but in a good way. The combat is satisfying, the writing balances gut punches with belly laughs, and the characters are as charmingly messy as ever.

Should you play it?

Absolutely.

Will you remember every plot twist?

Probably not.

Will you enjoy the ride?

Without a doubt.