Like a Dragon is generally a gathering of pretty faces or broken faces, but with always overflowing charisma. Having mastered the codes of cinematics and staging for a long time, RGG Studio still has many more or less sinister characters to present to us in this new episode, the action of which will take place, as a reminder, largely in Hawaii.
The art of positioning
The seriousness that emerges from all these close-ups always contrasts with the frivolity of the fight scenes. Combats which are the subject of some new features compared to Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The system codes remain those of a turn-based RPG, but new importance is given to the positioning of the characters, who can now be moved within a certain radius. Placing yourself close to an ally or an enemy opens up different opportunities, as does getting closer to an element of the decor (signs, bikes and everything you like to pick up in a Yakuza). The concept of area damage has also been amplified, making it easier to hit a group of enemies in a single action. We should also expect improvements in the impact of blows: certain attacks will now push back targets who will crash against walls and other objects (or between them), thus taking additional damage.
Another interesting addition, the SmackDown offers the possibility of ending a fight quickly when the enemies display a much lower level than that of the player. Using this method will, however, yield less experience. These images also highlight jobs exclusive to certain characters, such as Kiryu’s “Dragon of Dojima” and its three interchangeable styles at any time. We are also delighted to see more female faces in this new opus. In addition to the return of Saeko Mukoda and her exclusive “barmaid” job, the “heiress” job will be reserved for Chitose Fujinomiya while the “assassin” job goes to Seonhee. Among the new classes to unlock are professions like samurai, desperado, kunoichi, geodancer or even the formidable housekeeper.
Finally, the rest of the images below allow you to admire a variety of Hawaiian environments at different times of the day. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be released on January 26, 2024 on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.