Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth gets a rip-roaring trailer and a release date
The next chapter in Sega’s Like a Dragon franchise is out in January next year. The iconic mobster series is leaving Japan for the first time to explore the seedy underbelly of Honolulu City, as revealed by a brand-new story trailer.
Dubbed Infinite Wealth, the eighth mainline installation in the recently rebranded Yakuza franchise was announced months ago by Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios. But hardcore fans finally have an official launch date to look forward as Yakuza 8 will hit the PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on January 26. And judging by the story trailer that just dropped on YouTube, this action-packed RPG looks as bonkers as the series has ever been.
This exciting preview picks up where the game’s reveal trailer left off. Fans’ suspicions that this next Ichiban Kasuga adventure would take a distinctly Hawaiian flavour have their theories confirmed from the get-go as the fluffy-haired protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon is called to Honolulu City by his estranged mother, Akane. His arrival doesn’t go exactly as planned, however, leaving him as naked as a jaybird on the beach following an ambush. After escaping from custody, he’s met by a face familiar to all Like a Dragon fans – none other than the Dragon of Dojima himself, Kazuma Kiryu.
Sent after Ichiban’s mother by the Daidoji faction, Kiryu is far from the only shady figure interested in finding the elusive Akane. Things heat up when the two reformed gangsters get embroiled with the Chinese mafia and a local gang. American acting legend Danny Trejo lends his voice and facial traits to the head of the Barracudas. In a fitting homage to one of the actor’s most career-defining roles, this new antagonist named Dwight wields a razor-sharp machete. Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim also adds star power to the game by voicing the mysterious captain of a yakuza faction.
To find his mother and effectively dismantle the Yakuza in Japan, Ichiban joins forces with Kiryu, who is revealed to be battling cancer. A string of returning characters like Yu Nanba and Koichi Adachi also come back to lend the Rock Bottom Dragon from Yokohama some welcome muscle. And the ex-gang enforcer definitely needs all the help he can get, considering the trailer shows him fighting off a monstrous shark and an equally giant squid in true wacky Like a Dragon fashion.
Additionally, 20-minute-long gameplay footage gave fans a glimpse into some of the game’s novel additions. For instance, Kiryu will drop the turn-based combat style the series recently went for to go full brawler mode in a nostalgic throwback to his beat ‘em up roots. New jobs are available for Ichiban and his squad, ranging from housekeeper to pyrodancer and action star. A newly-revealed minigame will also send Ichiban pedalling across the streets to deliver food to hungry residents in a fun spin on Sega’s retro Crazy Taxi arcade title.
As far as minigames are concerned, karaoke will obviously be on the menu. Gambling should also make a strong return in view of the flashy casino sign that appears in the latest Infinite Wealth trailer. Given how cool this James Bond-esque gambling venue looks, gamers eager to roam around the Hotel Nirvana for a high-stakes blackjack game may have a hard time waiting until January to play it like 007, Yakuza style.
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Hardcore fans may also get their hands on Like a Dragon Gaiden, a Kiryu-centric spin-off slated for release on November 8. This much-anticipated chapter, which sheds light on Kiryu’s whereabouts after he faked his own death, is even coming to Windows PC and Xbox on day one as a Game Pass title. Better yet, Gaiden reportedly includes an Infinite Wealth demo. Game Pass owners willing to discover a more historical facet of the series will also be able to embrace the ways of the samurai in Like a Dragon: Ishin! Released in early 2023, this atmospheric entry takes players back to the late Edo era.
