After being terribly miscast as a Japanese-influenced “Grand Theft Auto” clone when originally released on the Playstation 2 in 2005, “Yakuza” set the stage for a franchise that would take over a decade to gain a solid footing on western shores. The “Yakuza” franchise found itself finally being praised for innovation meeting old school mechanics with the prequel to the original game, “Yakuza 0”. Fans both new & old were off to the figurative races following “Yakuza 0” with remakes, remasters, and even brand new continuations enveloping gaming’s eighth generation.
Alongside gaming’s ninth generation came an overhaul in both the franchise’s gameplay, but also who would become the new face of the “Like a Dragon” series. The aptly-named “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” represented both an homage to the past and a goal for evolution toward the future. Over three years later after the adventures of Ichiban Kasuga began, it’s time to become a hero again with these first impressions of “Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth”.