Publisher Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio shared a new trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, showing off activities on the Dondoko Island resort.
Xbox Wire did an interview with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, where they talked up Dondoko Island:
What can you share about Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu in the lead-up to Infinite Wealth that would be good for players to know?
Kazuma Kiryu is a legendary yakuza that was introduced from the first Ryu Ga Gotoku game and is the stoic protagonist that represents the series. Ichiban Kasuga is different from Kiryu where he is full of humanity and is the new protagonist introduced from Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Can you share the circumstances that have brought Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu together in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?
Kasuga goes to Hawaii alone to look for his mother, but he gets tricked by a young woman there and ends up thrown out on the beach stark naked. After that he is arrested by the local police and the one who saves Kasuga after his escape is Kazuma Kiryu, who happened to be there undercover as an agent for a separate matter.
What improvements have you made to the RPG combat system? Are there additional abilities characters can learn now?
First of all, you can move before choosing your command, adjust the effect by distance, and change the direction of the attack, among others. Also, out of specific jobs for Kazuma Kiryu, there is a mode that allows you to attack the enemy with action controls within a set time.
The jobs system from Like a Dragon was amazing. How are you working to improve it for Infinite Wealth?
There will be a few jobs returning from Yakuza: Like a Dragon but this time, you can unlock new jobs through activities in Hawaii. For jobs, with characters being able to move as I mentioned before, abilities are extremely unique and has more strategical aspects to them.
How long will it take until players have access to Dondoko Island? Is this a feature that’s available early in the game or is this more of a late-game activity?
Dondoko Island will be unlocked through a side-story that will be available at the start of Chapter 6.
How does your activity on Dondoko Island tie back to the main campaign of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?
This feature is independent from the main story so you will be able to play through at your own pace.
What other activities can players look forward to enjoying in the game?
There will be a ton of minigames that I wouldn’t be able to list them all here but there’s an exciting minigame called Crazy Delivery, Sujimon Battle where you collect enemies and battle them and a dating app where you chat to find a match.
This game is going to span many different locations, including Hawaii. Are there any real-world locations in Hawaii in particular (Waikiki, etc.) that you are drawing design inspiration from in particular?
We do of course make some changes for the game but generally, we create these locations based on data we collected on-site.
With the recent addition of Like a Dragon Ishin into Game Pass, and the upcoming Like a Dragon Gaiden, nearly the entire series is available and ready for Xbox fans. Since we have a few months before release, how should new fans use the time to get ready for Infinite Wealth?
We’d love everyone to first play Like a Dragon Gaiden and remember Kazuma Kiryu’s story, and maybe even play through the previous titles if time allows to further your understanding. In addition, if you can play Infinite Wealth on launch day, we couldn’t be happier. I’m sure it will be an impressive experience for everyone!
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is set to release January 26, 2024, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows (through Steam).
