Summary
DespiteLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s abundance of comedy, the title is no stranger to excelling in its heartfelt moments. Like the series' past entries,Infinite Wealthweaves a lightness into its characters that persists even with the gravity of their circumstances, showing strength in hardship and resolve in adversity. Fordual protagonists Ichiban and Kiryu, their troubles are made less difficult to bear as they lean on those around them, a feat that proves particularly difficult for Kiryu given the weight he places on his own shoulders. Putting emphasis on this conceit,Infinite Wealthseeks to show the connections that the two have made, utilizing the concept of reunions in more ways than one.
Many of Kiryu’s substories inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthcenter on reunions. Whether they be face-to-face or through Date as a proxy, the ability to build from nostalgia to reinforce Kiryu’s impact works to the title’s advantage. Not only do features like his Life Links show the strength in his friendship with Date, who tries more than anything to show the merits of Kiryu’s influence, but the reunions themselves work as a way to reinforce one ofInfinite Wealth’s core tenets. The idea of leaning on others is a difficult one for Kiryu to grasp, though his past relationships help to demonstrate the true extent of those that care about him.
How Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Places Emphasis on its Reunions
Showing Strength in Bonds
Small moments like Kiryu speaking with Kashiwagi are a great example of the impact these reunions hold, as it places emphasis on Kiryu’s Ijincho crew and the impact that vulnerability has had on Kashiwagi’s own survival. On the other end, Kiryu’s meeting with Majima, Daigo, and Saejima shows his intense resolve in taking responsibility, encouraging them to do the same. The reunion is able to weaveInfinite Wealth’s combat into the situation with great aplomb, showing Kiryu working with his side ofInfinite Wealth’s partywhile incorporating real-time combat into his finishing blows against the Yakuza legends. It is a moment that makes Majima, Daigo, and Saejima’s later appearance at the Millennium Tower hit even harder, as the three fight in solidarity with their friend.
The same can be said for Ichiban inInfinite Wealth’s gameplay, as the narrative allows him a number of heavy-hitting reunions that work to the story’s favor. Moments like Nanba and Adachi surprising him in Hawaii show just how great their friendships with one another are, demonstrating the lengths they will go to help each other when pushed into a tight corner. In typicalLike a Dragonfashion, these reunions can be as comedic as they are heartfelt, too; withIchiban and Saekobeing separated for most of the game’s runtime, having the chance for Ichiban to confess his love properly feels well-earned, made all the more humorous when he fumbles it through his ‘I Love Saeko’ t-shirt.
Ichiban and Akane
One of the most important face-to-face reunions in the game comes down to Ichiban and his mother, Akane. AsInfinite Wealth’s inciting incident is the disappearance of Akane and her connection to the greater Palekana plot, it isn’t until quite a bit later that she and Ichiban finally get some downtime to speak with one another. While the reunion is a bit awkward and formal given that the two have been separated for so long, it is made all the more tangible when the two speak aboutMasumi Arakawa, Ichiban’s father and Akane’s past love. Confiding in the love they both shared for him makes their own reunion as mother and son more emotional, as Ichiban’s consideration is made clear through giving Akane the necklace with his ashes.
Even the reunions that don’t directly impactInfinite Wealth’s main plot, like Kiryu meeting with minigame characters from the series' past, make for compelling moments that help in amplifying the game’s focus on bonds. This extends to supporting party members like Tomizawa and Adachi, who have reunions of their own in their Bond Bingos. With the former letting go of his old flame in support of her happiness and the latter reuniting with a woman who he once failed during his time on the force,Infinite Wealthshows that reunions can be utilized to demonstrate growth and the ability to address past regrets as well. This extends cleverly to Yamai, who is instilled with the strength to tackle his past from Kiryu himself.
