Animal Crossing on PS5, PS4 Made a Reality in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Push Square

pushsquare.com:

From serving noodles in Yakuza 5 to the go-kart races of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has always been one of the leaders in the «games within a game» space. Effectively producing miniature titles that wouldn't look out of place if sold standalone on the PS Store, they provide engaging, enjoyable, and often comedic distractions from the serious tones of the main story. So, when RGG Studio chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto himself admits the team's latest effort «could probably stand on its own» since it's that «expansive», something special is almost certainly on the way.

In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, you'll be ignoring the joint plot of Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu to help restore Dondoko Island to its former glory. A few hours into the main game, Ichiban saves a turtle in a Side Story, and is then invited to the island so he can clear it of rubbish and attract holidaymakers with his own version of Butlin's. It's pretty much Animal Crossing on PS5, PS4 with a more forgiving Tom Nook… hopefully.

Demoed as part of a larger Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview event, we were only able to play the mode's opening 30 minutes, but it was enough to get a decent understanding of what the general gameplay loop looks like and the sort of resorts you can aspire to create. At the start of your journey, you'll clear junk to provide space for buildings, lodgings, and attractions. These are constructed from resources you'll gather by chopping down trees and breaking rocks apart on the island, all in the name of improving your build talent.

All you can make at the start is toilets, tables, and cushions, but eventually, you'll begin attracting guests and get on the ladder to a five-star-rated resort.