Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review - "A Tremendously High Bar"

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is RGG Studio's latest entry into the formerly-known-as franchise, and it's probably the developer's most ambitious project yet. After just giving protagonist Ichiban Kasuga his start as the face of, his second adventure puts him side-by-side with the most iconic character the series has ever had — its former protagonist, Kiryu Kazuma. It's the kind of decision that could easily sink a promising hero, and to be honest, there are moments where the game threatens to do just that, barely containing the myth of Kiryu to allow Ichiban more space to grow.

As the journey unfolds, it feels more and more like Kiryu is threatening to usurp Ichiban and re-establish himself as the face of — a problem, given that the whole point of Ichiban was the fresh start he allowed both the game's design elements and its narrative beats. In a few strokes of narrative brilliance and another incredible closing act, however, the threat dissipates and what emerges is the true passing of the torch that the series needed to make Ichiban a made man. It's a hell of a ride, but at the end of it is the best game ever made, a fitting end to Kiryu's time in the spotlight (if, of course, that's truly it) and the foundation for another decade-spanning story with Ichiban and friends.

Much of centers around one thing: the dissolution of the yakuza, and with it, the series attempting to create some distance from the criminal underworld that's colored so many of its moments up until this point. There's still plenty of action that's not exactly above board, but it's pretty clear from the get-go that this is a story about how anti-heroes come in all shapes and sizes, not just as part of a long-standing criminal organization in its dying days. Both Ichiban and Kiryu are stirred to action because of the threat of yakuza activity becoming a problem once more, and it's this concern that unites both their stories, however much they veer away from each other after.

For Ichiban — as one might expect of his character