Highlights
- Ichiban's journey in Infinite Wealth is filled with twists and turns, highlighting his past and showcasing his heroic heart once again.
- However, though Ichiban's business management adventures in Yakuza: Like a Dragon are declared canon, but his wealth seemingly disappears in the sequel.
- Despite starting from scratch in Infinite Wealth, Ichiban's journey promises ample opportunities for earnings and growth through various minigames. Still, it would be interesting to learn how Ichiban lost all of his money, as currently the only justification fans have is that his previous adventure was expensive.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's story starts off dramatically, but it does raise one notable question about Ichiban that doesn't really get answered. There are many aspects of Ichiban's story that get highlighted over the course of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. More light is shown on his past thanks to his search for his mother, and the personality traits that fans came to know him for are on full display once again. For everything that the game revealed, one aspect of Ichiban's life remains mysterious, and it's something players will notice early on in Infinite Wealth.
Ichiban's journey takes him from Japan to Hawaii in Infinite Wealth, giving the Hero of Yokohama another adventure to embark on. In addition to his old allies, Ichiban joins up with several new friends, most notably the legendary previous protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. While the adventure begins with Ichiban searching for his mother, he quickly becomes embroiled in a twisting story that dives deep into the underworld of both sides of the ocean. Even though he once again finds himself starting from rock bottom, his tenacity and heroic heart once again push him forward. Infinite Wealth ensures that the series is secure with Ichiban at the lead.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Makes Collectibles More Than Worth Their While
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's collectibles can be overwhelming, but many of them are rewarding from both a gameplay and storytelling perspective.
Like a Dragon's Ichiban's Business Success Didn't Last
Infinite Wealth Makes Ichiban's Business Management Adventures Canon
Before the story takes Ichiban to Infinite Wealth's Hawaiian setting, he gets to spend some time in the familiar neighborhood of Yokohama. One of the places that he can visit is Ichiban Confections, the business that he helped Eri run in Yakuza: Like a Dragon's business management minigame. Speaking to Eri's grandmother reveals that Ichiban Confections became a major success, with Eri traveling to visit branches overseas. It's also mentioned that Ichiban helped to run the company, but stepped down at one point. With this information, it is canon that Ichiban saw the Business Management minigame through to completion, with all that entails.
None of Ichiban's Wealth Made it Into Infinite Wealth
It's hard to forget Business management, considering that it was Yakuza: Like a Dragon's best side activity, but it being canon raises some questions. After every shareholder's meeting in the minigame, Ichiban would receive a sum of money, which would increase the higher that Ichiban Confections climbed up the rankings. If Ichiban managed Ichiban Confections through to the end, as Infinite Wealth implies, then he should have received plenty of money. However, at the start of Infinite Wealth, Ichiban doesn't have a lot of money and lives in a run-down rooftop apartment. That raises the question of where all of Ichiban's money went.
Ichiban Probably Spent His Money Beating Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Story
While Ichiban is a humble guy, it seems strange that none of his wealth carried over to the start of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However, there are a few valid possibilities. The most logical one is that Ichiban could have spent most of it over the course of the previous game's adventure. After all, Yakuza: Like a Dragon was expensive. Between improving himself at Ounabara Vocational School and upgrading weapons at Romance Workshop, Ichiban will be spending millions of yen. It wouldn't be surprising if the cost of that adventure used up most of Ichiban's earnings from Ichiban Confections.
In Yakuza: Like a Dragon , managing Ichiban Confections was easily the best way to earn the millions of yen necessary for the best gear.
Ichiban starts Infinite Wealth in a much better place than the previous game. In addition, he will earn plenty of money through playing the many minigames in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on top of the money he had earned through fights and substories. However, players shouldn't expect him to have hoarded his earnings from managing Ichiban Confections. Once again, Ichiban has to come up from nothing in order to save the day, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's story wouldn't be fitting for him otherwise.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth builds on its predecessor's ideas, delivering turn-based combat and a gripping and lengthy narrative led by Ichiban Kasuga. However, the story also brings back Kazuma as a protagonist and introduces a new location in Hawaii, which is a significant departure from the franchise's previous games.
