The reveal of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth raise a few eyebrows, mainly because the trailer had Ichiban walking around in the buff.
However, what was also curious was the Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s subtitle. It’s a little odd.. Infinite Wealth? Our first thought was that, with Ichiban being a dedicated RPG fan, it was a reference to cheating at games. And maybe it still is.
However, developer RGG Studio has shed some light on matters, explaining why the game doesn’t have any kind of subtitle in Japan. The games have been known as Like a Dragon in Japan but, in the west, were dubbed the Yakuza series. It’s only recently that the series adopted its Japanese moniker.
According to RGG, the Japanese release is just known as Like a Dragon 8 / Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 because it doesn’t fit a single subtitle. The studio tweeted:
“We felt one subtitle simply isn’t enough for Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 in Japan. Which character and which point of view in this complex, intertwined storyline do you think you’ll most closely relate to? Depending on which of the past titles you have played, your answer may change!”
Meanwhile, the Tweet goes onto explain, the western name is so that players who started with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Ichiban’s first adventure, feel like they’re getting the next chapter in his story.
Kazuma Kiryu was the series’ main protagonist. He’s getting his own spin-off, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, but the main series is set to be carried by fuzzy-haired new guy Ichiban. Plus, due to Ichiban’s fondness for RPGs, combat is now turn-based.
Is this confusing? A little, but we’re still looking forward to the game’s 2024 release. Ichiban should probably put some pants on though. And if you want to find out more, tune it to today/tomorrow’s RGG Livestream.
