Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth fixes the gameplay — and a 70% Steam sale makes it a must-buy

Infinite Wealth didn’t reinvent the franchise. It did something more useful: it fixed the parts that annoyed players last time. Better pacing, smarter turn‑based fights that actually reward positioning, and an open world you want to poke around in – all wrapped in a surprisingly generous launch discount that ends Feb. 26. If you’ve been sitting on this one, that sale is the practical reason to stop waiting.

Key takeaways

• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth refines Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s turn‑based systems – deeper positional combat, class variety, and much better MP balance.
• Jeuxvideo.com gives it an 18/20: solid recommendation despite a less compelling main plot than previous entries.
• Short window to act: Steam and console stores are running ~70% off until Feb. 26 (PC €20.99; PS deluxe €25.49; Microsoft versions similarly discounted).
• The game’s improvements make it the best entry for players who care about systems over melodrama – but treat the story as a secondary draw.

What actually changed — and why it matters

RGG Studio kept the turn‑based pivot that started with Like a Dragon, but Infinite Wealth treats the genre with more tactical humility. Combat now rewards movement: character placement matters, the environment is meaningful, and the class system — built around believable, workaday jobs — gives you reasons to experiment beyond the usual DPS/Healer loop. The most gamey but useful tweak is MP economy: basic attacks replenish MP, so using skills feels satisfying instead of a precious metagame of hoarding abilities for boss windows.

Balance is cleaner too. The previous game had sharp difficulty spikes that punished momentum; Infinite Wealth smooths those edges. That doesn’t mean it’s easy — it still respects tactical thinking — but the spikes feel intentional rather than sloppy. Combine that with three big urban hubs (Tokyo, Yokohama, and a brand‑new Honolulu) and a buffet of mini‑games — from island management to Sujimon battles — and you have an RPG that can hold attention for a very long time.

The uncomfortable truth the PR release left soft‑spoken

The marketing leans into the soap opera beats — Kiryu battling cancer, Ichiban searching for his mother — but that emotional weight doesn’t land as reliably as the headline promises. Jeuxvideo.com’s review (18/20) captures the split: characters remain well written and the writing still has heart, but the central narrative is less gripping than prior entries. In plain terms: the systems improved faster than the writing did.

If I were in the room with RGG’s PR rep I’d ask: was the design focus deliberately shifted from crafting a tighter central plot to refining systems and sandbox content? Because the design choices suggest a studio putting its chips on replayability and mechanical polish rather than another tear‑jerker main act.

Why the sale changes the calculus

Normally you’d weigh narrative strength against mechanical fun and pick based on which matters more to you. The 70% discount tilts that balance. For €20.99 on Steam (and comparable discounts on PlayStation and Xbox stores until Feb. 26), Infinite Wealth becomes a low‑risk, high‑reward grab: a polished combat system, a huge world to explore, and a year’s worth of mini‑game content for a fraction of full price.

Practically speaking, that’s how many players will discover the improved systems RGG have been quietly iterating on since Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Sales are the distribution lever that turns a good sequel into the new entry point for the series.

What to watch next

• Feb. 26 — sale expiry. If the discount stays or returns, that’s the clearest sign Sega wants a long tail for player acquisition rather than a short launch spike.
• Post‑launch updates — patches that tweak story pacing or add cutscene polish would indicate RGG is listening to criticism about the narrative. Watch patch notes and the studio’s social channels.
• Switch 2 port chatter. The game skipped current Switch hardware; if RGG targets Nintendo’s next handheld, expect a wider audience and another wave of discounts.
• RGG’s next projects. The studio’s steady cadence and hints around Stranger Than Heaven will tell us whether they keep prioritizing systemic polish over blockbuster storytelling.

TL;DR

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the franchise’s most mechanically confident entry: smarter turn‑based combat, tighter balance, and a treasure trove of side content. Its main plot isn’t the emotional apex fans might expect, but at a one‑time 70% off through Feb. 26, it’s the smartest buy in the series for players who value gameplay first.