Fun, polished but violent game in 'Dragon' franchise.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
There's a lot of fighting, including street violence, where you can use different weapons against enemies. Many of the cutscenes are violent and bloody. In the first minute of the game, a car is ambushed and three people inside are shot and killed at close range. Other scenes show people being stabbed, shot, and implied torture (off camera).
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Some sexual themes and dialog. Female hostesses in a gentlemen's club are dressed provocatively while pole dancing or serving men. In another scene, you can see one of the male character's bare buttocks and other objects (like a coconut and suntan lotion) conveniently covering his genitalia to hide the gamer's view.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
There are multiple versions of this game that can be purchased, each with extra content, or the ability to use real money to buy downloadable content. The game doesn't have any advertisements or real brands in this fictional story.
Ease of Play
a lot
Controlling the characters is easy enough using a gamepad, for movement and combat. Since the fighting is turn-based it doesn't require super fast reflexes as the original games in this series required. Overall, this game isn't too hard to play.
Positive Role Models
a little
The two protagonists -- main hero Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu -- have both positive and negative traits. Kasuga wants to help others and is generous, and Kiryu is self reflective due to his cancer diagnosis. Both engage in violent fights against others.
Diverse Representations
a little
This large role-playing game offers some diversity in the characters you meet -- in race/skin color, gender, age, body type, and socioeconomic status -- but you can only play as two male players. The game takes place two main locations (Japan and Hawaii) and the characters are mostly Japanese, and the actors who voice the characters are also Japanese. Many women in the game are shown as sexualized, like women pole dancing and serving in a gentleman's club.
This installment is an over-the-top role-playing game that doesn't push any messages for the viewer. It's meant to be an entertaining RPG in a fictional universe. There's quite a bit of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the ninth single-player role-playing game in the Like a Dragon series. Like the other games, there's a lot of violence and blood since the game focuses mostly on combat with enemies using weapons (guns, knives, swords, bats), and also includes cutscene movies showing gunfire and stabbing. There's also some sexual dialogue and imagery, including pole-dancing women in bikini tops, a man's buttocks exposed, and a man with items covering his genitals as he walks naked on the beach. The game shows alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, and has some strong profanity in the dialog, including words like "f--k," and "s--t."
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What’s It About?
LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH is a single-player role-playing game (RPG) from Sega's Like a Dragon series (formerly the Yakuza series). The game combines detailed stortelling with exciting battle scenes and has two main locations (Japan and Hawaii) and two main characters (Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu). This version features a new Live Command RPG Battle system, allowing turn-based action with quick moves and special attacks. Kasuga and Kiryu team up to help friends and fight enemies. In Honolulu, Kasuga helps Kiryu, who has cancer, find his mother. Players can choose different jobs for their characters, like Chef or Samurai, which change the story and abilities. There's also a strategy element where players run a side business, gather resources, craft items, and manage people. Players can roam around in third-person view and play minigames like arcade games, mahjong, darts, and karaoke. The game looks and plays the same on all platforms, with better visuals on Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC."
Especially for fans of the franchise, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is an excellent installment in Sega's nearly 20-year-old Yakuza series. Between its smart and strategic new battle system, engaging story, memorable characters and high production values, there's a lot to like about this familiar yet fresh adventure. One thing gamers will appreciate is the over-the-top acting and silly dialog sequences. Be aware that some of the cut scenes are pretty long, but of course you're able to skip through, though you may lose the context of the story by doing so. While the characters and storylines are compelling, as are the side-quests and mini games, it's the party-based battling sequences that will keep you glued to this game, even with some of it's minor bugs and downfalls. Both ridiculous and replayable, Lika A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a fun "Mature"-rated Japanese RPG sequel that focuses heavily on fighting and story, and one you won't soon forget.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth affected by the amount of blood and gore shown? Would the impact be as intense if the game wasn't as realistic? Is the violence realistic considering that the main character can fire guns without reloading, or unleash magical effects on enemies as you grow his skills?
What are some of the positive and negative ways that women are portrayed in video games? Are these characters portrayed as strong role models or are they objectified as glorified "eye candy"? Where does the line fall between the two?
ESRB rating:
M for Rated M: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Last updated:
June 6, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Marc Saltzman
,
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