Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s satire of Americana throws down gauntlet to next year’s GTA VI

(Image: Screengrab taken on Xbox Series X)

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve read the headline and are thinking, “Oh great, here’s another keyword-stuffer throwing together lines of text for SEO purposes.” And you’re rolling your eyes as far back into your head as possible.

First, there’s no need for that, also if the wind blows, your eyes could remain stuck that way. Second, if you’ve experienced Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon (previously Yakuza) series before, you’ll know that the wheels for what is suggested in the headline have been in motion for a while. And we’ll get into that right after establishing a bit of context.

The RGG Studio-developed and SEGA-published Like a Dragon series began life in 2005 (as explained in a bit more detail here) and has snowballed into a behemoth of a franchise. Amassing 21.3 million units sold as of November 2023, the series has rarely put a foot wrong, with the possible exception of the zombie crossover title Yakuza: Lost Souls. Through eight mainline entries, two spinoffs featuring the main characters and two other spinoffs (the Judgment series), we were given an up close and personal look at the lives and stories of fictional members of Japan’s seedy underbelly of organised crime.

(Image: Screengrab taken on the Xbox Series X)

However, we were also given an unflinching look at Japan, its culture and subcultures, its historical baggage, its sociopolitical undercurrents and of course, its dirty little secrets. Plots about government corruption, high-profile assassinations, forces seeking to reverse Japan’s pacifist constitution, xenophobia and subversion of public healthcare form the staple of RGG Studio titles. But sitting alongside, you’ll also find side quests (known in the series as Substories) about men who dress like babies, the politics of being an Idol, miscreants who steal young women’s underwear, sleazy ‘soaplands’ and ‘hot springs ping-pong’ (don’t ask and best not to run a Google search if you’re at work).

January 26 saw the launch of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This is the series’ first foray out of the confines of Japan, with a bulk of the action occurring in the American island state of Hawaii.

Coming to America

It’s a fact that American culture has been quite popular in postwar Japan, and by association, in the Like a Dragon series. So whether it’s the fashion trends, fast food, the love of baseball or popular culture (take for instance Daddy Papa, the ludicrously-named send-up of/homage to Lady Gaga in Yakuza 5), the US influence has always been visible in the games. But with Infinite Wealth, the franchise embraces this influence rather more openly and overtly in the sections set in Hawaii. And this includes cocking a snook at a whole host of aspects of Americana. Certainly, plenty of these peculiarities have spread globally over the years, but there can be little debate about their place of origin.

(Image: Screengrab taken on the Xbox Series X)

Since I referenced GTA VI in the headline, it behooves me to briefly discuss Rockstar Games. In its pomp — roughly the 2000s, the studio leaned towards dark and intense narratives, marked by a sense of edginess. This was considered the industry gold standard when creating games for adults. Somewhere along the way, the studio’s GTA titles spawned a phalanx of imitators, pretenders and claimants to Rockstar’s throne. While most of them either took themselves too seriously or were too goofy (looking at you here, Saints Row), none of them hit GTA’s high watermark when it came to parodying the world around them.

Over the years, however, the satirical tone synonymous with Rockstar's productions began to feel contrived, with its cynicism appearing more self-aware than subversive. And on the strength of the recent teaser trailer for GTA VI, the title seems set to reflect the world in which it exists rather than satirize it.

That’s where RGG Studio steps in.

With their absurd and over-the-top approach — rather than the realistic one espoused by Rockstar and its ilk, the makers of the Like a Dragon franchise have been able to lend an air of freshness to their satire that was missing from the most recent GTA title. And with Infinite Wealth, RGG Studio’s takes its unique take on caricature from the quirks of Japan over to American shores. Admittedly, Hawaii is probably not as ripe for parody as the likes of California, New York or Florida, but the developers make do with what they have.

(Image: Screengrab taken on the Xbox Series X)

Social media, food delivery apps and rating systems, social media, dating apps, crooked cops, celebrity culture, trolls, freemium games and late capitalism have all been given the treatment so far. Bear in mind also that I’m only 15 hours into what is touted as being at least a 60-hour-long game. But as touched upon earlier, it’s less that these things are referenced than how they are referenced.

‘Hot pics’ and beyond

In the interest of not spoiling too much, I’ll use just one example to underline what I mean by this. The GTA V veterans among you may recall the in-game non-interactive dating site known as Hushsmush.com, which is a severe, crass and depraved version of real-world dating sites. If it helps paint a picture, the site gives (again, non-interactive) options to “goose, grab or grope” others on the site. In contrast, Infinite Wealth’s take on this concept is through the dating app ‘Miss Match’. Introduced to you by the app’s inventor Machiko-san, the app sees you put together a profile and then launch it into the ocean of dating, so to speak, to see if you can snag a match.

(Image: Screengrab taken on the Xbox Series X)

You are then given options based on profile match percentages and the opportunity to chat with them in exchange for, that’s right, ‘hot pics’ and eventually, a date. Cringe-inducing? Most definitely. Creepy? Yeah, a bit. Bizarre? Undoubtedly. But at the end of the day, it’s a hysterical and biting satire of dating apps and the behavior of some of their users. And one that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Of course, you’ll have to play it yourself to fully experience its absurdity, but suffice it to say that it will leave you amused, bemused, entertained, repulsed and charmed all at once. This, of course, is something that can be said about the most memorable substories, minigames and character interactions in RGG Studio games.

A full review of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is on its way. Keep watching this space to see if it continues in the developer’s proud tradition of fantastic games.