The Yakuza series, now rebranded to Like a Dragon, made a controversial choice with the most recent mainline entry when it ditched the series' traditional real-time brawling combat for turn-based fights. And while Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is a triumph by almost every measurable metric, a lot of fans still wish they could throw hands in real time like the good ol' days. In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the next mainline game in the series, they can.
As the most recent gameplay trailer demonstrates, returning hero Kiryu can bust out his old fighting style at certain points in combat. Check it out at the 1:15 mark in the below trailer, timestamped for your convenience.
As you can see, Kiryu's back to his old tricks in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Personally, I prefer turn-based combat over real-time, but it just plain wouldn't look right having Kiryu return for one last dance only to sit around and wait for his turn. That, simply put, is not his style.
It's unclear exactly how it works, but there seems to be a meter similar to the Heat system where, once it tops out, Kiryu is able to break out of the turn-based system and beat the crap out of enemies the old way.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches January 26, 2024 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.
Want to play early? A Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth demo will be bundled in with Like a Dragon Gaiden when it releases later this year.
