The Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has had a wealth of side games, ranging from small side ventures to massive undertakings. Many people have fond memories of managing a rising business or running a cabaret club in previous entries. But Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is going somewhere new with Dondoko Island.
In the upcoming Infinite Wealth, Ichiban can wash up on a run-down version of Dondoko Island. And, with the help of some locals, he can start to rebuild it too. Whether picking up trash, farming resources, or placing down new decorations, the island can go from deserted to a real tourist attraction.
I got to play a slice of the earliest portions of Dondoko Island at a recent preview event, seeing just how Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s approach to island living worked. And I have to say, it feels like another side-game that will eat up the hours, just like the cabaret did.
Don’t be a litterbug
The core of Dondoko Island is fairly straightforward. Mascot characters Gachapin and Mukku recruit Kasuga Ichiban to help clean up and refresh Dondoko Island, with plans to turn it into a resort destination. The problem? Right now it’s filled with trash and waste disposal pirates with names like “Washbucklers.”
Early on, Dondoko Island feels a lot like starting a new island in Animal Crossing, or a new farm in Stardew Valley. There are different zones, and each one has some trash and litter you need to clear out. You can pick these up and convert them into resources, alongside natural resources like stone.
Cleaning up felt very important early on, as it drove each zone closer to a more improved state. I didn’t get far out of the initial starting area, but I could glance around and see other places it looked like Ichiban could reach if he could, say, build a bridge. And what else would one do with all those collected, recycled resources but build?
Ichiban the Builder
In order to turn Dondoko Island into a thriving tourist destination, Ichiban won’t just have to clean it up, but build something to see in all that newfound space. So, using various combinations of resources and some help from the local builder, the player can fill Dondoko Island with beauty and wonder. Or just sheer oddities.
Again, the Like a Dragon series frequently veers into comedy, and the options I had for building on Dondoko Island are no exception. I sincerely wish I had a screenshot of my island to show you, the reader, because it was glorious. I built a toilet, and then began to construct an entire rest stop around said toilet.
Little knick-knacks, a sign, and even a bus stop hanging overhang soon adorned my Dondoko Toilet. It was the one-stop destination for open-air toilet fans around the world. If I had more time than I did, I think I really could have built an entire resort around it. Blueprints appear over time and also wash up on the beach, and offered some of the stranger and more exciting things to build, alongside conventional architecture.
Seriously, though, the oddities are fun, and part of the long-term in Infinite Wealth’s new game mode seems to be creating and establishing a vacation spot, keeping it interesting and unique. I didn’t get to personally see any of the larger meta-systems around visitors and appeasing them, but that looms off in the distance, per some trailers.
Sharing the island
There are tons of little ways Like a Dragon: infinite Wealth keeps you moving forward in Dondoko Island, too. There is a day/night cycle, similar to farming sim games, and there are dailies to complete that push you towards new objectives.
Plus, alongside eventually building the island of your dreams and inviting NPCs to visit it, friends will also be able to visit your island. The team confirmed to us that you’ll be able to visit other people’s islands in Infinite Wealth, though what that looks like, we haven’t seen yet.
The one rough spot was the combat, which seemed a bit straightforward. Rather than the RPG situation in the main game, Ichiban takes on a brawler style for Dondoko Island, but a little more pared-down; you just move and hit with your bat. I’m not saying it should be anything too complicated, as it doesn’t need to be, but I’m hoping it doesn’t become a bump in the road for the island sim sections.
While Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is looking huge, absolutely stuffed to the gills with new things to do, Dondoko Island seems like one of the main attractions. And my impression, after playing some of it, was to simply want to play more. I think it really clicks in a way that good Like a Dragon side games of the past have, and though I’ve got a few worries about the combat side of things on the island, it seems promising.
After all, Ichiban doesn’t need to spend all his time searching for answers and fighting bad guys. The Dragon Quest-loving hero deserves his own slice of paradise too, and that’s what Dondoko Island feels like: a welcome, engaging respite from life’s troubles.
Travel for this media preview was provided by the publisher.
Published: Jan 4, 2024 09:00 am