10 best upgrades to spend cash on in Like a Dragon Gaiden

Money makes the world go ’round, and there’s certainly no shortage of upgrades to spend it all on in the latest RGG game. But which upgrades are the best ones to drop your cash on in Like a Dragon Gaiden?

Since you want to get the most bang for your buck, I’ve picked out a few must-haves that I think you should put cash aside for ASAP. They range from flashy, technical moves to simple, but effective, enhancements to Joryu’s arsenal. All of them will help the man with no name maintain his reputation in street brawls.

Here are my recommendations.

Boost Max Health / Attack / Max Heat Gauge

The classics. These are your base numbers: health, power, and expendable Heat for souped-up attacks. While it may not be a flashy set of upgrades, putting cash into these early will be worth it in the long run, as enemies continue to scale into the late-game.

At the very least, I recommend you finish the first sets of both Max Health and Attack power, and get at least two additional gauges of Heat. This nets you plenty of resources to work with, and you can invest heavier into these stats later on, when you have better cash flows.

Extreme Heat Mode (Unflinching) / (Undying)

The Extreme Heat Mode is your ace in the hole, and making the desperation stance a little stronger never hurt anyone. The Unflinching upgrade is definitely my favorite, letting Joryu keep the combo going even in the face of enemy strikes.

Adding onto that, the Undying is very helpful too, as once you’re not flinching from enemy attacks you may fail to notice your health plummeting. These two will make your life easier, and certainly make your Extreme Heat Mode feel all the more unstoppable.

Increase Equippable Gear

An oft-overlooked aspect of Like a Dragon, gear can make a big difference. Once you get to higher levels, that’s hundreds of points in Defense you’re leaving on the table if you don’t unlock additional slots.

Additionally, more slots gives you flexibility to stack on some Resistance against effects like Bleed or Shock. Dealing with higher-level enemies will definitely necessitate Joryu showing up with more than just a suit.

Tangled Ultimate Counter / Twisting Ultimate Counter

The Ultimate Counter is a powerful new tool at Joryu’s disposal in this game, and why not make it twice as effective? These are two separate options for each stance—Agent and Yakuza—found in their respective trees.

Skill these up, and you’ll effectively get two Ultimate Counters in a row instead of one. It’s extremely useful in solo fights, where you can lay on the massive damage with every correctly timed dodge.

Agent Gadget: Spider Lv. Up

All of the Agent gadgets are worth upgrading in their own right; Like a Dragon Gaiden loves to throw crowds at you, so upgrades that can help whittle down big mobs are key. My favorite early on, though, is the Spider gadget.

Each upgrade of the Spider lets you grab an additional enemy. With even a couple levels invested, you’ll be able to grab multiple bad guys and fling them around town. It’s great for crowd control, or taking a few enemies out of commission so you can swap to Yakuza Stance and beat down a single target.

Hornet Durability Boost

As enemies get tougher, a Hornet Durability Boost upgrade will be crucial. These drones are great for terrorizing enemies and keeping them occupied, especially if you call in a swarm using the Extreme Heat Mode action. But they’re flimsy, and can sometimes get knocked out before doing anything.

The Durability makes them more likely to last a little longer and serve their purpose better. Because after all, the only thing worse than a swarm of bees is a swarm of bees that take more than one hit to drop.

Daidoji Knockdown Recovery

This is a handy way of getting back on your feet after a big knockdown. It’s Agent style exclusive, so Yakuza users will have to settle for The Countdown, a spinning leg wake-up attack. And the stance also gets Rolling Escape, so like, it’s fairly evened out.

Heat Action: Daidoji Arm Theft

There is nothing more frustrating than the gun users in a Like a Dragon brawler. You’re executing an excellent combo, locked into a careful dance, and then pop, pop, you’re hit. Daidoji Arm Theft lets you Uno Reverse those firearms right out of their hands, for a meager price of Heat. Turn the tables on your worst enemies with this one.

Quickstep Strike

As the in-game hint implies, this is a handy technique to have in your arsenal for the Mr. Try and Hit Me’s of the world. But even still, the Quickstep Strike is a fast, powerful move to have in your Yakuza lineup.

Temporary Attack Boost (Heat Action)

Close out your must-buys with another simple attack boost that will come in handy often. You already love using Heat Actions, so why not get some free extra damage every time you cash in your Heat gauge? This is useful as heck, both for the massive crowd fights and the one-on-one brawls in Like a Dragon Gaiden.