Highlights

• Kiryu's 'Memoirs of a Dragon' quests in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth reminisce on his life experiences in Kamurocho.
• The cabaret club mini-game in the series pays homage to Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2, focusing on character development.
• The Four Shine subplot in Infinite Wealth intertwines with combat, allowing Kiryu and Ichiban to call on Yuki and Koyuki in battle.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's substories pay great homage to the series' past, with Kiryu's 'Memoirs of a Dragon' quests serving as a reminder of his many life experiences. As the story sees Kiryu revisit Kamurocho, he is able to reminisce about the many ways that he and the city have both changed and stayed the same over the years. Discovering a new branch of Four Shine, the cabaret club that he helped to manage back in Sotenbori, Kiryu's encounters with legendary hostesses Yuki and Koyuki in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth are as nostalgic as they are comedic, serving as a treat for Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2 fans alike.

The cabaret club mini-game of the Like a Dragon series has received numerous iterations, though its most involved versions were featured in Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2, starring Majima and Kiryu respectively. Yakuza 0 saw Majima managing Sotenbori's Club Sunshine, helping to mold its hostesses through fashion choices and coaching, helping those like Yuki reach newfound heights. Kiwami 2 saw this idea iterated on with Kiryu at the helm, working as manager of the newly founded Club Four Shine alongside Yuki, now club owner. Not only did the mini-game deliver on early 2000s fashion game aesthetics, but its focus on side characters showed how even the smallest of narratives could still take precedence, making Yuki and the club's business worth rooting for.

How Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Calls Back to Sotenbori's Club Four Shine

Branching Club Four Shine Out

Kiwami 2's Koyuki served as Four Shine's most requested hostess, making her a top player and friend alongside Yuki, helping with the club's success. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth sees Koyuki making the business shots this time around, bringing Four Shine to Kamurocho as she fulfills her dream of branching the company out. As she confides in Kiryu over the challenges she's been facing, Koyuki explains that Yuki went on to begin a different business of her own, opening a chirashi sushi restaurant in Ijincho. Kiryu can visit her restaurant in his Memoirs of a Dragon quests, and upon seeing that business isn't exactly booming, he lets Yuki know of the troubles that Koyuki has been facing.

References to the Past

Fans will notice a nod to Yakuza 0 in Yuki's restaurant, as a golden statue of a dancing Majima can be seen in the background, an item also available as a DIY blueprint for Dondoko Island. Upon returning to Kamurocho's Four Shine with Yuki in tow, Kiryu can see his own statue, a gift he got for Yuki back in one of Kiwami 2's substories. Resolved to help Koyuki with Four Shine's new branch opening, Kiryu and Yuki don their old attire and get to helping as a manager and hostess; being short-staffed, however, leads Kiryu to make a call to a friend, bringing one of Infinite Wealth's party members into the fray.

Worlds Collide

Given that Infinite Wealth's Saeko is a cabaret club owner and hostess herself, her inclusion within the Four Shine subplot is a small but mighty one. While the title's party members are given fantastic development through their Bond Bingos and Drink Links, it's not often that they have a direct hand in substories, making Saeko's inclusion all the more welcoming. As she fangirls over Yuki and Koyuki while questioning how on earth Kiryu knows such legendary hostesses, Saeko resolves to help the cause by filling in as a hostess. The team works together to make Kamurocho Four Shine's opening a success, rounding out the night with the club's signature salute.

The Four Shine subplot in Infinite Wealth is just one of many that pays tribute to the series' past while enriching the development of its NPCs. Like so many of Infinite Wealth's mechanics, the subplot is further entwined with the title's combat, giving Kiryu and Ichiban the chance to call on Yuki and Koyuki in battle through their 'Poundmates' selection. Yuki and Koyuki's appearances show that Like a Dragon's mini-games are more than capable of providing endearing and comedic narratives on their own accord, making it so that even referential treatment can be effective. Because of this, it's a Memoirs of a Dragon subplot that shouldn't be missed.