Substories contribute a lot to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. A series staple since the very first game, “substories” are what Yakuza calls side quests. They may be brief, one-off encounters with strangers, or game-length struggles against recurring enemies. Whatever each one happens to be, as a whole, they’re a big part of each Yakuza game’s character. Substories introduce some of Infinite Wealth‘s wackiest characters, strangest mechanics, and weirdest scenarios.
But there’s more in it for the player than simple amusement. Infinite Wealth‘s substories are intensely rewarding, often unlocking new side content like Dondoko Island. Sometimes, they provide excellent material or monetary rewards instead. And indeed, sometimes they’re just a lot of fun. Whether it’s just for a laugh or for more concrete rewards, these are ten substories players should prioritize in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
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10 “Surfin’ The Streets!” Unlocks A Scooter
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Tired of walking around the streets of Honolulu? Ichiban can pick up a sweet Segway by completing “Surfin’ the Streets!” This substory becomes available in Chapter Three, shortly after Ichiban and Kiryu meet. Located down the street from Kiryu’s hotel, it’s a pretty brief one: Ichiban simply runs through the basic operation of the Street Surfer, beats up some thugs threatening its inventor, and walks away. From then on, he can scoot around on the Street Surfer any time he likes, or customize it at a charging station.
9 “Snap Those Sickos!” Unlocks Infinite Wealth’s Weirdest Mini-Game
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Sure, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has Sujimon battles, food delivery, and its own Animal Crossing knock-off, but its strangest side activity has to be Sicko Snap. Inspired by the similarly named Pokémon Snap, this is an on-rails photography mini-game, in which players take pictures of a plethora of perverts throughout Honolulu.
To unlock Sicko Snap, Ichiban will have to catch the trolley at Aloha Beach. Here, he’ll begin the substory “Snap Those Sickos!” He’ll meet a police photographer, who’ll give him a camera and explain the rules. The rest of the substory plays out like a normal game of Sicko Snap: capture as many gyrating miscreants as possible before the next stop.
8 “She Never Misses” Unlocks A Dating App
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Available in Chapter Three, as soon as free roam around Honolulu is unlocked, “She Never Misses” unlocks a totally different kind of mini-game. It’s a dating app designed by quest-giver Machiko-san, and she wants Ichiban to help test it out. The first match is free: Ichiban puts together a profile, which attracts different women depending on his answers, and then engages in rapid-fire messaging that (hopefully) ends in a date.
But watch out. Just like a real-life dating app, catfish and creeps are prevalent, and not every match is meant to be. The results of this substory vary based on whom Ichiban chooses to chat with, but there’s always something interesting at the end. And anyway, he can always try again. After completing “She Never Misses,” he can play the Miss Match mini-game any time he wants by speaking to Machiko at Cream and Berry.
7 “A Love As Sweet As Lemons” Is A Refreshing Break
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As he wanders the streets of Honolulu, Ichiban may be approached by an enterprising child named Tony. He sells Ichiban a drink, and then regales him with a story of love, loss, and lemonade. Tony’s hopelessly fallen for his babysitter, but she’s engaged, and moving to New York. Ichiban is endeared by the misguided but determined child, and agrees to help him save up enough to buy her a gift.
“A Love as Sweet as Lemons” is a long substory, consisting of multiple parts. Ichiban helps with advertising, fends off thieves, and elevates Tony’s Lemonade to viral status. If its sheer length doesn’t make enough of a case for starting it early, it also includes a unique mini-game, in which Ichiban has to balance a tray of lemonade while determining who does and doesn’t want a sample. This includes some great dialogue, including a man on a no-lemon cleanse, and another who asserts apple juice is the king of fruit juices.
6 “Rock And Roil” Delivers Classic Yakuza Absurdity
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And speaking of substories with emphasis on the story, “Rock and Roil” is a bizarre romp from start to finish. It begins when Ichiban runs into the members of Kazami Evolution, an up-and-coming rock band, frantically fanning each other on Aloha Beach. They explain that they’ve been stuck in Hawaii for weeks, waiting for the perfect storm to serve as a backdrop for their music video. If Ichiban agrees to help, he’ll have to track down a shaman. But when it comes time for the ritual, he performs it himself in a ridiculous, thumbstick-waggling QTE.
“Rock and Roil” also has a decent reward. After it’s finished, Ichiban will be able to summon Kazami in battle via the Poundmates app. He does a water-elemental attack, which deals 1,000 damage to all enemies.
5 “Samurai, May We Walk Together?” Parodies Yakuza-Obsessed Americans
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In a little bit of self-aware comedy, the Infinite Wealth substory “Samurai, May We Walk Together?” pokes fun at its own fans. After witnessing Ichiban in a fight, a man named Nathan approaches him. Nathan hosts a talk show, and is putting together an episode on Japanese tourists in Hawaii. It soon becomes apparent that Nathan’s idealized vision of Japan differs from reality; he admits he’s never been there, and gets disappointed whenever Ichiban doesn’t meet his standards.
The two reach an understanding after Ichiban beats up Nathan’s high school bully, and Nathan becomes available as a Poundmate. Once summoned, he sticks around for three turns, dealing 200 blade damage to one enemy each time.
4 “The Pursuit Of Realism” Puts A Yakuza Spin On Frogger
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The Yakuza series is no stranger to putting bizarre twists on classic arcade games, and in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, it takes on the traffic-dodging action of Frogger. “The Pursuit of Realism” begins when Ichiban meets a director outside Anaconda Mall, who immediately recruits him as a stunt double in his film.
What follows is a thrilling chase sequence in which Ichiban swerves around oncoming cars and ducks explosions, trying to make it to the other side before a timer runs out. There’s nothing else like it in Infinite Wealth, or for that matter, the rest of the series, so it’s worth prioritizing for its uniqueness alone.
3 “Wait for Me” Is A Delicious Deep Dive Into Hawaiian Cuisine
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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth allows players to live out their fantasies of working in the service industry. In the substory “Wait for Me,” restaurateur Obispo mistakes Ichiban for his new hire. He ropes him into working a shift for pay and a free lunch, but first, Ichiban needs a crash course in Hawaiian cuisine. Once he’s memorized the menu, he goes out to greet the guests. He does so through a unique mechanic in which players adjust the intensity of his greeting: energetic to match excited children, or elegant to impress fine diners.
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After Ichiban has taken everyone’s orders, delivered the food, and remembered the chef’s name, “Wait for Me” comes to a close. It comes with a free meal, a cool $300, and a book that instantly raises a party member’s Chef job level in Infinite Wealth. It’s a great way to learn a little bit more about the mouthwatering meals Ichiban enjoys throughout the game, and the rewards certainly come in handy.
2 “Close Encounters Of The Bird Kind” Is Delightfully Bizarre
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In a reference to one of the most mysterious quests in The Legend of Zelda series, “Close Encounters of the Bird Kind” has Ichiban tracking down what appears to be a species of cow-abducting aliens. It’s best to leave it at that to avoid spoiling it, but it eventually involves a mad scientist, an all-night stakeout, and a rocket launcher.
“Close Encounters of the Bird Kind” might just be the funniest substory in Infinite Wealth, with constant cultural references and hilarious twists and turns. It’s pretty rewarding, too: Ichiban will walk away with level-up items for the Desperado and Geomancer jobs, as well as a new Poundmate: the UFO.
1 “A Man Named Asakura” Introduces A Recurring Optional Boss
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The story bosses in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth are tough, but one optional boss gives them all a run for their money. Mikuru Asakura, a real-life mixed martial artist with a larger-than-life social media presence, appears as himself in Infinite Wealth, and can only be fought by starting the substory “A Man Named Asakura.” It first becomes available in Chapter Four, and simply consists of some brief dialogue scenes and a fight against Asakura. Thus begins a substory chain that lasts the entire game.
Asakura gets stronger each time he and Ichiban fight, but his difficulty varies depending on how much grinding the player has done. Eventually, Ichiban and Asakura team up to take out a common enemy, and Asakura makes his exit, as all good YouTubers do, with a reminder to like and subscribe. Completing the whole quest line adds Asakura to the Poundmates list, and grants Ichiban an accessory that reduces all MP costs (Brawler God’s Mouth). It’s best to complete each step in this quest as it becomes available to reap the rewards as early as possible.
Those are some of the best substories in Infinite Wealth. But they’re only ten substories out of a total of 52, each of which has something to offer. Whether they have useful rewards or just color in the characters of Honolulu, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth‘s substories should not be skipped.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Kazuma Kiryu returns alongside Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – the first game in the franchise to drop the Yakuza title. Known as Like a Dragon in Japan, the franchise continues the story from the seventh entry while reintroducing the original protagonist. Current details about the game are limited, but it will share a similar active turn-based RPG battle system used in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
- Franchise
- Yakuza
- Platform(s)
- PC , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure , RPG , Simulation
- ESRB
- M
