Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth looks like another great entry in the series, especially since it brings back Kazuma Kiryu and continues the engaging turn-based battles. However, it seems that the folks at SEGA also want “infinite wealth,” as New Game Plus has been locked behind a paywall.
Twitter user PC_Focus looked at a comparison to all of the game’s special editions, which confirmed that New Game Plus is locked behind the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. Fans hoping to only purchase the base game and replay it after are out of luck unless they don’t mind starting from the beginning.
It seems that the New Game Plus mode of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is locked behind the Master Vacation bundle, which comes with the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. This also indicates that players will be able to buy this bundle separately, which is still annoying because New Game Plus is usually free.
While most gamers do understand that this is a business, the fact that SEGA is locking New Game Plus of all things behind a paywall is insulting. At the most, fans are used to having this mode patched in after the game launches, like with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok. Making them pay for this mode is just all kinds of wrong and we can’t believe this is something SEGA decided to do.
Making this even worse is that fans can’t wait to play Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which looks like a solid sequel to its surprisingly fresh predecessor Yakuza: Like a Dragon. RPG fans love to use New Game Plus to power through older scenarios and take part in activities they may have missed the first time around, so this is pushing it.
Hopefully, the company changes its mind, but the fact that it's locked behind a paywall makes that doubtful. It was a deliberate decision and we hope other game companies don’t follow this trend, since players shouldn’t have to pay for this.
Read More: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth system requirements
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC on January 26.