While it may specialise in showcasing the spectacular bonds fists can form with the faces of everything from underworld goons to actual tigers, one of the main draws of the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series is the manner in which its tales regularly centre around deep and emotional storytelling.
Even if you think his usual approach to ridding Kamurocho of unsavoury fellows in sharp suits might have done him more harm than good over the years, you can’t really become a fan of the series without developing a bond with and love of Kazuma Kiryu.
The long-time face of RGG Studio’s series has been through a lot in his adventures to this point and, following on from a surprise reveal in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s latest story trailer, fans are already preparing to be emotionally wrecked by Kiryu’s storyline.
What did you think of the big bombshell Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s latest trailer dropped on us?
While previous Infinite Wealth trailers have deprived Ichiban Kasuga of his modesty and offered some insight into the love lives of he and Kiryu, this new one, premiered as part of last night’s RGG Like a Dragon Direct, featured a revelation that’s a bit less upbeat.
Around the six minute mark, the game’s official story trailer features a scene that sees Kiryu, interesting new haircut and all, tell Kasuga and another character that he’s dealing with cancer.
It looks like this battle has been going on in Kiryu’s life for a little while prior to the start of the game, with The Dragon of Dojima saying of it: “when the doctor found out I was running around like this, he nearly burst a blood vessel.”
Naturally, the reveal has elicited plenty of reaction from fans on Reddit, with many preparing themselves to go through plenty of tissues while playing, and comparing the situation to the likes of Arthur Morgan’s tuberculosis in Red Dead Redemption 2.
“[The] dude's family is being threatened... again. The clan he spent his life trying to save has dissolved, and now he's got cancer...I feel so bad for him,” said user lostmytrust in one thread about the reveal, pretty much summing up the general sentiment.
A number of others have wondered aloud whether this reveal could mean Infinite Wealth ends up being the game that sees Kiryu actually die, something he’s come close to a number of times over the course of the series, but always escaped by a hair's breadth. Based on the threads, many fans are still holding out hope that Kiryu will manage to recover and have his tale end with a happily ever after.
Regardless of whether you’re praying Big Kaz's story can finish with a big reunion at the orphanage, make sure to follow us for more coverage of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth when it arrives on the freshly announced release date of January 26 2024.