SUMMARY
- There is a lot of anticipation among fans about the upcoming eighth mainline title, Like a Dragon.
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has a New Game Plus feature.
Locking the key features of a game behind paywalls seems to be a new trend in 2024. At least that is what Sega appears to have done with Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
There is a lot of anticipation among fans about the upcoming eighth mainline title, Like a Dragon. The hype is particularly because it features both Ichiban Kasuga as well as Kazuma Kiryu sharing the spotlight. The game also teases how the game is set to be the final chapter of Kiryu’s story, in terms of the older characters and storylines from Kiryu’s past which are being brought to the front.
In spite of the excitement behind this Hawaii-trotting adventure, one feature that has attracted controversy ahead of Infinite Wealth’s launch is its New Game Plus feature.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth New Game Plus locked behind a paywall
Developer Sega recently confirmed that the upcoming title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, introduces a New Game Plus feature that will only be available through a DLC paywall. The game’s New Game Plus mode is listed as limited to premium versions of the game, costing $15 more than the Digital Standard edition.
Last year, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio revealed that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will have a New Game Plus mode which would only be available as DLC in some regions. Notably, this wasn’t the first time that the developer announced something like that. It had previously locked the New Game Plus mode of the seventh game in the series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, behind paid DLC in Japan.
When Yakuza: Like a Dragon was released in the West, the feature was incorporated into the base game right from the start. Although fans kind of expected Sega to repeat what it did with Yakuza: Like a Dragon when the devs confirmed it, fans found it to be disappointing.
$70 “Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth” locks the New Game+ mode behind a deluxe edition paywall
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The fact that the feature which was both important and free in the past will now be locked behind DLC in all regions, naturally did not go well with the fans. Sega’s official website for the game lists three editions under the pre-order section.
Two editions, namely the Deluxe and Ultimate editions of Infinite Wealth include a DLC pack known as the “Master Vacation Bundle.” This has a bonus dungeon, special Sujimon, resort guests for Infinite Wealth’s Animal Crossing-esque island mode, additional DLC outfits, and New Game Plus, among others. As per this feature, the players wanting to do a second playthrough of the game will be required to pay an additional $15 for the Deluxe edition upgrade.
Fans react to the NG+ Paywall
Naturally, the community was clearly disappointed by the new feature. The news attracted a wave of negative responses from the community. A user on Reddit named ‘Inevitable_Geometry’ wrote, “Well that sounds bloody stupid.”
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Another user, ‘Less_party’ highlighted how replaying games is out of style these days, “I wonder how many people will actually pay for this because personally, I like these games but god damn are there too many of them for me to have any chance at keeping up with the releases as-is, let alone even thinking about replaying any of them.”
Meanwhile another user ‘In_My_SoT_Phase’ took a dig at Yazuka games saying, “It’s definitely stupid, but let’s be honest, nobody plays NG+ on Yakuza games.”
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth’s New Game Plus is clearly not something fans like. However, it remains to be seen whether fans actually pay for it it turns out to be a complete failure.