Gaming has had its justifiable share of moments when a new title would ostensibly be launched at simply the fitting time. The latest instance is Animal Crossing: New Horizons dropping in 2020 when the world wanted a means to securely join throughout the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. And in 2024, for me — and possibly a lot of players on the market — one other of those video games may very well be Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Once I first booted up the latest Yakuza sport from Ryu Ga Gotoko, I deliberate on experiencing a new journey starring plucky protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, dramatically imagining his foes as larger-than-life RPG archetypes whereas its stalwart hero, Kazuma Kiryu, serenades his companions with hours of karaoke, all whereas I inevitably ignore the principle story. What I wasn’t anticipating was for the builders to hit so near residence in its opening moments with the sport trade’s worst development: layoffs.
Spoilers for the opening hour of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth under.
On the onset of Infinite Wealth, it’s revealed that Ichiban’s now not dwelling continuously on the again foot as a result of he lastly has a job at a firm referred to as Howdy Works. Howdy Works, which was first launched in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, is an employment workplace in Ijincho that Ichiban and his pal Yu Nanba utilized to achieve employment after they have been homeless. Gameplay-wise, Howdy Work was additionally cleverly used to elucidate how every celebration member would earn and degree up job expertise with Yakuza’s new turn-based Dragon Quest-inspired battle system.
It’s additionally revealed that Ichiban is using his place at Howdy Work to help former yakuza members fill out their resumes and making use of for civilian jobs after the sudden dissolution of the Tojo clan on the tail-end of the earlier sport.
For Ichiban, he sees it as giving again and paying it ahead to his Yakuza boss and deceased father, Masumi Arakawa, who needed the Yakuza’s dissolution to permit his subordinates to make an sincere dwelling outdoors of Japan’s legal underworld. If I recall, I wrote in my assessment notes “He similar to me for actual” due to how a lot I sympathized with how Iciban’s outlook mirrored my very own after I broke into the trade aspiring to implement Options Journalism within the area when addressing the doom and gloom that hangs over studying and dealing within the video games trade.
All that to say, life for Ichiban was on the upswing. Of us on the road greet him because the hero of Yokohama, his workers respect his earnest efforts to enhance at his job, and his yakuza shoppers are appreciative of his capability to use their unorthodox expertise into the labor power. The subsequent day Ichiban exhibits as much as work, he’s been laid off similar to I used to be.
After solely two years and two months of writing gaming information and opinions, interviewing voice actors I may solely dream of assembly, and masking huge anime occasions, I used to be suddenly laid off from Kotaku last November. I’d be mendacity if I mentioned the waves of petrifying despair don’t routinely lap me underneath its undertow. Being laid off broke me in methods I’m nonetheless looking for methods to repair.
Whereas it’s change into uncomfortably commonplace to listen to about mass layoffs at media corporations, this short-sighted development has lately reared its ugly head into video games, tech, and past. As of the time of publication, the gaming trade has seen roughly 5,932 layoffs. These layoffs embody corporations like Microsoft, Riot Games, Behavior Interactive, Unity, and Twitch to call a few. Whereas Ichiban later uncovers the merciless motive behind his unemployment, people in the true world are not often provided that luxurious. At finest, individuals are informed, “Good luck in your future endeavors” in an exit interview. At worst, they get up in a chilly sweat to the information on social media. Both method, layoffs suck.
The one little bit of solace I had on the time was the truth that I’d quickly have the ability to get pleasure from a while with Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu whereas reviewing Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However now one in all its heroes, who noticed a lot promise in a job he liked, was in the identical place I’m.
In contrast to my layoff expertise—which was so abrupt I had little alternative to change goodbyes with my coworkers— Ichiban acquired ample time for solemn farewells along with his coworkers. These farewells twinged with the identical uncomfortable weight of well-meaning platitudes about issues turning round for the higher when he inevitably finds new work. All through all of it, Ichiban braves a grateful smiling face thanking his former coworkers. However as soon as Ichiban is given a second alone outdoors of his workplace constructing, he breaks down. “Every little thing’s proper again to the way it was once,” he says to himself.
However Infinite Wealth had yet another kicker for me when the following textual content immediate appeared:
Kasusga’s job has modified from Howdy Employee to Freelancer.
Instantly following this new job change, Infinite Wealth successfully reveals the return of theTreasure Searching mechanic from Yakuza: Like A Dragon which requires you to scour for scraps of cash and objects from beneath merchandising machines, trash cans, and automobiles to pawn off for a fast buck. So as to add additional insult to harm, the sport tells me I can Treasure Hunt if I’m “down and out and unconcerned by the haughty stares of onlookers.” In the event you’ve by no means had the misfortune of job looking, Infinite Wealth’s Treasure Hunt mechanic is mainly what it’s like pitching media retailers.
Ichiban’s job standing as a Freelancer is additional underscored by the truth that the worth tag of well-sought-after weapons and help objects in Infinite Wealth are extra exorbitant than they’ve ever been in earlier titles, with RGG Studios presumably making a commentary on our inflation-addled instances. Oftentimes, Ichiban feels he has to debase himself by asking Kiryu Kazuma to mortgage him some money to progress the principle story ahead. To bridge the wage hole Ichiban and his celebration discover themselves in, you might be incentivized to do a collection of gig jobs in Hawaii like being a courier for an Uber Eats stand-in or amassing trash on the seashore to earn sufficient scratch to afford weapons he labored so onerous to have entry to within the earlier sport.
All through Infinite Wealth, the sport touches on emotions of guilt and the hope of second probabilities caused by uncontrollable circumstances. Themes that hit significantly onerous contemplating the waves of layoffs dealing with the gaming trade, tech, the media that covers it, and past.
The throughline of Infinite Wealth’s sprawling story facilities on what occurs to disenfranchised employees (yakuza, on this case) who battle to search out civilian jobs for extended intervals. To make ends meet, some employees really feel beholden to take any job that’ll rent them, even when their employment is leaping from one boiling pot into the following.
Very like how Animal Crossing: New Horizons launch served gamers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, it is amusing encountering storylines in video games like Infinite Wealth for the time being it resonates with you essentially the most. Though I doubt I’ll ever come to grips with being laid off as rapidly as Ichiban did over his workation in Honolulu; witnessing him rise above outlandish odds whereas championing his comrades—Kiryu included—after they have been getting ready to giving up on themselves impressed me to maintain combating for my desires. Hopefully, people going by comparable hardships whereas taking part in Infinite Wealth can discover inspiration from Ichiban’s indomitable spirit as properly.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance author for IGN. You may observe them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.