Best 2024 Game (That I Played): Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
In a year full of extraordinary RPGs, I’m unashamed to say that I’m sticking with my comfort food: the Yakuza series. Why? Because Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is simply some of the tastiest video game comfort food you could find outside of the Café Alps in Kamurocho!
When RGG Studios decided to transform their beloved, long-running series into a turn-based JRPG in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, many were skeptical. Drop the action gameplay? Introduce a brand-new protagonist? Would that work? Well, it worked beautifully, becoming one of 2020’s standout games. Now, four years later, we have a direct sequel to LAD and to the series as a whole with Infinite Wealth. The Dragon of Rock Bottom finally teams up with the Dragon of Dojima!
Though I was initially hesitant about the decision to include longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu as a main character, Infinite Wealth quickly put those fears to rest. The game masterfully balances the focus between Kiryu and Ichiban, delivering a story that not only propels the overarching narrative forward but also serves as a touching coda for the series up to this point.
But Infinite Wealth isn’t just a sequel in terms of story—it builds upon the already fun turn-based gameplay in smart and engaging ways. Players can now move their characters around the battlefield, setting up combos, proximity bonuses, and environmental attacks. It’s the perfect blend of a turn-based system and the series’ earlier action-oriented roots. Add in nearly every minigame from LAD alongside new ones like Crazy Delivery, a massive resort management sim, and even an entire Pokémon-esque experience called Sujimon, and you’ve got a game bursting with more variety than almost any previous Like a Dragon title.
Infinite Wealth was the last of three Like a Dragon titles released in a twelve-month period between February 2023 and January 2024. And while I’m starting to worry about the possibility of Yakuza burnout (for both RGG Studios and me), it certainly didn’t happen with this game. Infinite Wealth took a series I love and enhances it in almost every way, making it an excellent way to kick off 2024!
Best 2023 Game That I Just Got Around to Playing: Octopath Traveler II
If memory serves, I wasn’t a massive fan of the original Octopath Traveler.
I remember being impressed by the graphics and battle system but frustrated by its poor narrative consistency, underwhelming side quests, and lack of interaction between the eight main characters. To me, the entire game felt like a missed opportunity, which is probably why I put off playing Octopath Traveler II for so long. What a mistake that was.
Octopath Traveler II dramatically improves on every aspect of the original. It delivers an experience that calls back to iconic SNES-era JRPGs while embracing more recent innovations that have pushed the genre forward in recent years. Here, the eight main storylines are much more consistently written, offering tales of heartbreak, comedy, and action that made me fall in love with every one of the characters. Most importantly, these stories share common threads that build on one another, creating the sense of a larger narrative tapestry rather than a collection of disconnected vignettes.
That’s not to say that everything involving the story is flawless. Each character’s journey is still isolated to them alone, with little interaction between party members. However, the final chapter culminates in a crossover event that rivals Avengers: Endgame for stakes and epicness. Add to that improved side quests, compelling supporting characters, and graphics and music that are even more stunning than the original, and you’ve got a sequel that shines as bright as an HD-2D lighting effect.
Octopath Traveler II is my ideal of what a sequel should be: taking its predecessor’s ideas and crafting them into something even better. I doubt this is the last we’ll see of the Octopath series, and unlike last time, I won’t be sleeping on the next entry—whether it arrives in 2027, 2028, or beyond.
Best “DLC” That Isn’t Really DLC: Fallout London
Modding has been part of the Fallout series’ DNA for almost two decades. When Bethesda released the Elder Scrolls Construction Set with Morrowind in 2002, they opened the door to fan creations—and when Fallout 3 released in 2008, fans embraced that opportunity wholeheartedly.
Since then, we’ve seen countless incredible mods, but few that attempted to create an entirely new game due to the immense time and financial commitment they require. That’s what makes 2024’s Fallout London such a remarkable achievement.
Like many fans, I was disappointed when Amazon Prime’s Fallout TV show dropped in April without a new game or even a remaster from Bethesda to accompany it (yes, I am refusing to acknowledge Fallout 76 for petty reasons here). Enter Fallout London, which more than scratched that itch. Built on Fallout 4, Team FOLON crafted an original experience set in a part of the Fallout universe we’ve never seen: the UK. More impressively, it feels like an authentic Fallout experience, packed with biting satire, player freedom, and detailed lore. Heck, it even has as many bugs as a “real” Bethesda game!
I won’t pretend that Fallout London is 2024’s best RPG, but a group of unpaid “amateur” developers successfully creating something that rivals Bethesda’s best efforts is no small feat. For that, they deserve recognition from every fan of the series. And to everyone who hasn’t played it yet, I say: keep calm, carry on, and download Fallout London. It’s free!
