It’s not enough that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has Dondoko Island, arcade games, randomly arranged dungeons and numerous other activities, but there’s also Sujimon. The Pokemon-like activity involves capturing Sujimon throughout Hawaii, training them and fighting in 3v3 battles.
As a press release (translation via Gematsu) notes, the ultimate goal is to take on the Discreet Four and Sujimon Master. Sujimon can be recruited after battles in Hawaii by providing a Suji Gift. There are also time-limited Raids, where defeating a Sujimon means guaranteed recruitment. Of course, there are also Sujimon Gacha spots where you can spend money or tickets on summoning Sujimon.
The battles see Ichiban giving commands to Sujimon to prevail over the opposing team. There are five different types with unique affinities, allowing for specialized teams or more balanced compositions. You can also use “strategic commands” for unleashing special attacks. Sujimon are trained by providing Sujimunch and awakened by feeding them the same species. There are also evolutions.
If that wasn’t enough, Sujimon can be brought to Dondoko Island. Using the farm, you can raise Sujimon levels, and they also help grow crops and earn money on the island. Increasing their faith lets Ichiban have a more “active role” in battles. Finally, there’s an Ichiban-exclusive Job, Sujimancer, allowing Kasuga to summon Sujimon in battle. With each Sujimon trained, the job becomes even stronger.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches on January 26th, 2024, for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It’s the longest game in the series, with RGG Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama saying it takes “’never-ending’ to whole new level.”