Ah, yes, ‘Animal Crossing,’ the game we always dive into full throttle for about three months, then remember our house and neighbors only occasionally, and finally forget about them until the next game in the series. With no news on when Nintendo will bring us a new adulting and mortgage-paying simulator (we assume it will be on the Switch 2), we have a good substitute in the most unexpected place: ‘Yakuza’.
Time to pick berries, yes, yes!
Well, ‘Yakuza,’ or as the series is now called, ‘Like a Dragon,’ a wild fantasy that in its ninth game for January 2024 promises us, in addition to the usual fights, battles against Danny Trejo (well, a character played by him) or hitting a giant shark… having an island to relax on, creating furniture from raw materials we find around, fishing, and customizing our house. Yes, exactly: basically playing ‘Animal Crossing‘ for people who don’t want to buy a Switch.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth,” which will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC, will allow the player to relax on Happy Resort DonDoko Island, and the references to the Nintendo series are not coincidental: the animations are direct replicas of the original, only using realistic models instead of cute characters and animals.
It won’t be the only game parody; it will also allow you to participate in something like ‘Crazy Taxi’ and battles in the style of ‘Pokémon.’ For variety, it even has a Tinder-like feature to go on dates here and there. Getting into fights with other gangs starts to become less important when one is immersed in the madness and fantasy. By the way, if you think ‘Like a Dragon’ is a very modern series and you can catch up quickly, keep in mind that the first ‘Yakuza’ was released in 2005, and since then, there has been practically no year without a main game or spin-off.
Now, here’s an idea: What if the next games in the franchise all take place on an island where we can talk to animals who are our neighbors, and it’s designed in a more cartoonish style without any fighting? Alright, yes, Nintendo, I want a new ‘Animal Crossing.’ Why beat around the bush.
