In the dynamic world of video gaming, the start of the new year has already witnessed some notable triumphs, with the spotlight shining brightly on two contrasting games: Palworld and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
While Palworld has emerged as a remarkable sensation on Steam, boasting a staggering eight million copies sold in less than a week, its contemporary, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, is carving out a significant record of its own.
Setting New Benchmarks in the Series
'Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth' peaked with over 46K concurrent players on Steam this weekend.
That's the biggest launch on Steam for a Yakuza/Like A Dragon title.https://t.co/K7keES6XRX pic.twitter.com/WHUfQb5aYO
— Knoebel (@Knoebelbroet) January 29, 2024
Released just last week, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has swiftly climbed the ranks in the Steam gaming community. This latest installment in the Like a Dragon series achieved a concurrent player count peak of 46,161 over the weekend, as per SteamDB data.
This figure not only signifies a record for the series but also highlights a substantial leap from last year’s release, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which peaked at 13,737 players around its release. The rise is even more apparent when compared with the series’ earlier game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which introduced the now-familiar protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and reached a peak of 9,535 players.
Such numbers clearly indicate a growing popularity for the series, especially on the Steam platform. However, it’s worth noting that these statistics don’t shed light on the game’s performance on console platforms.
Critical Acclaim and Community Response
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has been met with widespread acclaim from critics, including a glowing review from our own Mark. Players and critics alike have praised the game for its engaging content and gameplay. However, it’s not without its share of controversies.
Some players have expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s approach to downloadable content (DLC). Notably, the decision to put the new game plus feature behind a paywall has sparked debate, alongside various add-ons that boost player stats, which, while not essential, have raised some eyebrows among the gaming community.
Despite these concerns, the overall player sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive, propelling the game to impressive heights on Steam. While it might be a stretch to predict it reaching the same level of success as Palworld, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s performance is a testament to its quality and the series’ growing fan base.
