Should you play Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth with Japanese or English voice-over? 

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth features a stellar cast for the Japanese and English voice-over. While you can change the voice-over at any time, it will kick you back to the main menu every time you do. It’s likely that you, like me, will play the game on just one of these for the entire game. As a long-time enjoyer of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, I’ve given this particular piece much thought.

This is not a definitive guide on which voice cast you should listen to in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, but it is my personal opinion after 100+ hours in this game, as well as the previous few Like a Dragon titles. This is just one writer’s opinion, so do take it with a grain of salt.

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Is the English or Japanese voiceover right for you in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth?

Which voice cast of Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is better, and which is right for you? Well, if I can be frank, you will likely enjoy the Japanese dub of the game better. The voice cast is familiar; they’re all incredible, and they do a great deal to match the emotional weight of each line throughout the game.

This is not to bash or insult any of the English cast, but it is far from it. When I play the Judgment titles, for example, I prefer to play them in English. Greg Chun, who voices the Judgment protagonist, is incredible - as he is as Yu Nanba in Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth’s playable cast of characters.

The English dub suffers from something that bothers me in most dubs these days in video games. There’s also Dwight Mendez, voiced by Machete star Danny Trejo - he is perfect for his role. He’s the reason I miss the English dub the most, even if he doesn’t show up too often.

You’ll find times when lines run together far too close - sentences that almost feel connected that shouldn’t. While I love the writing of Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, and even though I do enjoy the majority of the English voice cast, there are some noteworthy exceptions. Yong Yea, for example - I don't hate him, but he doesn't quite nail the stoic, firm voice of Kiryu Kazuma like I hoped he would.

I’m not a fan of his singing voice either, especially for Judgement -Shinpan-. Karaoke is an integral mini-game for the Like a Dragon franchise, and if the singing doesn’t sound good, I find myself doing it way less. He’s not the only one - I’m not crazy about Matthew Mercer’s Goro Majima, either.

The voice cast of Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth is certainly talented, and I enjoyed the English dub when I listened to it. However, nothing matches the weight and gravitas the Japanese voice cast brings to the game. Hearing Nishikiyama’s voice actor (Kazuhiro Nakaya) come back to be the star of a game just feels right.

Then you have Akio Otsuka, who voices Koichi Adachi. He’s anime and gaming royalty, from his spots in Lupin III (Jigen Daisuke), the Metal Gear games (Solid Snake, Naked Snake, Solidus Snake, Venom Snake), and One Piece (D. Teach). The Japanese cast is a who’s who of incredible talents that bring unmatched emotional weight to every scene.

At the end of the day, you should pick what works best for you. Typically, I use English dubs when streaming, but even for this game, I will use the Japanese dub for my New Game+ run.

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Check out our other Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth guides

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth review || Voice Actors || Does Kiryu die || How many chapters || Ending explained || Dondoko Island || Level up fast