Skip to main content

The best ways to earn XP in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

There’s no real explanation for it in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but in the time between it and the preceding title, Ichiban has lost almost all of his skills, levels, and jobs. Even his personality stats are back to zero! That’s to be expected coming into a new game and just means we get to earn all those levels all over again in the tropical paradise of Hawaii.

The core systems of this sequel are mostly the same as in the last game, but there are some new methods and tricks to add to the returning ones to most efficiently bring Ichiban and crew back up to fighting shape. There are more than a few difficulty spikes ahead of you if you simply try to follow the main plot, so here are the best ways you can farm up XP fast in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to get back on track.

Best ways to grind XP

Random encounters are fine for getting bits of XP here and there that add up over the course of the game, but no one wants to sit there fighting trash mobs for hours just to get half a level once you’re nearly maxed out. Here are a few ways you can maximize your time and level up your characters and their jobs in no time.

Chow down

Ichiban, Chitose, and Tomizawa eat snow cones in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Sega

As is typical for the series, you can eat all kinds of foods from dozens of restaurants. If you manage to order the right combination of items from certain places, you can trigger some temporary bonuses, one of which is an increase in your XP gain. There’s no reason to not order every item off the menu as you pass every restaurant to uncover all the buffs they have. Once you’ve discovered them, you can see them from your map for easy access later so you know where to go to keep that XP buff going whenever you plan on grinding some fights or expect a boss fight.

Accessories

As soon as you can, slap on an accessory like the Ankle Weights and Yakuza Training Gear. These will increase how much XP you earn from every battle, so the sooner you put something on, the less grinding you’ll have to do later. Just know that they all come with some downside, such as lower MP or HP, to balance things out. If you can nerf yourself a bit now, it will pay off later.

Navigate the labyrinth

Ichiban, Nanba, and Adachi strutting.
Sega

Once you reach Chapter, 5 you will be introduced to the randomly generated dungeon called the labyrinth. Each floor gets progressively harder, meaning you will earn more XP for each fight, and sets of floors typically end with challenging boss encounters. Once you’ve overleveled all the normal zones, this is the only place you can rely on for good amounts of XP. You may have to rush through the early stages if you don’t progress with it as you play, but it’s quick enough to navigate. Combine this with prior tips and you have a recipe for the fastest way to level up … well, except for one other method.

Save your level-up items

A level booster item in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Seaga

There are a few rare and valuable items you can buy or find in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that instantly shoot you up a level. There are a limited number of these, and they are usually very hard to get or expensive to purchase, such as the one from the Crazy Delivery shop. If you manage to get your hands on one early, DO NOT USE IT! Since each level costs more and more XP to hit, the later you wait to use these, the more value you’re getting out of them — and the more time you are saving, If you can hold out until you’re in the mid to late 40s, they will save you quite a bit of grinding.

Editors' Recommendations

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth gift guide: best gifts for every character
Kiryu and Kasuga grasp hands in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Who wouldn't want to be friends with a guy like Ichiban? The guy is a bundle of optimistic joy and positivity. Sure, you'll likely get into more than a couple of brawls with him, but that only strengthens your bond, right? That's how it works in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, anyway. There are many ways you can increase Ichiban's bond level with his various party members, and even other people on the street you bump into, but one of the easiest (although expensive) ways is to give them the perfect gift. Instead of grinding out your bond level through battles or slow conversations, why not buy your way into your friend's heart? The only tricky part is knowing each character well enough to tell what gift they will appreciate most and where you can snag it.
Best gifts for each character

Each of the main party members in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has their own personality and style. You wouldn't get much love from Nanba by giving him some makeup or Adachi some flowers, after all. There's no wrong gift you can give technically since no matter what you give someone it will increase your Bond level, however, these objects raise it more than the others.

Read more
The best ways to farm money in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Kiryu and Kasuga grasp hands in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

The game may be called Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but Ichiban will have an empty wallet more often than not during his adventure. Being an ex-yakuza, work isn't exactly easy for him to come by, and things only get more complicated after he travels overseas to Hawaii. This new location isn't cheap, especially if you want to pick up some top-tier gear and weapons or just enjoy the more luxurious restaurants. All your Yen will be converted to dollars when you transition, making it easier to see just how poor you are at all times. Street brawls will get you a few bucks, but you'll need more efficient ways to earn some scratch by the mid to late game. Here are the best ways to farm money in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Best ways to farm money
Different methods for earning dough will open up as you get through the story. Early on, you will have to resort to picking fights, searching under vending machines and cars for loose change, and selling plates to get by, but don't waste too much time grinding these out. You'll open up way more lucrative income streams later on.
Crazy Delivery

If you played the first Like a Dragon, you probably remember the can collecting mini-game. The new version for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth doesn't have Ichiban racing to pick up cans to turn in for cash, but grabbing and delivering food for tips. This is a decent way to score some cash in the early game, especially if you maximize your score with tricks, bonuses, and speed, but it isn't as lucrative as you might think when first doing it. Even though you see a huge cash total getting racked up as you play, that's not actually how much you stand to earn. Instead, your total earnings are converted into points you can redeem for items or straight-up cash at $10 per 2,000 points.
Substories and stores
Substories are not only entertaining but quick and often reward you with a decent chunk of cash in addition to some unique gear. This isn't grindable, exactly, as you will eventually run out of substories, but it's good for a quick cash injection when you need it. Also, that gear you get from them or from shops should be sold as you get new and better stuff to replace the old ones. You can automatically equip the better gear, but you have to make it a point to specifically sell old gear at pawn shops. When there, you have to pick the "Sell gear" option since gear doesn't show up when selling your normal items and junk.
Be a Sujimon master!

Read more
How long is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?
Ichiban, Nanba, and Adachi strutting.

Prior to launch, Masayoshi Yokoyama, the head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, made bold claims about just how much time players would spend in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.Yokoyama claimed that "if you attempt to clear everything, it may never end." Obviously, that was hyperbole, but just how much content really is in the game? The series is known for its lengthy, narratively rich main campaigns, dozens of substories, and deep mini-games such as Dondoko Island. Now that we've had a chance to see the conclusion to Ichiban and friends' latest adventures through the tropical island of Hawaii, we can fill you in on how many hours you can expect to put into this title.
How long is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?

Because of how much optional content there is in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, this answer will vary based on what you are interested in. To start off simply, however, we can speak about just doing the main campaign. You won't be able to just mainline the story here without hitting a wall where you just won't be strong enough to progress, but if you do as little optional content as possible, you can expect to put in 45 hours or more to complete it. This game is very cutscene-heavy, so unless you skip them and ignore the story completely, there's not much you can do to cut down on that hour count.

Read more