In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, it's possible to craft and upgrade weapons. Our expert on Sega's Yakuza series, Alex, explains everything you need to know about the game's weapon workshops.
Everything about crafting and upgrading weapons (TLDR):
At the beginning of Chapter 4, Ichiban Kasuga and his companions, Kiryu and Tomizawa, take a break in the hotel room of the "Dragon of Dojima." The next morning, the group sets out for their next destination but is intercepted by the bartender from Revolve in front of the hotel. He tells Ichiban & Co about a supposed auto repair shop on Hula Avenue in West Waikiki.
In reality, the "Julie's Gearworks" in question is a weapon workshop, but its owner doesn't offer her services to just anyone. Apparently, the bartender has a good relationship with Julie and directs selected customers her way.
You can find Julie's Gearworks directly behind the intersection on the eastern Hula Avenue in Hawaii. A bit south of it is the western part of Aloha Beach. You can see the exact location on the map in the first screenshot below, and the second image shows Julie's workshop from the outside.
There's another weapon workshop: Initially, it may seem that Julie only operates this one workshop on Hula Avenue, but there's also a branch. It's located far west on the map, in the middle of Harbor Street in the Anaconda Shopping Center. Check out the screenshots below for its location.
The second edition of Julie's Gearworks offers the same range of services. So you can craft and upgrade the same weapons as in the main location in Waikiki.
Curious about gameplay from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth? We've recorded an hour-long video showcasing a mission, the dating mechanics, and open-world gameplay.
The workshops offer a wide range of weapons tailored to the individual jobs of the main characters, let's call them subclasses. The craftable weapons are divided into 12 categories, including:
Among them are relatively conventional firearms as well as adventurous combat devices like surfboards. The already extensive range of craftable items can be further expanded by investing as a sponsor in Julie's Gearworks. You'll only get this option after you've used the workshop's services several times.
To craft weapons, you'll need:
The exact recipes can be found in the crafting menu. Common resources are mainly found on the streets and in containers, while rare crafting items are more likely to be found in dungeons. We're currently working on a guide that reveals the locations of the most important resources.
Note: Crafting and upgrading weapons can only be done on-site at one of the weapon workshops. However, there's a quality of life feature called the Crafting App that allows you to view on your smartphone which resources are needed for building or upgrading which weapons while on the go.
The same principle applies to upgrading weapons. However, it doesn't stop at just a plus value behind the weapon's name and increased damage; you can also add seals (brands) that give an item "magical" properties, including elemental damage.
If you're familiar with the role-playing game genre, you'll feel right at home with the types of damage. For example, the available seals can cause:
However, some seals also increase physical weapon damage, such as:
Up to three slots are available for inserting seals, each unlocked at level 10, 30, and 50 of your improvement ability. You increase your level by crafting or upgrading weapons regularly.
Just like crafting weapons, adding seals also requires varying amounts of money, which are usually low. A seal typically costs between 5 and 50 dollars. And that's essentially all you need to know about the weapon workshops in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
It's worth mentioning that upgrading weapons is particularly beneficial! Try it out on the standard weapons of the heroes; you'll be amazed at the damage even inconspicuous melee and stabbing weapons can inflict.
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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available from January 25, 2023, for PC (Steam), Playstation 5/4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Priced at 70 Euros on all platforms, Sega’s action RPG also offers a total of 19 DLCs, including cosmetic items and others that provide minor in-game advantages.