Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - How to Increase Bond Levels

The Yakuza series has been alive and kicking for close to 20 years now, but it has never experienced anything close to the dramatic shift that Like A Dragon brought in 2020. Switching from a beat-em-up action game to a fully fledged JRPG had many fans worried about the future of the series. While some remain conflicted to this day, one thing is for certain, Ryu Ga Gotoku has managed to pull it off spectacularly, creating one of the most fun and interesting takes on the genre to this day.

One of the main selling points of any JRPG is investing yourself and creating bonds with your party members, which depending on the game can unlock many bonuses in both combat and exploration. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is no different, featuring an in-depth bonding system that will take you through the stories of your party members, while also providing you with a ton of cool abilities to use throughout the game. In this article, we are going to explain how this system works, as well as some tips and tricks on how to increase your bond with your squad.

What Are Bond Levels in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth?

Bond levels are going to be your main way of interacting with your party members, both in story moments, as well as in combat. Each party member will have their own bond level, which you can level up by various means. Leveling up your bond will unlock many different bonuses, one of which being Skill Inheritance slots for your party members, allowing them to use abilities from different jobs.

Hitting certain milestones in the leveling process will also unlock Drink Links, which allows you to have a drink with your party member, while learning more of their backstories. These Drink Links will also unlock many combat bonuses, including chaining attacks, as well as Tag Team abilities, which can do a lot of damage to enemies.

Here are the main ways in which you can increase the bond level between you and your party members:

• Bond Bingo
• Gifting
• Activities
• Drink Links

How to Increase Bond Levels in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Here are a few different ways to increase the bond level between Ichiban and his party members:

Complete Bond Bingo

One of the main ways to gain bond experience with your squad is through the Bond Bingo system. Throughout the open world, you will be able to find small pink chat bubbles on the map, which indicate a place of interest for one of your party members. If you go to that location, you will be able to start a conversation that will give you a little backstory for that party member, increasing your bond experience, while also completing a part of your Bond Bingo.

The Bond Bingo system rewards you for finishing these conversations, with added bonuses if you manage to complete a set of rows or diagonals on the board. Completing the entire board will heavily increase the bond between Ichiban and his party member. Keep in mind that some of these conversations might only be available during the day or during the night.

Give them Gifts

Another way of strengthening the bond between you and your mates is by gifting them different items. These gifts can be purchased from shops around the map, and sometimes you will even find some prompts while exploring different stores, which will allow you to make a quick gift to any of your party members. All of the different characters will have their own preferences when it comes to the type of gift, but you will never lose experience for using the wrong item.

Take Part in Activities

As with any Yakuza game, Infinite Wealth is full of different mini-games and sub-stories for the player to get lost in between the different chapters of the story. Not only are these activities fun to try out, but some of them will also increase the bond level between you and your squad. Here are some activities that will increase the bond levels of your party:

• Mini-games: Darts, Karaoke, and other similar mini-games can increase the bond of your party members.
• Table Talks: Certain combo meals will have a small chat bubble next to them, allowing your party members to have a conversation and increase their bond levels. 
• Party Chats: You will be able to find small green chat bubbles throughout the game (which are not present on the map), which will start a quick conversation that can increase your bond experience. 

Complete Drink Links

We spoke earlier about Drink Links and how they can increase the effectiveness of your party members during combat, but completing them will also grant you a ton of bond experience towards that specific party member. Make sure to regularly go to the Revolve Bar and have a drink with your mates, so you can have an interesting conversation while also unlocking some very strong combat abilities and Skill Inheritance slots.

That covers everything you need to know about the Bond mechanic in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and how you can use it to your advantage. We highly recommend strengthening the bond between you and your party members, both for the amazing story elements, as well as the interactive combat moments that will be unlocked. For more Infinite Wealth content, make sure to check out the rest of our resources on Gameleap!