Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a game we really enjoyed, and it’s out now on more platforms like the PS5 and, for Asia, PC and Xbox.
It’s known how the seventh numbered title of the Yakuza series, and the first to completely switch to a new protagonist, became a turn-based RPG. But now, in a new interview with chief producer and writer Masayoshi Yokoyama by The Verge, we now know why they went for it.
It comes from the difference of new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga is compared to the mainstay hero Kazuma Kiryu.
“[Kazuma Kiryu] is generally reserved, stoic, and self-sacrificing, but stronger than anybody and prefers to act alone,” Yokoyama said. “In a way, his character embodies qualities that Japanese boys and men would look up to.
“Kasuga, on the other hand, was created with the intention of being more ‘relatable’ rather than ‘admired.’ I wanted to create a character whose words and actions would emotionally move us, and someone that you’d want to cheer for and fight alongside.“
Kasuga debuted in Ryu Ga Gotoku online, a Japan-only card game. With a deck-building aspect to it, Kasuga is then written to be more of a leader to fit that game’s tone.
From there, the team decided the relatable hero Kasuga would fit well in a party system of an RPG. “We wouldn’t have made the same decision for Kiryu, who fights with only his own power,” Yokoyama said.
That also led to the developers making Kasuga be a big fan of Dragon Quest. Having him being a major RPG nerd helps explain why a lot of the RPG systems exist in Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
“Upon deciding the RPG genre, there were then a few questions that we had to address,” Yokoyama said. “Such as: How will we make Kasuga relate to the “hero” job class? What is the logic behind the exchanges during these battles within Kasuga’s mind?
“One way we addressed these was to make Kasuga an RPG enthusiast.”
The full interview from The Verge is a good read, especially for those that have completed it – there’s major plot spoilers by the end of the piece. The interview also reveals the interesting way Ryu Ga Gotoku studio operates when it comes to designing and writing the game.
Source: The Verge