Summary
Since its initial debut in 2005 on the PlayStation 2, theYakuza, nowLike a Dragon, series is known just as much for its gripping storyline and tight gameplay as it is for the many hijinks, side activities and overall uniqueness that simply isn’t replicable in other video games. It turns out, that uniqueness isn’t going away anytime soon.
In an interview with Automaton, Like a Dragon series director Ryosuke Horii and lead planner Hirotaka Chiba revealed that the series will continue to be about “middle-aged guys” doing things and discussing topics relevant to that demographic.
Like A Dragon Is Based On “Personal Ideas of What’s Fun”
Via that interview, the duo shared that part of what makes Like a Dragon so endearing and revered is just how relatable it is. “They have a different air about them than a group of young heroes would, complaining about back pain and the like,” Horii said in reference to the 2020 plot. “But this “humanity” you feel from their age is what gives the game originality.”
Indeed, the Like a Dragon series feels very different compared to other video games. That’s something that the team takes pride in. “The characters are flesh-and-blood human beings much like our players are, so their problems are relatable,” Horii explained. “That’s why it’s easy to really get into the game and feel like you’re listening to conversations between ordinary people. There isn’t any typical “game-like” language like “where is the treasure chest?”
That said, while the series is certainly very “middle-aged guy” coded, it has experienced a boom in popularity among young gamers, as well as women. However, even with that boom in popularity with different player groups, don’t expect the game to change to retain them.
“We have had a large increase in new fans, including women, which we’re truly happy and grateful for,” Horii iterated. “However, we don’t plan to do anything like deliberately changing conversation topics in order to cater to new fans.”
That isn’t meant to be a slight against those demographics, either. As the duo explains in the interview, part of what made the game successful is the fact that they’ve focused on the things that themselves as creators have found fun and/or endearing. Changing that would seemingly change the game as a whole.
“Our policy as creators has not changed. We are very grateful for the recognition we have received from overseas fans and new, younger players, but we will not change our policy of creating games, which is based on our personal ideas of what’s fun,” Horii explained.
In other words, Like a Dragon is very much a love letter to video games and older people as told through the eyes and experiences of middle-aged men themselves. In many ways, the series is an examination of the truths of aging, both good and bad. And the series is better off for it.
