Like a Dragon Dev Plans to Keep Making Games About Middle Aged Men

Like a Dragon Dev Plans to Keep Making Games About Middle Aged Men

Key Takeaways

  • Like a Dragon Director Horii plans to stick with middle-aged protagonists, focusing on real-life challenges to maintain series identity.
  • Like a Dragon series stands out for realistic storytelling and relatable character struggles, fostering strong player connections.
  • Despite evolving gameplay and narrative, Like a Dragon’s heart remains the same: centered on middle-aged men and their everyday lives.

As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the vibrant world of Yakuza, I must say that the decision by Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth director Ryosuke Horii to keep the focus on middle-aged protagonists is nothing short of refreshing. It’s like finding an old pair of comfortable shoes after a long day – familiar, reliable, and surprisingly invigorating.


Ryosuke Horii, director of “Like a Dragon: Infinite Riches”, mentioned in an interview that the development team intends to carry on creating games centered around middle-aged characters and will stick with their established approach for game production. Furthermore, he admitted that while the player base for “Like a Dragon: Infinite Riches” has expanded, the team is not considering alterations to appeal to newcomers.

The Like a Dragon series has built a loyal fanbase over the years because of its gripping stories, exciting combat, and deep dive into Japanese culture. While the series originally focused on Kazuma Kiryu and his life in the criminal underworld, things shifted with the introduction of Ichiban Kasuga. This change brought new narrative depth, especially with the switch to turn-based combat in Yakuza: Like a Dragon in 2020. Now, with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the series keeps evolving while staying true to what fans like about it, and its director has no plans to change the formula.

In an interview with AUTOMATON, the directors Ryosuke Horii and Hirotaka Chiba of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth shared that the series’ emphasis on themes related to middle-aged life comes from their personal experiences as older men. Despite the growing diversity in the audience for the Like a Dragon series, they expressed no intention to alter their creative approach. The pair is enthusiastic about welcoming new fans, but they emphasized that they will not modify the unique aspects of the series to attract a broader audience. Instead, they intend to remain faithful to their creative vision by exploring the everyday struggles of their characters, such as managing health issues like back pain or discussing topics like uric acid levels.

Like a Dragon Series Director Plans to Keep Focus on Older Protagonists

The emphasis on characters who are older sets Like a Dragon apart from other well-known RPGs. Developers describe playing the series as feeling like spending time with older men in a bar, which is a nice deviation from the fast-paced, youthful stories prevalent in many games. They feel that portraying the genuine aspects of middle age, including its blend of humor and emotional fragility, creates a distinctive persona for the series.

Kasuga tackles themes such as unemployment within the novel “Infinite Wealth,” creating a heartfelt and identifiable narrative. According to Horii and Chiba, this type of storytelling, where the characters’ hardships are rooted in authentic real-life challenges, enables players to forge strong emotional bonds with the game’s environment and its inhabitants.

Despite the new updates, at its core, “Like a Dragon” stays consistent: it persistently revolves around middle-aged men, their camaraderie, and the peculiar, sometimes ordinary facets of their existence. For those who appreciate this theme, there’s much more to anticipate in upcoming iterations of “Like a Dragon”.

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2024-09-06 17:06