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At GDC 2025, Sega’s RGG Studio held a session about the Like a Dragon series’ development, entitled “RGG DESIGN: The Secret to Narrative-Driven and Short-Term Development in Like A Dragon” (as reported on by 4Gamer). During the lecture, Like a Dragon producer Ryosuke Horii and background artist Eiji Hamatsu talked about some of the secrets behind the series’ famously fast development cycle.

One of the key points inevitably brought up was the recycling of existing assets. Important locations, like the bustling, neon-lit Kamurocho, have reappeared throughout most of Like a Dragon’s mainline entries, and the series frequently refurbishes individual city components and buildings for reuse in new games.

The developers explain that while reusing locations in games tends to result in players complaining of “being taken to the same places again,” the Like a Dragon series – where the same locations reappear as a necessary part of telling the story – turns this into emotional significance for the players.

This includes “the joy of revisiting a place where a past story has left its mark” and “the satisfaction of coming back to a place where a certain event occurred, but for a different reason.” Due to the Like a Dragon series’ accumulated stories and experiences, revisiting the same locations in a new entry gives the player a feeling of nostalgia, becoming a “meaningful encounter” of its own, according to the developers.

However, another important point of successfully reusing assets is not relying on existing assets for everything. The Like a Dragon developers redirect the time and resources that get freed up into creating something new for players to bite into, balancing the nostalgia with freshness.

For example, in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, (which was overflowing with bittersweet nostalgia for Kiryu fans), locations like Sotenbori were reused, but the developers implemented elements like The Castle, an all-new explorable location. Similarly, as the latest Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii reused Infinite Wealth’s Hawaii setting (which was carefully made from scratch), the developers were able to focus on creating its ocean, islands and ships, incorporating them into gameplay.

Like a Dragon cleverly avoids complaints about reused assets by getting players emotionally attached to its recurring locations - AUTOMATON WEST

RGG Studio developers talk about how they give locations emotional significance, avoiding player dissatisfaction about reused assets.

automaton-media.com

 

[N0S]

Doesnt work for me.

 

[Fat Frog]

Bullshit.
I don't need to read it

 

[NanaMiku]

If the release date is far apart, yeah maybe. I played 0-6 back to back and got bored of Kamurocho lol

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm very, very bored with Yakuza and I haven't even completed a single one. I don't know how you guys do it.

 

[Ceadeus]

I'm very, very bored with Yakuza and I haven't even completed a single one. I don't know how you guys do it.

Oh really? I thought about starting infinite wealth, it seems quite incredible ? What's boring about the series?

 

[nowhat]

I'm very, very bored with Yakuza and I haven't even completed a single one. I don't know how you guys do it.

It's simple. First of all, it's the most irreverent series out there. Any given mission (especially the side ones) will put you into situations that just wouldn't happen in any other franchise. It's incredible for it.

But more on topic, it's the repetition that gives some kind of comfort. There are familiar locations, people, especially music. Whenever that track with the electric piano starts playing (usually whenever someone comes to a hearty realization at the end of a substory) I get all cloudy-eyed. Pavlov would be proud.

 

[nowhat]

Oh really? I thought about starting infinite wealth, it seems quite incredible ? What's boring about the series?

If this is your first foray into the series, you really need to start with Zero. It should be dirt cheap by now. And arguably, among the best in the series. Also gives a lot of context into the characters that play a larger role later on.

 

[seething left]

Works for me. I played 0 to 6 one after another, when I received my Steam Deck, and when starting a new game, I was always eager to see what happened with the places I knew from previous games.

 

[lh032]

I'm very, very bored with Yakuza and I haven't even completed a single one. I don't know how you guys do it.

i bought yakuza 0, played like.....few hours? got bored with it.
Yea i dont know why so many love these yakuza franchise, bores me to tears

 

[struggler_guts]

Fuuuuck no, kamurocho is played the hell out

 

[Punished Miku]

Oh really? I thought about starting infinite wealth, it seems quite incredible ? What's boring about the series?

You should just make up your own mind. I'm not telling you what to play. Lots of people love it. I don't hate it, but I am definitely burned out. If you're a fan of quirky Japanese stuff, you should probably try at least one of them.

Personally, I think the action combat is shallow. The exploration doesn't feel especially organic, and is mostly following checkpoints running down the same streets over and over. I liked Sleeping Dogs a decade ago, so I don't know if my taste changed or if the story and combat was just that much better. Lots of elements of the cutscenes and acting in Yakuza are definitely cool, but the gameplay is pretty boring for me. The RPG combat was at least attempting something new for the series, so I think that's neat.

 

[Ceadeus]

If this is your first foray into the series, you really need to start with Zero. It should be dirt cheap by now. And arguably, among the best in the series. Also gives a lot of context into the characters that play a larger role later on.

I tried Yakuza when it landed on ps2...yeeears ago lol, I like beat em ups so I think it was good. I thought about getting the limited run collection on switch but I dislike the way they introduced each game one by one on pre order. That's way to long of a wait. I'll sure have a look at Zero. Thanks!

You should just make up your own mind. I'm not telling you what to play. Lots of people love it. I don't hate it, but I am definitely burned out. If you're a fan of quirky Japanese stuff, you should probably try at least one of them.

Personally, I think the action combat is shallow. The exploration doesn't feel especially organic, and is mostly following checkpoints running down the same streets over and over. I liked Sleeping Dogs a decade ago, so I don't know if my taste changed or if the story and combat was just that much better. Lots of elements of the cutscenes and acting in Yakuza are definitely cool, but the gameplay is pretty boring for me. The RPG combat was at least attempting something new for the series, so I think that's neat.

Yeah I can see how it got repetitive for you and the way you describe the gameplay feels like being on cruise control. But sometime I like turning my brain off and kick back on my couch playing these type of game. There should be a physical anthology aside from the limited run, I would like to own the series.

 

[rubik's dude]

Currently the best long-running video game series. Replaced Final Fantasy for me as my go-to story-focused JRPG a long time ago. Look forward to every new release, whether it's a mainline or a spinoff.

 

[StereoVsn]

If this is your first foray into the series, you really need to start with Zero. It should be dirt cheap by now. And arguably, among the best in the series. Also gives a lot of context into the characters that play a larger role later on.

Yeah, listen to this advice. Zero is the proper place to start and preferably at least play the newer entrees like Kiwami 1,2 and then 6.

But if after Zero you want to go to Turned Based titles, nothing wrong with that either.

 

[Humdinger]

Yeah, I agree. I like returning to Kamurocho. There's a comfort in the familiarity.

I wish I'd played more of the early games and paid more attention to the locations/characters, so that I can better appreciate the references and repetitions. The series continually makes back-references, and I'm often left scratching my head.

 

[DeVeAn]

I recall Playing part 5 and meeting a character from the first game and he even explains the events that took place and it was kinda an ongoing little story throughout the series. Cool shit like that is all over this series. Details.