Like a Dragon’s director and lead planner talk about the weirdest content they’ve put into the series and how they cleverly coaxed the team into agreeing 

Sega’s Like a Dragon series is packed with unique, fun and sometimes downright bizarre minigames. But how on Earth do things like the thug-collecting Pokémon parody Sujimon,  Sicko Snap, and tough guys in diapers make it into what is also a rich, story-driven series about the Yakuza? To find out, AUTOMATON recently sat down with two key members of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio- Like a Dragon series director Ryosuke Horii and game design supervisor Hirotaka Chiba. As heads of the planning team, they revealed how they decide which eccentric proposals make it into the games, and their opinions on the Like a Dragon series’ most outlandish minigames so far. This is just a taster of our full interview with Horii and Chiba- due to be published on September 2. 

Looking back on the most eccentric content they have put in the Like a Dragon series so far, Horii mentions the Sensual Healing section of the Courtesan Games from Like a Dragon: Ishin! The amusing situation, which can occur during the strip Janken (rock-paper-scissors) minigame, involves lead character Sakamoto Ryoma assuming a mediative pose while the player must shoot down his sexual desires. Even this bizarre part of the game ties in with the story, as Horii explains, “Sakamoto Ryoma already has a woman he loves, so he cannot afford to let his desires get the better of him.” 

With RGG Studios’ emphasis on thinking proactively, an infinite wealth of ideas get brought up for minigames and side content. But how do the heads of the planning team choose which ideas make it into the game? In response, Horii emphasized the importance of clarity. “The most important question is whether something has a clear message.” He explains. “Let’s look at Crazy Delivery as an example. All that’s needed to convey the point of the game is an image of Ichiban gleefully riding his bicycle, and an image of him delivering sushi. Similarly, for Sicko Snap, an image of someone taking a photograph of a “sicko” is all you need to understand what the game is about.” 

Implementing some of the more bizarre ideas into the Like a Dragon universe also requires persuading the team and getting them onboard. It seems that this is where director Ryosuke Horii plays a vital role. “Horii is very good at coming up with reasons to implement a proposal after he’s already suggested it. (…) Everyone else just kind of goes along with it…” Chiba explains. Horii adds that “I come up with something on the spur of the moment, but then prop it up with logic and make it sound like we desperately need something like Sicko Snap…”  

However, the direction of a Like a Dragon game’s main storyline is always the part that is decided upon first, and minigames and side content must fit well into the game. “Anything that doesn’t mesh with the rest of the game or cannot be conveyed without explanation gets rejected outright.” Chiba clarifies. Earlier in the interview, he mentions that “I am always thinking about scenario creation, and how to ensure that the content I oversee blends smoothly into the game and elevate the playing experience.” At the same time, Like a Dragon’s minigames were also designed as a change of pace, as Horii explains with reference to the latest game in the series: “Infinite Wealth’s main story requires a lot of concentration, so we were conscious of making the side content easy to enjoy.” 

This article only scratches the surface of our talks with Chiba and Horii. To find out more about how Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s planning team shape the Like a Dragon series, check out our full interview (coming on Monday, September 2).