Game Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has been officially released and has received a very good response among gamers. This can be seen from the Steam page which shows a "mostly positive" rating for this game, at least when this article was written.
Not only that, we also gave Game Like A Dragon a score of 4.2/5: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. For us, this gami is a bold step for Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio in exploring the pirate theme without sacrificing its distinctive identity. A return to the beat-'em-up combat system, this game brings both nostalgia and innovation to the combat system.
Read also: Game Review, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Why we call Game Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii a very bold decision by RGG Studio? Because combining the themes of pirates, yakuza, and the modern world in Hawaii is no easy feat. In fact, maybe only RGG Studio can do it.
The next question is, how did RGG Studio think of taking all these themes and formulating them into a Like A Dragon game?
At the launch event in Jakarta, PlayEatSleep had the opportunity to ask this question directly to Chief Producer of RGG Studio, Hiroyuki Sakamoto. In the interview, which was quite short, Sakamoto said that the key is how to present a game that is interesting to play.
Secret Recipe: Create Games that are Fun to Play!
Sakamoto explained to the media that Game Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is designed as a game that is fun and enjoyable to play. He also said that this recipe has become a standard for all Like A Dragon series.
"Whatever the game is, it has to be exciting and fun," Sakamoto said. "What the fans want is important, but it's not always our main benchmark. It's our standard."
What Sakamoto said is very clear in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. In our review, we even said that the naval combat system in this game is very simple, straightforward, but still fun.
Why Pirate Yakuza?
When asked why he chose the theme of pirates and yakuza in Hawaii, Sakamoto replied that the decision was made considering the position of the game Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is as a spin-off placed after the game Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is also set in Hawaii.
Since the main character is Goro Majima, the RGG Studio team decided to use a pirate theme that fits his charisma perfectly. Of course, because of the pirate theme, it's impossible not to bring mini games and special mechanics that are directly related to pirate action. Yes, naval combat!
Sakamoto also said there were other challenges when developing Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which uses a pirate theme. One of them is that there are already many pirate-themed games.
"We added unique features to the game, such as ships that can be deeply customized and crews that can be placed on the ships," Sakamoto explained.
For the rest, the main hurdle in the development of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was more about the tight development time. Nevertheless, Sakamoto still feels proud of his latest game this time.
A Game for All
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is not the first Like A Dragon series and there may be gamers who feel intimidated because they have never played this game series before. But Sakamoto emphasized to gamers not to worry because Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii can be enjoyed by all gamers.
"Gamers don't need to worry because we designed this game to be easy to play and understand for everyone. Even those who have never played the Like A Dragon series before," Sakamoto explained.
Not only that, the RGG Studio team even deliberately did not name their Like A Dragon series with numbers for fear that gamers would feel forced to play the previous game. Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii could even be their first game to explore other stories in the Like A Dragon series.
The Next Game Like A Dragon?
Finally, will other characters in the Like A Dragon series also get spin-off games like Goro Majima in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii? Sakamoto just casually replied that he and his team haven't thought about that yet.
However, Sakamoto emphasized that each Like A Dragon game series has always been about the theme of a certain era, not the characters.
"The thing I need to say is that Like a Dragon games are always made following the times and trends. So we focus more on keeping up with the times than looking at the characters," Sakamoto explained.
According to you, what theme is suitable for the next Like A Dragon game series?
