As soon as RGG Studio officially announced Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name, and Like a Dragon 8, we knew that 'Yakuza' was no more. Like a Dragon is replacing the Western name of SEGA's long running series, and honestly, the change doesn't come as a huge surprise — even if its implementation has been a bit sloppy.
Speaking to IGN, producer Masayoshi Yokoyama confirms what we've all been thinking: the franchise has simply moved away from being about yakuza. "Story-wise too, we are talking about criminal underworld, but we're not talking about Yakuza, really," Yokoyama explains. "So it just makes sense for us not to include them in the name. If we carry through the accent, we'd be Yakuza: Ishin! It's not Yakuza: Ishin! That's not what it's about. So Like A Dragon: Ishin! makes more sense."
As we wrote in our previous report though, calling these games 'Like a Dragon' is going to take some getting used to. We've been writing about 'Yakuza' for well over a decade at this point, and it already feels weird!
[source ign.com]
Comments 23
Removed - unconstructive
Does this apply to Japan too? If so very interesting. I also wonder if they’ll have something more Yakuza related sometime and want the name to be separate for that. Either way, I appreciate the integrity to not have the name be unrelated to the series itself.
Still strange to call it “Like a Dragon 8” then. Unless that’s just a placeholder name. If the series has been rebooted, then the enumeration should probably reset.
@Jaz007 From previous article:
"Of course, the Yakuza games have never been called Yakuza in Japan. Over in its home nation, Yakuza as a series is called Ryu Ga Gotoku — which is where developer RGG Studio gets its name from — which, when translated into English, is Like a Dragon."
@stvevan No other site talks about Yakuza more than PushSquare.
@Th3solution Like a Dragon 8 isn't a placeholder, but I suppose there's still plenty of time for it to be changed. I agree, it's an especially weird name here in the West.
@theart did an article discussing too much AC, yet just as much yakuza in a shorter time. no mention of that. (happy with more of both)
Doesn't matter what it's called I'll buy everything from RGG studios. Phenomenal games. Just on the final stretch of Yakuza 6 now, all 7 entries so far have been some of the best I've ever played and the writing puts most movies to shame!
@ShogunRok It's a tough one that's lose-lose. But personally I think they should stick with Like a Dragon 8 lest we end up with something like Final Fantasy II (It's actually IV) & Final Fantasy III (It's actually VI), Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2), etc. We've kinda been here before.
We only have to get through this confusion once, then it's clear, versus years of "which game are they talking about again?" We should learn from prior mistakes.
Don't like it. Change it back.
@TheArt Because Yakuza is tight 💪🐉
It does make sense and draws a line under the Kiryu era when most of the games were very much about the Yakuza clans. I see Yakuza 8 being titled Like A Dragon 2 in the west.
Meanwhile Hokuto Ga Gotoku: FiSt oF tHe NoRtH StAr: LoSt PaRaDiSE.
I'm trying to call it by the new name as much as I can but I noticed I reverted back to Yakuza when discussing the news with a friend the other day just out of habit. It's just too familiar to me now!
I hope Like A Dragon 8's full name is Like A Dragon 8: Like A Dragon 2.
@Korgon it's like replacing the name of MC Donald's with something else, it's just not going to work, I'm sure a lot of people will stick with calling it Yakuza still 🤷♀️
I do understand their approach, but it will take some getting used to for the West. I'm not bothered by it though, if the game is great does the name matter?
It's not actually a weird name considering the series has ALWAYS been called Like a Dragon in Japan. We're the ones used to the weird name.
....but it still feels weird. And other than the spinoffs I'm not sure how the game isn't "about Yakuza" anymore. We haven't seen the new games yet, but so far it's never not been about Yakuza in any entry. Still...this is the real name of the series from the beginning in Japan....in a game set in Japan....where most of the entries are only voiced in Japanese.
Much like Biohzard/Resident Evil. We have a "localized" name we got used to.
@Starkei No, they presented it as LaD8, so I think they'll stay with that name. Otherwise we do end up with the scenario FF2=4, FF3=6, SoM2=3 etc. Nobody should ever follow Square naming conventions
The only confusing part will be when newcomers look to the early series and find that "Like a Dragon 1" is called "Yakuza: Kiwami."
I'm happy about the name change due to the possibly negative connotations it might invoke. It's from a time everything needed to be gangster in the west with games like GTA, True Crime and G hip-hop being popular. Like a Dragon just has so much more heart and humor on offer to make it purely a "Yakuza" game and translates the title correctly.
It will be fine and after a few games totally normal. But 'Yakuza' is more emotive in the West than 'Like a Dragon' because we don't have some of the mythology (carp to dragon) that the phrase draws on.
It was honestly fine having a game called 'Yakuza' not be about Yakuza. It's still about the criminal underworld. Games are often not named particularly literally. Heavy Rain has rain, but it's not about rain. Legend of Zelda is about Link. Halo is mostly not set on Halo rings. 'Mass Effect' basically only appears in the codex of Mass Effect
Plus Like a Dragon is such a bad choice. Sounds like they let someone's kids from their office choose the name.
So, is Ichiban's game called Like a dragon: Like a dragon, now?
Confusing to me but I'll get used to it in due time.
@Loftimus I would imagine so, really wacky right?
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