The Like a Dragon franchise is about to break a whopping 8-year streak

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The Like a dragon franchise has grown tremendously in recent years, with the IP finally breaking into the more mainstream attention of Western audiences while doing much to retain the attention of its longer-time fans. Despite the massive amount of change the franchise has experienced over the past decade or so, there are still some parts of the series that have lingered for close to a decade.




From a technical perspective, fans of Like a dragon franchise has become deeply familiar with the IP's Dragon Engine, with this first launch in 2016 redefining the feel and fidelity of the series' characters and combat. Despite how ingrained Dragon Engine has become for the modern look and identity of Like a dragon IP, some recent comments from Ryu Ga Gotoku higher up suggest that the Dragon Engine's time could potentially be coming to an end in the near future.

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A move away from the dragon engine would be the end of a bittersweet era for Like a Dragon


There are not many franchises as long-lasting and popular as Like a dragon which has undergone just as much noticeable change, with the IP address even officially rebranded away from Yakuza name with which it had been associated for so long. This rebrand largely coincided with a massive core game shift for the IP, with Like a dragon remarkably shifting from its iconic beat-em-up combat to turn-based JRPG gameplay, with this being a testament to how the franchise can experience such sweeping changes while retaining its core identity.

Before that, one of the most noticeable changes for the franchise came with 2016's Yakuza 6making this the first title in the series to use and showcase the now iconic Dragon Engine. Purposefully built for Boy game, Dragon Engine redefined core aspects of the IP such as physics, with ragdoll and environmental destruction physics being two clear areas of massive change compared to the games before Yakuza 6. Of course, the Dragon Engine also offered more seamless exploration between internal and external locations, while offering a noticeable graphical improvement that has worked well with the story and cinematic experiences for most Like a dragon lets go.


Dragon Engine has now defined Like a dragon IP for eight years, used for nearly every franchise release to follow Yakuza 6 during 2016. Like a dragon titles are now clearly and obviously being characterized as belonging to the era before or after the transition to the Dragon Engine, and recent comments from Ryu Ga Gotoku seem to indicate that a new era could be ushered in the IP in the near future.

As a dragon's ambitions may have outgrown the dragon engine's capacity

Yutaka Ito, technical director of Ryu Ga Gotoku, recently spoke to Automoton and explained his desire and ambition for the franchise to move away from the restrictions of the Dragon Engine for future releases, with a particular focus on the technological advancements that a custom new game engine could have on modern hardware. It is true that the high modern ambitions Like a dragon series is somewhat limited to a 2016 game engine, with the rather infamous physics bugs that the Dragon Engine can foster being another clear reason behind the franchise potentially looking for a fresh start.


Ito also said how his comments are not a direct reflection of Ryu Ga Gotoku's official plans, but it seems likely that the thirst for evolution that Boy franchise holders could see the introduction of a brand new game engine sooner rather than later. It's fascinating to think about what the next step is Like a dragon may be when and if this new game engine is rolled out, but it will still be sad to see the Dragon Engine put to rest due to the unforgettable titles the engine has powered since its debut eight years ago.

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