Anyone who comes away from Yakuza: Like a Dragon will have a strong impression of lead character Kasuga Ichiban. Love him or not, he drives the tone and perspective for an earnest story about living on the margins, loyalty to loved ones, and just being an adult trying to make something of themselves. He's quite a far cry from the stoic, but lovable Kazuma Kiryu who we grew to know and love through seven previous entries in the series--and I think that speaks to developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's ability to create layered, expressive characters who drive its dramatic, hilarious, yet sobering stories.

Masayoshi Yokoyama, chief producer and writer, has been at the forefront of Yakuza's storytelling, and I was able to exchange with him via email through a translator to dissect what went into Yakuza: Like a Dragon in particular. As with any game, a slew of factors go into its creation, and he provided insight into the move to making an RPG, conveying new narrative themes, and what the future holds for the Yakuza franchise. (Hint: It may not come as much of a surprise, but there is another Yakuza game currently in development.)

The following interview was edited for clarity and readability--it also contains spoilers for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, so beware.