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The Yakuza series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama said it was time for "major updates" so the studio started considering shifting to UE5, but noted that the Dragon Engine has its own advantages.
In a recent interview with IGN, the Yakuza series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama spoke about The Dragon Engine which had been used in creating the franchise's games since 2016, the shift to Unreal Engine 5, and the challenges of modern console technology.
According to Yokoyama, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's decision to shift to UE5 was largely influenced by the fact that it was time for some "major updates" in the series. The producer explained that through the years, the studio was bringing only minor updates and that The Dragon Engine "is kind of a bit of an old engine" today, so it was time for something new.
When asked whether the studio plans to completely abandon the Dragon Engine, Yokoyama didn't reply directly, only stating that there both engines have their certain advantages.
"We are kind of looking at it and saying, what are the merits of each? What's the merit of the Dragon Engine? What's the merit of the Unreal Engine?" the producer said. "And when it comes down to it, the Dragon Engine…it's really perfectly designed to represent a city at night. The nighttime city. Whereas Unreal, it's better at showing nature and daytime and that sort of feel."
Speaking of the challenges in game development, Yokoyama noted that he is not worried too much about graphics as according to him, it didn't make a significant leap since the PS4 era in comparison to the changes it made when the PS4 replaced the PS3. But what worries him more is the number of available platforms and the need to create a game that would perform well on all of the platforms.
You can learn more by reading the full interview here. Also, don't forget to join our Reddit page and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.