Games by RGG Studio
Sep. 17th, 2022 06:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tranquilitealAn attempt to organize all of the titles from RGG Studio. Hopefully this will also clarify any questions gift exchange mods may have about the games and how each game relates to one another. Clicking on the year will take you to the game's respective Wiki page.
Introduction
Ryu Ga Gotoku, or simply RGG, is a franchise developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and produced by Sega. It's a franchise that primarily revolves around a fictionalized version of modern-day Japan. Kamurocho (based on real world Kabukicho) is the main setting for many of the games. Multiple canons, thus different sets of stories may take place in Kamurocho but are separated from one another (as in, the characters never encounter one another) or set elsewhere in Japan, or may even be set in a different time period.
In short, a fan may be familiar with one of the games listed under one canon but not one under a different canon.
RGG the Games vs RGG the Brand
Ryu Ga Gotoku, where the game studio gets their name (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, or RGG Studio) is literally translated into English as "Like a Dragon." Ryu Ga Gotoku is the name of the franchise in the East. It's also the name of the studio and hence the brand name (think of it as Disney). It's not unheard of for fans to say they are an RGG fan or they in the RGG fandom in the same sense as one might say they are a Disney fan.
Because fans will use the term RGG to mean either the games, fandom, franchise, or studio interchangeably, it can get confusing for people outside the fandom. I'll try to be as clear as possible here. Likewise, fans may use RGG and Yakuza interchangeably. While RGG encompasses a wide range of canons, Yakuza in the West refers to one canon in particular. I'll again try to be as clear as possible.
Because the brand's name is RGG, the term "Ryu Ga Gotoku/Like a Dragon" appears in multiple titles even if the canons themselves are not related. In fact, in one case the "Ga Gotoku/Like a" portion was used in the title of a collaborative game between RGG Studio and Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. "Hokuto ga Gotoku" literally translates to "Like a North Star" or "Like the Big Dipper" but the name is officially known in the West as "Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise" as it follows the story of the animanga Fist of the North Star. RGG had named the game as such to show that they had worked on the game.
Why are the games known as Yakuza in the West?
When the very first game (Ryu Ga Gotoku 1, in the West known as Yakuza 1) was given an English localization, the marketing team had worried "Like a Dragon" might not attract Western fans, so they settled on the title Yakuza since the story revolved around the yakuza. This naming remained until the announcement of Like a Dragon 8 (Sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, aka Yakuza 7), which worked out because the two major yakuza clans disband in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Quick Links:
NOTES:
* Remakes, or Kiwami, versions of the game exists, and are the more widely available and well known versions. Contain more side content and some changes to the main story.
** Majima Saga was an extra game whose chapters were unlocked during the progression of Kiwami 2. Three chapters total, the entire game is contained within Kiwami 2 and is not a separate game that can be purchased separately (unlike The Kaito Files).
*** Remastered editions of the games that were later released. Some changes to side content. More widely available and well known version of the games.
**** Yakuza: Like a Dragon is considered a soft reboot of the series in that the main protagonist changed as well as the shift of focus in the story. Said new MC has his own inner circle of friends, and the previous characters only make brief appearances. There has been debate if Y:LAD is considered its own canon, but personally after the announcement of LAD8 (and the teasers we got from that), as well as the existence of Gaiden, I feel Y:LAD is connected with the entire mainline to form one continuous story.
Lastly, note that the Western title shifts from Yakuza to Like a Dragon, as the story shifts away from the yakuza during Y:LAD.
NOTES:
* Available as a DLC and set shortly after Lost Judgment. Unlike the Majima Saga, you purchase this 4-chaptered game separately, but you still access this game from Lost Judgment's screen.
NOTE:
This game also has a short three-volume manga mini series which covers events during the early chapters of the first game.
NOTES:
Ishin (2014) was never localized to the West. A remake (known as Ishin Kiwami in the East, Like a Dragon: Ishin! in the West (2023) is set for a worldwide release in 2023. Like the Kiwami versions for Yakuza 1 and Yakuza 2, there will be changes to the main story, improved gameplay and graphics, and additional side content. Additionally, several characters have been recast with characters introduced to the Yakuza franchise after 2014.
NOTES:
Never localized for the West although fans have done fan translations. Remains to be seen if the game will be localized, as given some of the subject matter has made RGG Studio hesitant to release it to the West, but here's hoping the success of Ishin will encourage a Kenzan release!
NOTES:
* There is a free DLC where a player can change out the character skin for characters from the RGG/Yakuza franchise such as Kiryu, Majima, Akiyama, and Goda, but it's not enough to consider this a "Yakuza game" in the same vein as Fist of the North Star as Binary Domain doesn't share gameplay and mechanics with any other Yakuza game.
Introduction
Ryu Ga Gotoku, or simply RGG, is a franchise developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and produced by Sega. It's a franchise that primarily revolves around a fictionalized version of modern-day Japan. Kamurocho (based on real world Kabukicho) is the main setting for many of the games. Multiple canons, thus different sets of stories may take place in Kamurocho but are separated from one another (as in, the characters never encounter one another) or set elsewhere in Japan, or may even be set in a different time period.
In short, a fan may be familiar with one of the games listed under one canon but not one under a different canon.
RGG the Games vs RGG the Brand
Ryu Ga Gotoku, where the game studio gets their name (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, or RGG Studio) is literally translated into English as "Like a Dragon." Ryu Ga Gotoku is the name of the franchise in the East. It's also the name of the studio and hence the brand name (think of it as Disney). It's not unheard of for fans to say they are an RGG fan or they in the RGG fandom in the same sense as one might say they are a Disney fan.
Because fans will use the term RGG to mean either the games, fandom, franchise, or studio interchangeably, it can get confusing for people outside the fandom. I'll try to be as clear as possible here. Likewise, fans may use RGG and Yakuza interchangeably. While RGG encompasses a wide range of canons, Yakuza in the West refers to one canon in particular. I'll again try to be as clear as possible.
Because the brand's name is RGG, the term "Ryu Ga Gotoku/Like a Dragon" appears in multiple titles even if the canons themselves are not related. In fact, in one case the "Ga Gotoku/Like a" portion was used in the title of a collaborative game between RGG Studio and Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. "Hokuto ga Gotoku" literally translates to "Like a North Star" or "Like the Big Dipper" but the name is officially known in the West as "Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise" as it follows the story of the animanga Fist of the North Star. RGG had named the game as such to show that they had worked on the game.
Why are the games known as Yakuza in the West?
When the very first game (Ryu Ga Gotoku 1, in the West known as Yakuza 1) was given an English localization, the marketing team had worried "Like a Dragon" might not attract Western fans, so they settled on the title Yakuza since the story revolved around the yakuza. This naming remained until the announcement of Like a Dragon 8 (Sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, aka Yakuza 7), which worked out because the two major yakuza clans disband in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Quick Links:
龍が如く | RYUU GA GOTOKU | YAKUZA (VIDEO GAMES)
The mainline games. The longest running game series from RGG Studio starting with Yakuza 1 in 2005. All of the other canons will be defined by their relationship to the mainline games. - ▸ Yakuza 0 (2015)
▸ Yakuza 1 (2005) / ▸ Yakuza Kiwami (2016) *
▸ Yakuza 2 (2006) / ▸ Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017) *
- ▹ Majima Saga**
▸ Yakuza 4 (2010) / ▸ Yakuza 4 Remastered (2019) ***
▸ Yakuza 5 (2012) / ▸ Yakuza 5 Remastered (2019) ***
▸ Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)
▸ Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)****
▸ Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)
▸ Like a Dragon 8 (2024)
NOTES:
* Remakes, or Kiwami, versions of the game exists, and are the more widely available and well known versions. Contain more side content and some changes to the main story.
** Majima Saga was an extra game whose chapters were unlocked during the progression of Kiwami 2. Three chapters total, the entire game is contained within Kiwami 2 and is not a separate game that can be purchased separately (unlike The Kaito Files).
*** Remastered editions of the games that were later released. Some changes to side content. More widely available and well known version of the games.
**** Yakuza: Like a Dragon is considered a soft reboot of the series in that the main protagonist changed as well as the shift of focus in the story. Said new MC has his own inner circle of friends, and the previous characters only make brief appearances. There has been debate if Y:LAD is considered its own canon, but personally after the announcement of LAD8 (and the teasers we got from that), as well as the existence of Gaiden, I feel Y:LAD is connected with the entire mainline to form one continuous story.
Lastly, note that the Western title shifts from Yakuza to Like a Dragon, as the story shifts away from the yakuza during Y:LAD.
JUDGE EYES | JUDGMENT (VIDEO GAMES)
Spin off series revolving around a completely separate new and different cast of characters. The player still explores Kamurocho (and Yokohama in the second game), and the story is set in the same time period, and the same yakuza clans are name dropped (Tojo and Omi), but we don't meet anyone from the mainline games. This is a canon that stands on its own and has its own ecosystem; you do not need to be familiar with the mainline games to understand this series. NOTES:
* Available as a DLC and set shortly after Lost Judgment. Unlike the Majima Saga, you purchase this 4-chaptered game separately, but you still access this game from Lost Judgment's screen.
クロヒョウ龍が如く | KUROHYOU RYŪ GA GOTOKU | BLACK PANTHER: LIKE A DRAGON (VIDEO GAME)
Another spinoff, this short series is older than Judgment and was originally for the PSP only. Follows a completely different set of characters with a much younger protagonist. You're neither an (ex-)yakuza nor a detective but a punk kid with a passion for boxing here. The characters never appear in any of the other games, nor does any character ever refer to them in future RGG games. Currently only fan localizations of the game exist if you're looking to play in English, and the game can be played via an emulator. NOTE:
This game also has a short three-volume manga mini series which covers events during the early chapters of the first game.
龍が如く 維新！| RYUU GA GOTOKU | YAKUZA ISHIN (VIDEO GAME)
Think of this spin off as a historical AU in which the mainline characters are recast as figures from history (e.g. Yakuza's Kiryu plays the role of real world's Ryoma Sakamoto.) The time period is set in 1800s during late Edo period. NOTES:
Ishin (2014) was never localized to the West. A remake (known as Ishin Kiwami in the East, Like a Dragon: Ishin! in the West (2023) is set for a worldwide release in 2023. Like the Kiwami versions for Yakuza 1 and Yakuza 2, there will be changes to the main story, improved gameplay and graphics, and additional side content. Additionally, several characters have been recast with characters introduced to the Yakuza franchise after 2014.
龍が如く 見参！| RYUU GA GOTOKU KENZAN! | YAKUZA KENZAN (VIDEO GAME)
Another historical AU spin off in which the cast of the mainline series play as historical figures, this time set during the 1600s. ▸ Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (2008)
NOTES:
Never localized for the West although fans have done fan translations. Remains to be seen if the game will be localized, as given some of the subject matter has made RGG Studio hesitant to release it to the West, but here's hoping the success of Ishin will encourage a Kenzan release!
龍が如く オブ ジ エンド | RYUU GA GOTOKU OF THE END | YAKUZA DEAD SOULS (VIDEO GAME)
Think of this spin off as zombie apocalypse AU. Kamurocho finds itself in the midst of a zombie outbreak. Some new characters are introduced who otherwise are never seen again in the mainline series nor in any of the other spinoffs. Likewise, references to the events in this game are never mentioned in any of the later mainline games. The villains are uniquely set in that world, and to round it all off, the sci-fi/fantasy element what with the zombie disease makes this game stand apart from the rest of the relatively mundane world of the mainline series. The gameplay and mechanics is mainly third person shooter. ▸ Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)
龍が如く ONLINE | RYUU GA GOTOKU ONLINE
Or more simply named RGGO, is an online free-to-play collectible card game spin-off of the mainline games. No translations for English, and there are debates among fans on whether the information revealed in the game can be considered canon (for example: characters interact with others who maybe be canonically dead in the mainline series.) ▸ RGG Online (2018)
北斗が如く | HOKUTO GA GOTOKU | FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: LOST PARADISE (VIDEO GAME)
Collaborative work between RGG Studio and Buronson and Tetsuo Hara, the creators of Fist of the North Star. The game features mechanics and gameplay of the Yakuza games in addition to some cameos from the mainline series (mostly obscure or side characters). Many voice actors from the mainline games voiced characters in this game. The story itself is a reboot of the original Fist of the North Star series. Despite it being based on Fist of the North Star, it's very much a Yakuza game in spirit, hence its placement here separate from Binary Domain and Monkey Ball. ▸ Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018)
MISCELLANEOUS: YAKUZA GAMES
Games either developed by RGG Studio, Sega, and/or in collaboration with another studio. The criteria is if the game heavily features characters from the RGG franchise beyond just being a character skin, they go here. ▸ Project X Zone 2 (2015)*
▸ Streets of Kamurocho (2020)**
▸ Ryu ga Gotoku Mobile for GREE (2011)*** | ▸ Ryu ga Gotoku Kizuna (2012)***
NOTES:
* Crossover project featuring multiple characters across a wide range of franchises. Kiryu and Majima team up.
** Was a promotional freeware and mashup of Streets of Rage 2 and the Yakuza series. Released in 2020 on Steam to commemorate SEGA's 60 years.
*** Now defunct mobile card battle game.
MISCELLANEOUS: RGG STUDIO'S OTHER WORKS
For 100% completion, I figured I would also list all other projects RGG Studio has worked on that is not related to the whole Yakuza/Judgment/Kurohyou scope of games.▸ Binary Domain (2012)*
▸ Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (2019)
▸ Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (2021)
▸ Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (2021)
NOTES:
* There is a free DLC where a player can change out the character skin for characters from the RGG/Yakuza franchise such as Kiryu, Majima, Akiyama, and Goda, but it's not enough to consider this a "Yakuza game" in the same vein as Fist of the North Star as Binary Domain doesn't share gameplay and mechanics with any other Yakuza game.
MISCELLANEOUS: LIVE ACTION
Movies and stage plays. Just to make note of these's existence.