Sad read, must’ve been a tough role to do but I hope a cathartic one
- Denfa Minico Gamer (2026-10-06) news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/26...
Masu ⚔️✨ RGG Wiki 会長 & Niche Reporter
@04tenno.bsky.social
139 followers 63 following 311 posts
Masu・He/Him Chairman of the official Yakuza/Like a Dragon Wiki and niche reporter RGG Art/News/Translations TUE-THU・QRTs🆗・日本語🆗 04tenno.straw.page
![A photo of Yu Shirota, accompanied by screenshot of his character Makoto Daito in Stranger Than Heaven being turned away at a cafe and a translated excerpt from an interview with Shirota published by Denfa Minico Gamer on 2026-10-06:
"Growing up in Barcelona, and even when I came back to Japan, I went through exactly what Daito did. There’s more awareness around being mixed or coming from diverse national backgrounds now, but thirty years ago […] my siblings and I were the only half-Japanese kids at school. […] So I was seen as “different.” […] I lived in Barcelona with the mindset of ‘I’m Spanish too,’ but the way others treated me was just like Daito. So after I was shown some of the script, […] I felt no need to study for the role. Reading of Daito and Shinjo’s hardships and pain felt like, ‘Oh, I know how that feels.’ It was honestly like I didn’t even have to use my imagination to step into his shoes. ”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreiaw4zl6rktusgjcnb6xpiamcvnmnuxmic6aobl3o63n3ktgfcndcy)
![A collage of Stranger Than Heaven’s five eras, each with their own palette, accompanied by a combined excerpt from interviews with art director Daishi Kanaya published by Famitsu on 2026-09-20 and Ungeek on 2026-09-22:
"We looked into old Western art of the time and found out […] fewer colors of paint could be mixed back then, limiting palettes. So we figured, why not limit [each era’s] palette to the basic tones often traditionally used in that period? [Ungeek: ‘Kanaya says that he was very inspired by a lot of Japanese artists at the time.’] For example, [when they drew] sunlight, it was […] very, very bright. But when it [rained, it was very dim, with low visibility, like in mist]. And so [the inspiration isn’t] really like, the photorealistic side of things—it’s more [artistic].”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreiczozvce4pkqjhj4hl4wngxrejn7zq7pgji57uekptocv3ze2kfmi)
![A shot of Makoto Daito fighting a large enemy in Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by a translated excerpt from a Hiroyuki Sakamoto interview on Famitsu published 2026-09-10:
“We plan to have difficulty settings for the whole game [so ‘everyone can see the ending’]. [Before: I want to preserve the nuances—tough enemies stay tough, and immersion in battle comes with deep focus. And we’re tuning the tempo of blowing through weaker guys to have the exhilerating feel we want.] [But we] want to give players who aren’t good with action games a chance. We also plan to implement beginner-friendly relief measures. It’s up to the player to use them or not, but we want a broad entry point from which they can get used to the default controls bit by bit.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreiethkjvwom456cezfqrihtz36xdqt5r7i4xjmixvumldpmzu33hj4)
![A shot of Makoto Daito threatening an enemy with a dagger in Stranger Than Heaven with options to “show him mercy” or “show him no mercy” accompanied by translated excerpts from a Hiroyuki Sakamoto and Masayoshi Yokoyama interview in the RGGTV Special on 2026-05-07:
Sakamoto: “So far we’ve only had dialogue options, but we’ve been wanting [choices to have real consequences] for a while now. The ‘kill or let live’ choice from the trailer—well, it’s a game [with] five eras, right? […] That choice is something that will have an impact later. We wanted to add those side elements […] that could be enjoyed longer-term in the game.”
Yokoyama: “Well, there won’t be multiple endings or anything. And the main story itself is 100% linear, no branching. RGG Studio’s titles—at least mine—will probably never have that.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreibspz3w77peyry3ruwnt7hbl2mcnjqxc7d3mqrq2hyzm2v7yqtz2a)
![A collage of colorful shots of 1915 Kokura, 1929 Kure, 1943 Minami, 1951 Atami, and 1965 Shinjuku from Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by translated excerptss from from Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews in the RGGTV Special on 2026-05-07:
“The RGB channels went haywire and the green channel’s strength and contrast were messed up. [Designers were apologizing during one of my early checks], and it was a bug, but I said, ‘Huh, but it’s kinda cool? Just could be tiring to look at the whole time.’ Then by next week’s check it was fixed, but looked super plain. I [asked to see the glitched image again], and they told me [the Dragon Engine] couldn’t revert [to bugged states]. (laughs) They had to diligently recreate it from memory for the first teaser. […] That’s the look I wanted for Kokura. […] though the colors [among] other things change between eras.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreidlcejvxyadttxsuhe2m3cn66susidf2e6gyfgay6ci7mbtpox3x4)
![A shot of ‘60s Kamurocho at night in Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by translated excerptss from from Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews in the RGGTV Special on 2026-05-07 and Nikkei Cross Trend on 2026-03-03:
The RGGTV excerpt reads: “[Stranger Than Heaven’s] first visuals were super photorealistic. Like in Unreal, or… [not] naming names, but like all these games we’re seeing lately. You watch these world premieres and they all paint the same pretty picture. Great graphics, but I was just like, ‘Where’s our individuality?’
The Nikkei Cross Trend excerpt reads: “Our aim isn’t simply to copy reality. It’s to convey the feel, atmosphere, and “coolness” only [we] can. Just like how anime is loved precisely because it doesn’t translate to reality, we want to [keep crafting] worlds you can take one look at and say, ‘That’s RGG.’ ”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreiahs2tzgzp5vyq7nc4htenuqulsx3b7igrytzfgxu3p6k42rauhgq)
![A shot of Goro Majima using the Breaker style in Yakuza 0 and Makoto Daito punching someone in Stranger Than Heaven from Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews with Gamer.ne and GameWith published 2026-06-23 and BFM published 2026-06-13":
“My dream was to create the ultimate boxing game and the ultimate dancing game. Don’t dancing games always seem to end up as rhythm games? [In my vision] you could freestyle windmills and moonwalks with just the controller, but that probably won’t ever be doable. […] Still, part of that dream was realized through Majima’s Breaker style in Yakuza 0. I digress, but […] I thought the "controls themselves are fun" idea fit Stranger Than Heaven well, so I carried [the scrapped boxing sim mechanics and certain combat sequences] over.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreic5spuy3ho6qyycgyummdcfouvnkcyj2q6yz3jytl4t7z22kla4lq)
![A shot of Makoto Daito downed and shielding himself from being punched by an enemy on top of him accompanied by excerpts from Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews on Famitsu, 4Gamer, Gamer.ne, and GameWith, all published 2026-06-23:
“The point isn’t whether it’s hard or not. We just paid no mind at all to whether RGG players could enjoy [Stranger Than Heaven] with the same controls.[The point is] how [best] to express the protagonist’s character and world through action. […] Back then, if you were seriously hurt, there was no saving you. We wanted to drive home that kill-or-be-killed dread [so you’d feel] the weight of trading blows and taking a life with your own hands at your fingertips.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreig2rlgf7axkseupdgvg3y4ly2hwotk32t247dy2j57yujnsyxdcle)
![A shot of Makoto Daito downed and impaled with a katana by a crazed enemy accompanied by excerpts from Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews on 4Gamer and Gamer.ne as well an excerpt from Automaton, all published 2026-06-23:
The Yokoyama excerpt reads: “If the whole game were as hard [as we made the demo to teach players], it’d be 300–400 hours long (laughs).[…] We’re still tuning [accessibility and such based on feedback] to accommodate all kinds of people too. That said, we don’t intend to make it so just anyone can mindlessly buttonmash through it. I think creators worldwide struggle with this: ‘How can you craft a story best appreciated as a game?’ When you and the character you control become one, the more hardships you overcome together, the more you’re moved. That’s what’s so great about games to me.”
The Automaton excerpt reads: “Per the devs, ‘The [demo’s] clear rate up to Advanced is ~80%.’ ”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreih5l4oot6o32rxryozi5yyuuc76g4sawaygdqhvyidulsgpmacfea)
![The covers of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut accompanied by an excerpt of a CBR interview with Marc Hawes, the voice director for those games:
“Of course, there are things [that don’t translate], and where the voices sit and [such]… I think [the crux of it is] the story and making sure that the characters are true. There's truthfulness behind those characters, and it's a believable truthfulness. […] Often, what we do is [get a sense of the character from] the Japanese performance. […] Then [let] the actor to go either direction. We'd be like, ‘Great, give me two different variations of that line.’ Then I listen to the Japanese performance and [decide which to use based on] the stakes.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreicbakruuur35ygw3g2fqujkft7ef4rxsb6bb2dhzjworpt3htg7l4)
![The cover art for Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Stranger than Heaven, accompanied by excerpts from a Masayoshi Yokoyama interviews conducted on 4Gamer, Famitsu, Gamer on 2026-06-23 and the RGGTV Special on 2026-05-07:
“I actually mulled over the story [*Stranger Than Heaven*] is based on for six, seven years. I had plenty of time [to think], and its current state really began taking shape four to five years ago. It was a little while after *Yakuza: Like a Dragon* came out that I started to feel like, ‘Maybe this is how it goes.’ The original draft was mine, and start to present, it’s been two to three years of hard work.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreif7geczmacttk3lkfcpk6wxulif74ea2j54mnje7wcxkofk5lwlre)
![The cover of Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by an excerpt translated by “C” from a Masayoshi Yokoyama interview conducted by Melinda Davan-Soulas for BFM on 2026-06-13:
“[Yokoyama] readily admits that he has sometimes used and abused the success of *Like a Dragon* as a [crutch/safety net]. ‘To be honest, it’s because we lacked the courage to start a new IP based solely on a concept and its own gameplay system. If the title didn’t say *Like a Dragon*, we’d fear missing out on that notoriety. […] It’s pure marketing.’ After 20 years on a well-trod path, RGG realised they could trust in their vision and start over from zero [with the freedom and confidence] to “satisfy [them] as both creators and players.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreihh2sxohwps4ydq7ijzxh6vwomjwefntyxa4yhzulxvhp7uuywae4)
![Shots of Makoto Daito and Akio Otsuka’s Heigo Yashima in Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by an excerpt from a Masayoshi Yokoyama and Hiroyuki Sakamoto interview conducted in an RGGTV special on 2026-05-07:
Yokoyama: “[Japanese] is tough for [Daito] at first, and […] he picks up accents, some Hiroshima, things like that—we wanted to convey that properly. The nuances would be lost if the game got dubbed entirely into English or some other language. That’s why it’s all one voice track. Which we cast around, but [...] Akio [Otsuka]-san’s character [does business] and so speaks English, and we told him, ‘Just do your best!’ Japanese English was fine. [...] We decided what would be in English or Japanese based on what sounded natural.”
Sakamoto: “There were actually a lot of revisions and corrections made during recording. The talents were geniuses.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreihs63rpvlypmost2ahw4et52arkyg5i77pofqbcsrcxgmmjkfragi)
![A shot of Genzo Iwaki in Stranger Than Heaven accompanied by an excerpt from a Masayoshi Yokoyama interview conducted in an RGGTV special on 2026-05-07:
"The role does suit [Bunta Sugawara], but also… I couldn’t picture asking any actor of today to play it. I thought of doing an original character, but happened to connect with Toei. […] They gave me the chance to discuss it with his wife and daughter, who not only accepted but readily approved, […] saying, ‘If you’re gonna do it, give it your all! [Run wild without holding back.]’ […] Our character designer was able to [capture him across eras based on Toei’s archives.] Then there was Takashi Ukaji, Bunta-san’s assistant [recommended by Sugawara’s] wife to voice him, and Yasukaze Motomiya who introduced us. […] He diligently acted out [Sugawara’s voice changes over the years], too.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:miwrulrgrudgnchcqgcpxgth/bafkreickpzvyktnes7eywe7ntl5irmtrf2phbuqmee4yystj644oerhe2m)
