The next game from Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi will be more like a Quentin Tarantino movie – violent, but with some humor in it.
Speaking with German publication 4Players, the Japanese developer commented on what we should expect to see in his next game, the first one after splitting with SEGA last year. The game, which has yet to be formally announced, will be more like a Quentin Tarantino movie, featuring violence as a gameplay element but plenty of humor. Something that is only violent doesn’t suit Nagoshi’s tastes too much, as fans of the Yakuza series already know:
4Players: Let’s get right to it: What passion of yours will we meet in Nagoshi Studio’s first game?
Toshihiro Nagoshi: Of course I can’t reveal too much about our game yet, but I can give a rough idea: It will definitely include violence as a game element, but I don’t want to go too much in the direction of thriller or even horror. I want my game to be more like a Quentin Tarantino movie – so there may be some humor in it. Something that is only intimidating or only bloody and brutal doesn’t suit my taste – I want a human touch, some silliness and some seriousness, that’s what I’m in the mood for at the moment.
Apparently, it won’t take much longer to finally see the game in action, as Nagoshi is not someone who can hold back for a long time:
4Players: And when will we get to see the first snippet of when the first Nagoshi Studio game will be revealed?
Toshihiro Nagoshi: I’ll have to be vague again. But it’s like this: When I have an idea and feel like implementing it – it soon bubbles out of me. I’m not the type who can hold something like that back for a long time. So you probably won’t have to wait too much longer…. Or rather: I think I’ll go public with it much sooner than other developers would!
In the same interview, the Yakuza series creator commented on his split with SEGA after over 30 years, saying that he wanted to continue making games, and saw better opportunities by starting his own company.
4Players: Before you were at Sega for over 30 years, a hell of a long time. How did you finally decide to turn over a new leaf?
Toshihiro Nagoshi: Especially in the last few years, I had reached the top management level of Sega. And I told the current owner, “Guys, I don’t want to be the CEO of Sega here.” I’m a gamer and a game maker, I want to push my career in that direction as well. Eventually, I came to the point that I saw better prospects for that if I started my own company and just didn’t stay with Sega. And at the same time, Sega can now develop someone into a future CEO. So I think the interests of both sides, Sega’s and mine, are best served. At the same time, this leads to a continued very friendly relationship with Sega, even after I quit there.
One of the latest projects led by Toshihiro Nagoshi at SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotokuo Studio was Lost Judgment, released last year on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The game is an excellent sequel to the first Judgment and perfectly scratches the itch for brawler combat following the jump to turn-based combat of the main series with Yakuza: Like a Dragon:
With its excellent detective story, extremely likable characters, and welcome improvements to combat and investigation mechanics, Lost Judgment won’t disappoint any fan of the original, of the Yakuza series, or anyone looking for a very mature story. The game doesn’t try to shake up the original formula, which may definitely put some players off, but this is hardly a problem when quality is as high as it is in the latest game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
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