A unique aspect of Japanese architecture turned out to be a key reason the Like a Dragon games can reuse assets so effectively—and deliver more compact, memorable open worlds than western cities
Spend enough time running errands and beating up thugs in the Like a Dragon (née Yakuza) series, and you'll likely be able to find your way around Tokyo's real-life red light district, Kabukichō—that's how close to the real thing Sega got with its fictional recreation of Kamurochō. Over some 20 years of games Sega has famously reused big chunks of the Kamurochō map, allowing its developers to crank out new Like a Dragon games at a rapid pace while focusing their efforts on creating new assets where they'll make the biggest impact...
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