Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is arriving this week and Sega is celebrating the occasion by releasing a series of live-action trailers that explore the legend of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.
As an interesting twist, we’re not seeing this legend from the perspective a random narrator or even Kazuma Kiryu himself. Rather, we’re seeing them through the eyes of other characters that Kiryu has helped out throughout the course of his six-game adventure.
Here is what Sega senior PR manager Jacob Nahin had to say about the series:
“In this series, we catch up with each of these characters as they remember the time they crossed paths with the Dragon, who not only put himself in harm’s way to save them from danger, but also demonstrated a generosity and resolve that changed their lives for years to come.”
This is a rather clever way to go about things because Kiryu has done quite a lot over the years as the Dragon of Dojima, and though he is infamous around Kamurocho, the way he is remembered varies wildly from person to person. For some he’s the guy who selflessly helped them despite having no incentive to do so, while for others he’s the guy that ruthlessly beat them down in the middle of the street.
In this instance we’re offered the perspectives of Tatsu, Yuina, and Haruka from the substories ‘Prodigal Son,’ (Yakuza: Kiwami), ‘The Bouncer’ (Yakuza: Kiwami), and ‘Another Haruka’ (Yakuza 5).
Check them out below (each was filmed on-location to offer an added sense of authenticity):
Chapter 1: The Bouncer
Yuina, a respected club owner, deals with an unruly customer as she recalls the time she met Kiryu.
Chapter 2: Another Haruka
Haruka takes us back in time through the streets and playgrounds of the neighborhood she grew up in.
Chapter 3: Prodigal Son
Tatsu pieces together tattered memories while wandering the streets of the business district he calls home.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is available now for the PlayStation 4 in Japan, and will launch on April 17 in the Americas and Europe. Check out our review here.
