Sega held its Yakuza Studio New Titles Presentation earlier today, showing off Yakuza fans what they can expect from the series in the future. And, to be honest, that future looks amazing. Three upcoming titles were unveiled, and while a new direct sequel for Yakuza 6 wasn’t revealed, what was revealed — Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza Online and Hokuto Ga Gotoku — all look incredible and will likely be a huge hit with fans when they arrive.
Here’s a recap of everything that was revealed:
Yakuza Kiwami 2
The first new title to be unveiled at the Yakuza Studio New Titles Presentation was Yakuza Kiwami 2, though the reveal wasn’t too surprising as it was already leaked via the Taiwanese PlayStation Store.
As expected, Kiwami 2 is a remake of the original Yakuza 2 on the PlayStation 2 and will run using the latest iteration of the Dragon Engine which powers Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Furthermore, just like with Kiwami, Kiwami 2 will feature enhanced visuals and audio, as well as updates to its gameplay and side activities. One thing of note, however, is that the current form of the Dragon Engine is capped at 30 fps so don’t expect the same level of smoothness that you’ll get from Kiwami.
Additionally, Kiwami 2 will feature an an all-new scenario, titled “Truth of Majima Goro,” featuring Goro Majima as a playable character.
Lastly, the game will include a wide variety of never before told stories, and completely new voice actor castings, including Hakuryu as Ryo Takashima, Susumu Terajima as Jiro Kawara, Houka Kinoshita as Wataru Kurahashi, and Yuichi Kimura as Tsutomu Bessho.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is slated to arrive in Japan and Asia for PS4 on Dec. 7, 2017.
Check out the reveal trailer below:
Yakuza Online
The second title to be announced during the event was Yakuza Online, dubbed by Sega as the first entry in its “New Yakuza Project” series and will be a free-to-play title with item-based micro-transactions.
Yakuza Online (and New Yakuza Project) is set in Kamurocho following the events of Yakuza 6. While we don’t know the specifics, we’ve been told that Kamurocho is in a state of decline and control of the city has been wrested away the Tojo Clan and is now under the control of the Omi Alliance and the police following a conspiracy in 2018.
As this is a new project, Sega saw it fit to introduce a new character named Kasuga Ichiban, former lieutenant of the Arakawa family of the Tojo Clan, who seeks to free the city from its captors and help it regain its former luster.
Those who might not be too fond of a new protagonist will be happy to know that his story is very similar to Kazuma Kiryu’s. Just like Kiryu, Kasuga doesn’t know his birth parents and joined the Yakuza in order to follow in the footsteps of his benefactor. Furthermore, both have served time in prison due to covering for someone else’s crime and will quickly find themselves in the midst of a conspiracy in a changed world upon his return. The only thing missing at this point is a close relationship with a child (ideally a girl) and he could probably ditch his name altogether and just refer to himself as Kazuma Kiryu 2.
Yakuza Online will launch for PC, iOS and Android in 2018, while no dates or platforms have been confirmed for New Yakuza Project on consoles.
Check out the reveal trailer below:
Hokuto Ga Gotoku
The third and final title to be announced during the event was Hokuto Ga Gotoku, which, rather than a Yakuza title or spin-off, is a game based off the popular anime and manga Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken).
Hokuto Ga Gotoku will star series protagonist Kenshiro, voiced by Yakuza‘s Kazuma Kiryu voice actor Takaya Kuroda, and feature a completely new story set in “Eden.”
Despite its name being Hokuto Ga Gotoku (an obvious reference to Ryu Ga Gotoku), series director Toshihiro Nagoshi promises that the game won’t be a pure copy-paste of the Yakuza series and have plenty of elements better fitting the Hokuto no Ken IP.
That said, there are still plenty aspects of the game that put in line with the Yakuza series. For example, the battle systems will be similar — though this one will be adapted to fit the setting — and many minigames that are familiar to Yakuza fans will also be included.
There aren’t many details beyond that, but more information has been promised when its showcased at Tokyo Game Show later this year.
Hokuto Ga Gotoku will release in Japan for PS4 in 2018.
Check out the reveal trailer below:
