The Exploits of the Yakuza

Though it took a while to arrive after being announced at last year’s PlayStation Experience, it’s still a miracle that Yakuza 5 released outside Japan, despite coming only through PlayStation Network. It’s easy for fans of previous installments to remember a time where future localizations for the franchise seemed hopeless, after Sega made drastic cuts to curtail big financial losses. But the game was commonly named by fans for a localization candidate for Sony’s Third-Party Productions, a program where the company would provide financial assistance for Japanese game localizations. They came through, as it released last Tuesday, shortly after this year’s PlayStation Experience.

While its release date was a sizable piece of news at the keynote, a bigger announcement came shortly afterward: Yakuza 0 is also coming. It came as a huge relief for those of us looking forward to it against our better judgment — including yours truly. Anyone familiar with how the wonderful world of Japanese game localizations works knows that companies almost always determine whether to localize a succeeding title on its predecessor’s sales. Clearly that wasn’t the case here, and it’s a smart decision. The Yakuza games already aren’t the highest sellers outside Japan, but sales expectations for Yakuza 5 were bound to be low, considering it’s a digital-only PlayStation 3-exclusive in late 2015.

Yakuza 0 takes place during the glorious year of 1988, meaning it predates other numbered installments (but not the historical ones, of course). It puts players in the shoes of familiar protagonists Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Maijima, who are 20 and 24 years old at this game’s time, respectively. Neither character is as erudite in the ways of the yakuza as their modern counterparts, but that goes double for Kazuma, who’s stumbling in life and waiting to fall into the next big opportunity. That’s a few steps below Goro, who’s working as a cabaret manager for a popular establishment.

Instead, this game is where they’ll become further involved with the yakuza, especially Kazuma, who gets caught up in a murder mystery which results in a debt collection going horribly awry. For a portion of the game’s story, he’ll be attempting to clear his name and restore the honor of his father figure, Shintaro Kazama.

The trailer shown at PlayStation Experience did a great job highlighting the themes it will tackle, and what Yakuza is all about. 0 may have less playable characters than recent mainline installments, but nonetheless includes Yakuza’s gameplay trademarks. And that’s coming with a retro late-80s flavor this time, with clothing styles, locations, and music to match. Here’s hoping they don’t run into any licensing issues, which I assume they’ve already cleared up.

Unlike Yakuza 5, this one is receiving a physical copy. But since not much of a market exists for PS3 software these days, Sega’s only localizing the PS4 version. Sadly, no release date was given, so expect it to arrive late in 2016.

Yakuza 0 released in Japan in March this year, so us English speakers are pretty behind. Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the first game with gameplay features, enhancements, and production values on par with modern installments for the franchise’s 10th anniversary, is gearing up for a Japanese release on January 21st. It’s why Sega has been marketing it heavily online since its Tokyo Game Show reveal, which has thus far involved some lengthy promotional videos. If you’re new to the franchise, keep in mind those were made for fans already intimately familiar with it’s story (especially the second one), because they blow the entire plot.

We could get Kiwami here if it’s easy for Sega to localize — and we really should, considering they skipped releasing the HD remasters of Yakuza 1 & 2 here for PS3. Otherwise, I could see them waiting for…

…Yakuza 6, which we’ve received very small drops of info for through interstitial streams since its TGS announcement. At the event, we learned it would be the first PS4-exclusive installment, and shortly afterward that Japanese celebrity Beat Takeshi would be featured in the game. They also confirmed that Kazuma would indeed return, for the, oh, three people who doubted he would appear here.

The Beat Takeshi showcase showed off its new graphics system, but it’s the newest trailer that really does the job. It also features Kazuma slithering through small alleyways, and leaping between rooftops like a superhero. Just when you thought the goofy stuff would be saved for later trailers.

Sega is planning to release Yakuza 6 next fall in Japan, meaning that, yes, they are crazy enough to release two Yakuza games in one year. I’d like to think the company will definitely bring this one over, given the graphics leap and being exclusive to a system selling considerably better outside Japan. Despite 5 and 0 coming, though, that’s no guarantee; but always hope for the best.

If you’re interested in the franchise, but have been hesitant to give it a shot thanks to not knowing where to start, 0 might be the best chance to jump in. After that, pray that Kiwami makes comes over, and hope a remake of the second game does the same if it happens. That is, assuming you want to play through every entry on a modern platform without resorting to piracy.

But maybe we should just pray the franchise has a future outside Japan at this point, but at least things appear more positive.