Soon, the West Will Be Drowning in Yakuza

I’ve been posting about games announced at the PlayStation Experience keynote throughout this week, as there were a notable slew of them. Despite Naughty Dog’s games being a big attraction, though, my favorite standouts were the announcements of two Yakuza localizations for PS4 from Sega.

That’s primarily because of the sudden turnaround it marked, as the series’ fate outside Japan was in serious doubt only a few years ago. Yakuza 3 and 4 apparently performed well enough for Sega’s standards when they released in the west for PlayStation 3. It was Yakuza: Dead Souls (or Yakuza: Of the End in Japan), a non-canonical zombie shooter spinoff, that put the franchise in doubt. It contained some hallmarks that made each individual installment memorable for fans of the franchise, but they were surrounded by clumsy third-person shooting reminiscent of low-budget PS2 games. It wasn’t long after its release when Sega restructured, meaning it didn’t look good for Yakuza 5 regardless of how Dead Souls sold.

Impressively, Sega’s localizations improved when the company purchased Atlus in 2013, which also included western counterpart Atlus USA. It’s how Yakuza 5 came over after all, announced at the first PSX keynote in 2014. It didn’t arrive until three years after the Japanese version, and only on PlayStation Network, but that was a better alternative compared to it not coming at all. But we should have known Sega and Atlus had grander plans when they announced Yakuza 0 at last year’s PSX keynote before Yakuza 5 released.

Yakuza 0 won’t arrive until late-January, but that didn’t stop Sega from announcing two more Yakuza localizations at this year’s PSX. Yes, the constant emphasis on “two” is necessary.

The first title was Yakuza Kiwami for PS4. It’s a remake of the first game, whose visuals and gameplay elements have been redone with the graphics engine that powered 5 and 0. Those who’ve replayed the original title lately have commented on how it feels unpolished compared to later installments, likely because it was an experiment whose success was uncertain at the time. The gameplay in its progeny was more refined thanks to the first game selling well, but for its 10th anniversary, Sega wanted to update the title that kicked this moderately successful franchise off for those that enjoyed the original and others who wanted to experience the story for the first time. Those who plan on starting the franchise with 0 can leap right to this game if they enjoy it.

Interestingly, Sega won’t be giving 0 players much time to finish it, as they plan to release it sometime next summer. Given the quickness, it’s possible they’re reusing parts of the original translation, albeit with some refining. The first game was only available with the English dub in America, the only installment dubbed after it was deemed too costly for its successors thanks to its sales. Since Sega didn’t localize the Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Collection for PS3 and Wii U, this will be the first time the game will release in the west with Japanese voiceovers. Check out the first trailer to get a taste of it.

The second title? Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the newest mainline installment. That two Yakuza titles were confirmed for localization simultaneously was remarkable, but this also marks the first time a mainline title was announced for localization before releasing in Japan.

Yakuza 6 is being promoted as the final installment in protagonist Kazuma Kiryu’s long quest involving the inner workings of Japan’s yakuza. The trailer (part of the Kiwami one above) shows a Haruka that wanted to retire from the idol life she previously embraced, and return to her comparatively quiet life managing the Sunshine Orphanage. But that plan was ceased when a member of a rising yakuza clan wanted revenge on Kazuma and his adopted daughter, which started with Haruka being hit by a car. The target is the entire Tojo clan, and Kazuma is sucked into the underworld to defend them again. Kazuma’s been trying to leave the yakuza behind several times now, but they keep pulling him right back in.

Like previous installments, the game leaves plenty of time to engage in side activities and vices, which Sega of America leaves untouched in localizations these days. In addition to the always-reliable Kamurocho, players will also be able to explore a new setting called “Onomich,” a sleepy port town in Hiroshima Prefecture. Those locations look more realistic than before thanks to the new “Dragon Engine” the developers created for this title, and potentially future installments. Those vices, by the way, include going to arcades to play classic Sega games, including Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Out Run, Puyo Puyo, Super Hang-On, Space Harrier, and Fantasy Zone.

Unlike the last few titles, though, it appears Kazuma is the only playable character. They weren’t kidding when they said this would be the final installment for Kazuma’s arc, so it’s dedicated all to him. Yakuza 6 won’t release until early 2018 in the west, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on previous installments in the meantime. The game will, however, include recaps for those titles if you want to catch up quickly.

The announcement of two Yakuza games marked quite a turnaround for Sega compared to its status only two years ago, and we should continue to get them and other localizations in the future. Well, for as long as they keep making games like these, anyway.