SEGA announced today that it will finally be bringing Yakuza 5 to North America and Europe in 2015, marking the impending end of a lengthy wait for the series’ western fans.
A direct sequel to Yakuza 4, the title once again places gamers into the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu. Now a taxi driver in the city of Fukuoka, Kiryu is joined by four additional protagonists, and once again, they will be forced to confront and deal with the seedy Yakuza underworld of Japan.
Yakuza 5 boasts the best graphics seen in the series, as SEGA has greatly enhanced the detail seen in each of the five major cities that players will visit during their time in the game. The sequel also features a modified battle engine, enhanced interaction in the series’ trademark hostess bars, additional mini-games and a series of side missions that focus on each of the playable protagonists.
John Cheng, COO and President of SEGA of America, spoke further on the decision to finally bring Yakuza 5 to the west.
The world of the Yakuza series has fascinated gamers in Japan and the West for many years. We know fans have been eagerly awaiting a release of Yakuza 5 here and we are thrilled to finally launch this spectacular entry in the series in North America and Europe.
In addition to this news, SEGA also announced that both Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls are now available for download through the PlayStation Network. Both titles currently carry a cost of $19.99, and can be downloaded on the PlayStation 3.
We will continue to have coverage of the impending release of Yakuza 5 in North America and Europe in the coming months, so stay tuned.