Yakuza 4 to Arrive in the West Next Spring

Yakuza 4 will finally be released in the West, as the successful launch in Japan, where it sold around 560,000 units, prompted Sega to create a localized version of the game for Europe and North America. The Western version will hit the store shelves sometime in the first quarter of 2011, exclusively for the PlayStation 3. This is a direct sequel to Yakuza 3 and will continue the adventures of the original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu.

This time around, Kazuma is joined by three other characters: Shun Akiyama, a loan shark, Masayoshi Tanimura, a young detective, and Taiga Saejima, a recently escaped prison convict. Players will be allowed to control all of these characters throughout the game's fictional city setting, Kamurocho. A new addition to the series is the ability to explore the rooftops, the sewers, the malls, according to each of the characters' background.

Moreover, each of the four protagonists of Yakuza 4 will have their own combat style attuned to their personalities. Taiga will rely on his massive strength, Shun is agile and fast and Masayoshi is a very tactical fighter and can arrest his enemies, while Kazuma will play like usual. New forms of enemy encounters have also been added, one of them being fast, on-foot chases that can happen on rooftops and on the streets.

Many new mini-games are also included, like pachinko, harbor fishing, table tennis, onsen bath, and others. Western fans should be warned that some of the more eccentric activities might be removed by Sega in the North American and European versions. The Yakuza series is known for its interesting mix of very different gameplay mechanics and stories akin to those of Japanese yakuza films. At its core, it is an accessible fighting game in which players can use different weapons. It also includes an adventure mode that lets them engage in various distractions, like seducing women, collecting items and other such activities that are meant to reproduce the nightlife of today's Tokyo.