Yakuza

Here’s the story trailer for Yakuza 0 Like the era the game’s based in, it’s extravagant and loud. The prequel will be out in Japan next year, on PS3 and PS4.

The Upcoming Yakuza Prequel Is Looking Quite Good So Far

Sega has updated the character section at their official site for Yakuza 0, uploading a slew of new screenshots showing various side characters from the game. They’re all pretty impressive. There’s a few good ones below. You can find the rest over at the site Characters [Yakuza: Zero] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian…

The Yakuza Prequel Was a Long Time Coming

As previously reported, the new Yakuza game, Yakuza 0, has been announced. As you can probably guess from the number, it’s a prequel. Breaking the age-old video game rule that the third game in a series is always a prequel, Yakuza 0: The Promised Place (龍が如く0 誓いの場所) is the sixth numbered Yakuza game. The story…

Sega announced this morning in Japan that Yakuza Zero is the next title the Yakuza series, and it’s in development for PlayStation 3 and 4. There’s not much more info outside of a teaser website, but Sony promises to reveal more details at the Tokyo Game Show in September.

The Strangest Video Game Audition You Will Ever See

This is not hyperbole. I am being serious. The audition this gentleman gave for Sega’s upcoming Yakuza game is most unusual. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. But that seems to be the point, because this happened: And then this: This hopeful’s name is Habu. He’s actually a comedian in Japan—though,…

Yakuza 4: The Very Late Kotaku Review

In 2011, I started to review Yakuza 4 for this very website. Countless hours later, but with the game unfinished, my PS3 died, taking my save game with it. So I never ended up reviewing it. Today, I make amends for this. Last week, I found my copy tucked away on my collection shelf and,…

One Thing We Know About This New Sega Game: Porn Stars

Sega is making a new Yakuza game! Pretty much all we know is that it’s a Yakuza game, and it’s for the PS3 and PS4. You know what else we know? Porn stars. Yakuza is one of the biggest PlayStation exclusive franchises in Japan. These games are incredibly popular and feature big-name talent. More importantly,…

What Little We Know About The Next Yakuza Game

The next Yakuza game won’t be a spin-off like Yakuza Ishin! or Yakuza: Dead Souls, but the creators won’t commit to it being a numbered game. So, what the hell is it? Apparently, it’s for men. Ever-tan Yakuza series creator and executive director Toshihiro Nagoshi and series producer Masayoshi Yokowama spoke in vague terms in…

Yakuza 5 was released in Japan in December 2012. It is yet to see a release in the West. Sega, we are still waiting. Hurry up

Yakuza: Ishin! is Ridiculously Fun

The latest game in the Yakuza franchise is loads of fun. Seriously, after over 30 hours, I still haven’t had enough. Yakuza: Ishin!, much like one of the previous Yakuza games, Yakuza: Kenzan!, is not a direct sequel in the series, but instead takes the cast of the Yakuza series and places them in a…

The biggest selling PS4 game during the console’s first two days out in Japan? Famitsu reports that bundled game Knack “sold” 322,083 units, Yakuza: Restoration sold 73,086 units, Battlefield 4 sold 26,878 units, and Killzone Shadow Fall sold 25,978 units.

Here’s a Free Vita App That Lets You Try the New Yakuza Game

One thing that Japan will be getting for its PS4 launch that other countries didn’t/won’t is the latest Yakuza game, Yakuza Ishin!. And for those who can’t wait for the game, there’s a new free PS Vita app to let them experience some of the Yakuza Ishin! world, if not the story. Yakuza Ishin! Free…

Yakuza 5 was first released in Japan in December 2012. It is now January 2014 and there’s still no word on a Western release. Fix this, Sega!

Yakuza‘s Producer May Hate GTA, But He Certainly Respects It

Yakuza series producer Toshihiro Nagoshi has previously stated that he hates Grand Theft Auto. You wouldn’t think so when he was asked which one of last year’s games impressed him the most. Japanese gaming blog 4Gamer recently asked 151 game developers this question: “Of games released in 2013, what title impressed/amazed you the most?” Among…

Japanese Cats that Look Like Yakuza Are Frighteningly Cute

Some cats are cute. Some are ugly, but still cute. These cats look like Japanese gangsters. They are scary in the most adorable way possible. If you’ve ever seen any Japanese yakuza movies or have played any of Sega’s Yakuza games, then you probably know what the gangsters of the Japanese popular imagination look like.…

What Yakuza‘s Producer Hates about GTA

Hold on. Don’t start sending hate mail to Sega just yet. Let’s hear the man out. Yakuza series top man Toshihiro Nagoshi was at the Otemae University in Japan for a special lecture back in 2011. During that Q&A session a student asked him what he thought about the Call of Duty series. Nagoshi replied,…

The Best Cutscene This Generation Was A Shootout For The Ages

Let me tell you what I think makes a good cutscene: it’s got to be something you want to watch over and over and over. Something that stands out from the routine of general gameplay, sticks in the mind and elevates a piece of story-telling from text in a bubble to something genuinely cinematic. These…

Japan’s Great Developers Discuss the PS4

I got a chance to handle the PS4 at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. The graphics definitely look prettier than I’ve seen on the PS3, but otherwise, it handles pretty much like it should. But I’m looking at it from the player’s side. That’s the output. What about the input? That’s where you have to…

The last historical Yakuza spin-off never made it to the West, so don’t expect Yakuza Ishin to either. Meaning these sweet videos might be as close as you’ll get to Sega’s PS3/PS4 game.

Yakuza: Ishin Is a PS4 Launch Title in Japan

Check out this trailer for Yakuza: Ishin, which will hopefully get a release outside Japan. The game will be released in Japan on February 22 for the PS3 and the PS4. An international release hasn’t been announced. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East…