Sony has whipped out even more exclusives for the PlayStation 4, announcing something that many people had speculated about but wasn't quite sure of... until today. Sega has announced that Yakuza Ishin, a feudal tale of the classic Yakuza cast, will be a launch title for the PS4 when it releases in Japan next year, and it will also arrive for the PS3 on the same day.
Despite the flashy graphics and the general angst-ridden gangster appeal, Yakuza has always been a niche series, yet a beloved series. The games – even when they aren't basking in broad appeal – still garner a lot of respect and esteem from the gaming community since the series has been known for its deep characterizations and bustling depiction of Japan's sometimes seedy, but always entertaining, night life.
Things take a slightly different turn with the latest game given that the bright lights of Tokyo are now nowhere to be seen. The setting is darker, grittier and more realized in its historical depiction. Players are thrust into the ancient times to deal with the ups and downs of the life of a gangster before there were guns, before there were rackets, before there were cagefights, board room meetings and everything else in between the modern drama of contemporary life.
While the details are still sketchy, one of the big changes to the game is the focus on swordplay, which was something that wasn't really featured in the previous games. Hand-to-hand combat and melee objects played a pretty big part in the previous games, but in the same token killing people wasn't quite as pronounced as it is with the new Yakuza Ishin. The inclusion of swords certainly makes it interesting given that it's now a big question of how much of the gameplay will be altered to accommodate this feature, and will Sega include a robust attack and counter system similar to The Warriors or will it still be attack and block based like the previous Yakuza games? So many questions... just, so many questions.
I imagine Sega will roll out additional information on the game leading up to its February launch for the PlayStation 4 in japan in early 2014. Sadly, there has been no mention as to whether or not the game will get ported to the west. We'll definitely keep you keyed in on any additional information on the game as it becomes available.
So what do you think of Yakuza going Feudal? Is that a good move on Sega's part or no? And how do you think the mini-games will play a part in the overall gameplay experience?
You can learn more about the Yakuza games by visiting the official website.
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