“Yakuza 0,” the first current-gen Yakuza game to make it to Western shores, must have done extremely well for Sega. Not only is the publisher releasing an HD remaster of the first game this very week, it just announced that 2006's “Yakuza 2” will be getting the same treatment with the upcoming PlayStation 4 game “Yakuza Kiwami 2,” arriving December 7.
“Yakuza Kiwami 2” briefly appeared on Taiwan’s PlayStation Store. The listing has since been removed, but the translation reads that the HD remake will run on the engine powering “Yakuza 6,” the most recent original entry in the series.
‘Yakuza Kiwami 2’ details
Originally released in Japan for the PS2 in 2006, “Yakuza 2” received much critical acclaim. Unlike the first game, which received an English dub in the West, the sequel preserved the series' Japanese flavor, choosing to subtitle the crime drama while retaining its original voice acting..
As with its predecessor, "Kiwami 2" will feature completely remade visuals of its characters and the cities of Osaka and Tokyo. The game is being developed using Sega’s Dragon Engine, and will also feature new scenarios, including the option to play as Goro Majima in addition to Kazuma Kiryu.
More good news for Japanese players
Sega is really rolling out the red carpet for "Kiwami 2" in Japan, with the game getting its own limited edition PS4 model.
ComicBook reports. The limited edition PS4 system is emblazoned with cool tattoo-inspired inspired art and will come with its own special packaging. The system comes in either Glacier White or Jet Black, with 500GB or 1TB of storage.
The game’s developers also announced "Yakuza Online," a free-to-play game for mobile and PC scheduled sometime in 2018 for Japan.
The game is set after the events of Yakuza 6 and features a new protagonist, Kasuga Ichiban, voiced by Kazuhiro Nakatani (Akira Nishikiyama). Kasuga Ichiban will also headline a new game for consoles.
The main “Yakuza” series now features 7 games – 1 through 6 – and then a prequel named “Yakuza 0.” Three of those games, “Yakuza 0,” “Yakuza Kiwami,” and “Yakuza 6,” all launched in the West in 2017.
When this is released in the West is anyone’s guess, but we got two “Yakuza” games this year. Maybe we can get both “Yakuza 6” and “Kiwami 2” in 2018? You can check out some awesome videos below, an announcement trailer and a story trailer, courtesy of YouTube user Azazel_Irekov.
