Last year we decided to have some fun with the business cards from the “Business Edition” of Yakuza 0. Why not have some more fun with the launch of Yakuza Kiwami next Tuesday? This time around, we show just exactly how extreme the Yakuza Kiwami launch edition is. Check out our vlog below!
We’ll also be having a Reddit AMA with the patriarchs of the Yakuza series localization family, Scott Strichart and Sam Mullen! The AMA will be conducted at /r/PS4 and will begin at 12:00 PM PDT on September 8th. Scott and Sam are ready to talk about their experience with localizing Yakuza Kiwami and probably have a couple entertaining stories about what goes on behind-the-scenes of localization. Be sure to tune in!
Features:
- ● A Family Patriarch’s Ransom of New Content – “Kiwami” literally translates to “extreme,” and the game was named that for good reason. Not just a simple graphical upgrade, Kiwami adds nearly 30 minutes of cutscenes alone, providing all-new insight into the game’s plot and creating common threads with series prequel Yakuza 0. There’s also added distractions (Pocket Circuit car racing, MesuKing: Battle Bug Beauties, new hostesses, and more), side quests, combat updates, re-recorded Japanese dialogue, and more to bring the original Yakuza game into the latest console generation.
- ● A Place for Newcomers and Veterans – Yakuza Kiwami is the ultimate bridge in the series: newcomers or those whose Yakuza experience started with Yakuza 0 will have familiar, exacting controls, top-notch SEGA localization, and a solid starting point for entering the Yakuza franchise fresh. Veterans will experience a familiar Kamurocho and plot, but with new levels of story depth and graphical polish.
- ● But it was me! Majima! – Completely new to Kiwami is the “Majima Everywhere” system, where the series’ deranged, one-eyed maniac will constantly surprise and challenge Kiryu to combat when he least expects it. We’re talking “popping out of a goofy costume” levels of surprise, so players must stay on their toes and be ready to defend themselves from Kiryu’s chief rival.
- ● Extreme Revitalization – Kiwami is rebuilt from the ground up with all new HD assets, exclusive Japanese voice audio re-recorded by the series cast, and more; optimized for the PlayStation 4 and running in 1080p/60fps. And following suit with SEGA’s commitment to the Yakuza series, the game will release in both physical and digital formats in the west.
Yakuza Kiwami will be released on PlayStation 4 physically and digitally on Aug. 29 for $29.99 (with commensurate European pricing). In addition to Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami provides an excellent starting point for those who have always heard about the series but have yet to try it. It preserves the charm of old-school, PS2-era beat-em-up gameplay, but deftly combines it with a hard-boiled crime drama punctuated with the liveliness of Kamurocho – the fictional red-light district of Tokyo the game is set in – and all the distractions that a red-light district can offer.
Official Website: http://yakuza.sega.com/kiwami
“New Chapter” Comic: http://yakuza.sega.com/experience/
Yakuza Kiwami “Vlog”:
Story Trailer:
Screenshots:
PS4 Theme Screenshots:
