For almost fifteen years Kazuma Kiryu served as the face of Sega’s Yakuza series, but the latest entry in the series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. It’s a big departure for the franchise, but most fans have begrudgingly got used to the idea that Kiryu is go…wait, what’s that? Kazuma Kiryu is back you say? Well, never mind then!
Yes, the latest (10 minute!) Yakuza: Like a Dragon trailer drops a surprise Kiryu appearance in its final seconds. We don’t know what role Kiryu plays in Like a Dragon – will he be a big part of the game? Or perhaps just show up in a cameo or flashback? The trailer seems to be tease you may have to fight him, which is certainly an intimidating prospect. Check out the trailer (which is only in Japanese for now) below.
Haven’t been keeping up with Yakuza: Like a Dragon? In addition to the new protagonist, it also relocates the action to a new city (Yokohama) and introduces a new turn-based fighting system. Here’s the official description of the game:
Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduces a new protagonist for the first time since the series' inception over a decade ago - Ichiban Kasuga, a low-level yakuza member looking to prove his worth, and follows him and his motley crew of unlikely allies as they attempt to rise from rags to riches in this modern human drama.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is much more than just a new chapter in the Yakuza series. Much like the new English title itself, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a complete reimagining of the franchise, a landmark to coincide with the series' 15th anniversary. With the bulk of the game taking place in the large-scale, painstakingly-realized setting of Ijincho in Yokohama, players will explore an entirely new side of Japan never-before-seen in the series. Not only that, but Yakuza: Like a Dragon's combat system has undergone a major overhaul, combining Yakuza's established brawling action with a turn-based RPG battle system.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon launches on PS4 on January 16, 2020 in Japan. A Western release date has yet to be nailed down.
