New Yakuza game announced for PS3

The latest Famitsu has confirmed that a new Yakuza is in development for PlayStation 3. An interview with series director Toshihiro Nagoshi provides only a few vague details on the upcoming new entry in the franchise.

Unlike Yakuza: Black Panther for PSP, Nagoshi reveals that this new Yakuza is a main entry in the series. He hasn’t revealed a name for it yet, though. He wouldn’t commit to calling it Yakuza 5, either. He promised that this Yakuza would do honor the series traditions but couldn’t go into detail.

He revealed that Majima Goro, a character from past Yakuza titles, is a playable character in the new game. Nagoshi’s wanted to make Goro playable for some time due to his interesting personality and opportunity for a unique story. This new Yakuza will give us a deeper look into his character. There’s a new piece of artwork for him in the Famitsu article. Unfortunately, that’s the only bit of media in the entire article.

The new Yakuza‘s keyword is “Destruction.” The series’ three pillars (drama, adventure, and battle) will remain in tact, but they’ll be playing around with those elements. “We want to show evidence of ‘there are still these possibilities for the Yakuza series,'” said Nagoshi. “We won’t be throwing out the past methods of enjoyment, but we will be taking a scalpel to the fundamentals of the game systems.”

The game’s “clear outline” should arrive at the Tokyo Game Show in September, Nagoshi confirmed. As for a release date, Nagoshi said “While I can’t give a release time frame yet, we’re working to deliver it at a time Yakuza series fans will want.”

Thanks, Andriasang.