Yakuza: Like a Dragon will have several returning characters

The latest story trailer for Yakuza: Like a Dragon confirmed that Yakuza series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu will make an appearance in the game, but he is just one of multiple returning characters, according to series general director Toshihiro Nagoshi on the latest Sega Nama broadcast.

Here is the snippet:

(Warning: The following content may be considered a spoiler.)

Toshihiro Nagoshi: “Guys like [Goro] Majima and [Taiga] Saejima will appear. Daigo [Dojima] and such… I wonder if that’s it. (Laughs.) The amount of screen time each character has is a bit different. It’d be weird if they were always there, wouldn’t it?”

Ayana Tsubaki: “When you mention screen time, is that to say a there are characters who come and go quickly?”

Toshihiro Nagoshi: “…” (Nagoshi squints and gives Tsubaki a sour look.)

Toshihiro Nagoshi: “The timeline goes on, so no matter what we have to tell stories such as, ‘What happened after the Tojo Clan?’ or ‘What happened to Kamurocho?’ Those parts become connected stories, and even though Kiryu will obviously have a smaller role since there is a new protagonist, we thought it was important to show how he’s doing for fans. Pretending the story up until now didn’t happen just because there is a new protagonist wouldn’t be right, so that’s not the case.”

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is due out for PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020 in Japan, and in 2020 in the Americas and Europe. A demo is available now. Read more about the game here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Thanks, Games Talk.