The Yakuza series is massively successful - it has sold a combined total of over 12 million units, and now that the remastered series is on its way, the critical success of the franchise is likely to continue.
The games focus is on 'the Dragon of Dojima', Kazuma Kiryu, who severed his ties with the criminal underworld for the sake of his family.
For various reasons, Kazuma returns to his life of crime and violence, heading out on various wild adventures across 5 major Japanese cities.
With the release date just under one week away, we can't wait to get our hands on the glorious remake of Yakuza 5.
The PS4 Remaster of Yakuza 5 has now officially launched - check out the launch trailer here!
Table of Contents
Keep reading for all the information we have.
Release Date
The remastered versions of Yakuza 3 and 4 are already available, with Yakuza 5 primed to roll out on 11 February 2020.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL: This beautifully rendered game has stood the test of time in comparison to other JRPGs
But if you haven't been following the Yakuza franchise, you might be wondering why RGG Studio is remastering three PlayStation 3 titles, one after the other.
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But why are these updated versions important?
Continue reading to find out exactly why these games are being remastered.
Consoles
There are Yakuza fans that have played every single release, championing its unique drama and ridiculous side-stories.
PRETTY IN PINK: Take your pick from a choice of 5 main characters
However, firing up these games on their original hardware will present a multitude of challenges that current-gen gamers won't be bothered to work through.
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Players looking for a massive hit of nostalgia will be able to play all 3 remastered versions on PS4 from 11 February 2020.
And while a PC version isn't currently in the works, the idea hasn't been entirely ruled out by the developers.
Characters
Yakuza 5 follows on from the epic story of Kazuma Kiryu and 4 other protagonists:
ANOTHER DRAMA: Each protagonist's story is explored in this new feature
Haruka Sawamura, Taiga Saejima, Tatsuo Shinada and Shun Akiyama.
Kazuma Kiryu, who was once known as the Dragon of Dojima, had been living a quiet life as a taxi driver in Hakata after severing his ties with the criminal underworld.
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However, in the face of what will be a bloody war between the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan, Kazuma is forced to accept his fate and return to a life filled with crime and violence.
The saga plays out across Tokyo, Osaka, Hakata, Nagoya and Sapporo, and features “Another Drama” - a series of sub-plots that focus on each protagonist.
Trailer
With Yakuza 5 coming to PS4, the remastered collection of the main series of Yakuza games will finally be complete.
Sega's trailer features Kiryu and the rest of the crew, and it has been filled with plenty of gameplay.
There are a few snippets that feature some brutal combat scenes, so this trailer is not for the faint-hearted.
Gameplay
The Yakuza 5 remaster runs the game at 1080p and 60fps, and features the exact same content that was in the original game on PS3.
READY... FIGHT! Some of the mechanics have been tinkered with, but on the whole, the game is largely the same as the original
The battle system and customization system have been enhanced from Yakuza 4, and various mini-games are now available in the well-known locales from the series.
These include infamous night club spots and popular CLUB SEGA locations.
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