“Yakuza 5” premieres on PS3; “Yakuza 0” announced for PS4

Sega has been showing some muscle at PlayStation Experience 2015, unveiling a prequel in its long-running Yakuza series is due to launch for the PlayStation 4 in North America in 2016.

The publisher also unveiled release date for the long promised localization of Yakuza 5, announcing that it would premiere digitally for the PlayStation 4 December 8th in the US. It was originally slated for November 2015.

Sega’s Yakuza series has been a thing of beauty since PS2 era which had open-world, mission narrative gameplay in the life of rising Yakuza vying for dominance amidst the rival gang infested streets of Japan.

See the launch trailer:
 

 

After confirming the sequel’s release date this week, Sega revealed that it also plans to localize the PlayStation 4 prequel game Yakuza 0. Released in Japan earlier this year as Ryu ga Gotoku Zero: Chikai no Basho, the game’s events transpires in the years before the original Yakuza game narrative.

Set on the streets of Kabukicho and Shinjuku Golden Gai in 1988, Yakuza 0 features Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima in starring roles. Yakuza 0 features open-ended gameplay in the same vein as its series successors, and marks the series’ first stateside appearance on the PlayStation 4.

Yakuza 5 premiered for the PlayStation 3 on December 8th. A release date for Yakuza 0 was not announced.