Sega has announced that it is remaking its iconic action-adventure role-playing game Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 for the PlayStation 4. The Yakuza Remastered Collection reintroduces the classic video game for today’s consoles, bringing updated graphics and scripts for the 2019 editions.
Yakuza originally launched in 2005 in Japan and reached the West in 2006. The story follows Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Yakuza who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Kiryu learns that money has been stolen from the Toju clan, and while the criminal underworld searches for it, he finds the orphaned girl Haruka who is being targeted by the gang and protects her.
The original version brought visuals at 720p/30fps and now, Sega will be updating the games for the West with graphics enhanced to 1080p at 60fps for the PS4. Sega also says that all three games have been treated to a "rigorous re-localization process" so that the scripts more accurately reflect the original Japanese games.
The Yakuza Remastered Collection will also restore all the content taken out of the PS3 games, meaning that the mahjong, shogi, massage parlor, cabaret mini-games and side-stories will return to the PS4 editions. Players will also be given the option to change more trivial gameplay features, such as Japanese lyrics in karaoke events and a sub-story tracker on the map.
Sega has already released the remastered version of Yakuza 3, with Yakuza 4 following on October 29 and Yakuza 5 coming on February 11, 2020. It’s unknown why Sega chose to stagger the release despite the one-time payment for all three games. A physical release will drop alongside Yakuza 5 next year as well. The Yakuza Remastered Collection costs $59.99 USD and can be bought from the PlayStation Store now.
In other news, Sony’s PlayStation 5 design may have been leaked.
Yesterday we were extremely excited to announce The Yakuza Remastered Collection for the West, which includes the HD remasters of Yakuza 3-5.
Yakuza 3 is already live, so who’s back in Kamurocho!?https://t.co/OBnt1gSeAg pic.twitter.com/qubJfPE2b7
— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) August 21, 2019