Yakuza 5 will be hitting the PS4 in Japan on June 20th, according to the most recent issue of Weekly Famitsu (via Ryokutya 2089). It features Kazuma Kiryu once again, but throws in four additional protagonists to control and five locations – Tokyo, Osaka, Hakata, Nagoya, and Sapporo – to explore. This is in addition to an improved resolution and frame rate.
Other new additions include an “enhanced” battle system to allow for moving between Adventure and Combat modes seamlessly. Nightclub interactions have also been enhanced, and there are more than 30 mini-games to experience. “Another Drama” is also included, which contains sub-plots for each protagonist, developing their stories further.
Though there’s no word on a Western release date, an announcement isn’t completely out of the question. Sega was planning to release Judgment, a spin-off to the Yakuza series, in the West on June 25th. However, sales for the game were suspended in Japan following the arrest of actor Pierre Taki in a drug bust. A Western release is uncertain as a result, but Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato has committed to making “the game rise back again.”
