In the most unlikely scenario that you have PlayStation Plus AND you won't be spending all your free time playing Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, you'll be pleased to know that a demo of Yakuza 4 will be available for your consumption on February 15. If you are not a member of PlayStation Plus, you'll have to wait until February 22 to get your fix of the Japanese underworld.
These four dudes have been kicking ass on Japanese consoles for almost a year, and on March 17th, they'll bring the beatdown to North American consoles, and not a moment too soon.
Sega's crime drama series is finally all set for its continuation in the west, and I can't wait. Of course it's a PS3 exclusive, and if you own a PS3 you owe it to yourself to check this series, because it is raw, as you can undoubtedly tell from the above.
And while the action is good, to me the strongest point of the Yakuza series is it's compelling story. Or if you're the open world type, how does karaoke, batting cages, ping pong, fishing, and drinking with glamorous Japanese hostesses? Oh yeah, Yakuza 4 has something for everyone, including an alligator skin shoe to the face.
While the Yakuza: Of The End hype machine is in full swing for it's 2011 release date, Western gamers can look forward to a different chapter in the Yakuza series early next year. Yakuza 4 will finally have run its way through the localization steps, and according to Sega, will not have as much content cut out as Yakuza 3. It's been a long time to wait since Yakuza 4's early 2010 release in Japan, but hopefully it will be worth it.
And what better way to get excited about 4's delayed release than with an old white man giving you the skinny on the nightlife, hostesses, and all around gangsta of being a yakuza.
"These guys are so tough, they don't even use umbrellas. And that's saying something."
Urgh.
Sega of America must have missed the memo that people play the Yakuza series because they enjoy the immersion into the Japanese culture and lifestyle. Why would they use an old, English speaking man as opposed to a Japanese narrator, I don't know. Maybe they're trying to expand the audience past the niche of gamers with a strong interest in Japan. This voice-over makes the game sound more like a spaghetti western than a Japanese crime drama.
Fortunately, we all know Yakuza 4 will be heavy on the Japanese tip, as with previous entries, only giving you the option of subtitles and forgoing English dubs. Saving money or preserving the experience? I'd like to think the latter, but you never know.
Friday, February 4, 2011 at 9:26PM 