SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have officially revealed Yakuza 7, the first mainline game in the series to not feature Kazuma Kiryu as the main character. It’s not just the main character that’s changed though, as with newcomer Ichiban Kasuga comes a whole new turned-based RPG battle system. Yeah, the game where you batter thugs with bicycles is getting a turn-based combat system. Bold move. Check out the English trailer below.
Yakuza 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness, which will launch with the much snappier title of Yakuza: Like A Dragon in the West, sees Ichiban take the wrap for a crime he didn’t commit. However, when he’s released from prison, there’s no welcoming committee. After confronting his former boss Arakawa, Ichiban gets shot for his troubles and dumped in Isezaki Ijincho in Yokohama. In retalition, Ichiban will gather a party and take to the streets.
The new gameplay is being referred to as a “live command RPG battle system”, in which Ichiban and his party can select various techniques that focus on attack, defense, support, recovery and more. It’s a bold new direction for a series that’s been famed for its action, and one that might not go down well, but there’s soon to be seven Yakuza games available in the West that utilise the old system. If you prefer things as they were, you’ve still got hundreds of hours of classic Yakuza to enjoy.
Yakuza 7 is scheduled to launch on PS4 on January 16th, 2020, with a Western release already confirmed for some point in 2020. Localisation tends to take anywhere between 6 months to a year for the Yakuza games, so expect the game to launch at some point after mid-to-late summer. Are you excited for the new direction the Yakuza series is taking? Sound off in the comments.
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