If you are a hardcore Yakuza fan, odds are you’ve been waiting for the arrival of Yakuza 0 for some time now, assuming you are in the West. Lucky for you, SEGA has finally revealed that Yakuza 0 will in fact be receiving a release outside of Japan, over a full year after it’s original launch during March of 2015. Yakuza 0 has been announced to be arriving in the US and Europe in January of 2017.
The following announcement was made over on the PlayStation Blog regarding the Western release, from the localization producer of the franchise, Scott Strichart:
“If you’ve only heard some friends shout ‘Play Yakuza!’ from the rooftops of the internet, Yakuza 0 is the perfect game to get into the series. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to all the previous games, where our grizzled yakuza-with-a-heart-of-gold protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, is a bright-eyed 20-year-old, fresh into the game. Meanwhile, Goro Majima, the guy with the snake-skin jacket and the hot streak of insanity, is a suave and calculated owner of a cabaret. He actually wants to get back into the yakuza.”
Along with the Western release, it has been announced that the title will include chapter titles, character introductions, opponent names, and on-screen directions, all in English. Many fans of recent Yakuza games have been awaiting the return of these features, as they have not been seen in a Yakuza title since the release of Yakuza 2 on the PlayStation 2.
Yakuza 0 will be available to pickup on January 24th, 2017.
