On all fronts, or at least most of them, so Xbox & PlayStation, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza series is coming together on different platforms. While it is already available completely on Sony’s console, the lingering entries for Yakuza is still underway with Yakuza 6: Song of Life set to arrive in late March. But looking at additional entries that branch off the mainline franchise, Sega has plans to do the same as well.
Already, RGG Studio issued a full-on remaster for 2018’s Judgment. Not only is it coming to Xbox, there is also enhancements for the latest console hardware as well. Looking outside of that, however, that is everything – at least in the west. In Japan, there are other titles like Yakuza Ishin in which Sega is aiming to introduce to new market later on according to a previous interview.
In a new discussion with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio lead Daisuke Sato, he discloses that pursuit for the 2014 title is one the team is eager to offer to other regions. But, he adds that the game might not be a port but instead a remake due to the age of the title.
Personally, I would like for these titles to be localized and enjoyed by our Western fans. We were prioritizing regaining our ground with the series in the West from Yakuza 0, so time just flew by without an ideal time to release these games.
In my opinion, the action is one of the best in the series, so I’d like to localize them if we get the chance. However, the game is also close to 7 years old, so we may need to put in additional work to remake it instead of a simple port, so the decision is a bit more complicated.
Interesting about the comment is the team’s response to the Yakuza Remastered Collection. In that, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5, all older than Yakuza Ishin were met with a remaster of the original games. But, RGG Studio with a younger entry plans to fully remake the game instead of simply issuing a remaster alike previously.
Continuing in the interview, Sato also denies any hope to see other Yakuza spin-off releases such as Dead Souls and other PlayStation Protable entries. “Compared to the likes of Ishin, there is no way to get around it without completely remaking these titles, so it’d be much difficult,” Sato explains” Since Kurohyō is a PSP title, bringing this game to modern consoles would be especially challenging.”
Sato also issues that the team currently has no plans for a new spin-off anytime soon even with the amount of attention Majima continues to harbor. But, he nods to a potential ‘Yakuza 0-2’ if fans are hungry enough for it. Elsewhere recently, a rumor circulated that a possible Yakuza standalone entry featuring Ryuji Goda as the playable protagonist. You can read the full report by heading here.
Are you hoping to play Yakuza Ishin soon?
Yakuza Ishin is currently available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan.
Source: JP Games
