After some speculation, Sega has officially announced that a HD remake of Yakuza 2 is happening. The original game was first released in 2005 for the ultra-popular PlayStation 2.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 follows this year's remake of the first Yakuza game, and it'll launch in Japan this December for the PS4. The title was accidentally revealed a few days ago via the Taiwanese PlayStation Network.
Along with Yakuza Kiwami 2, Sega also will release a new Fist of the North Star entry and Yakuza Online, the PC and mobile versions. Gematsu reports that the game is being developed with the Dragon Engine on Yakuza 6, which makes this remake more than a re-release with remastered visuals.
There will be completely remade visuals of characters and the cities of Tokyo and Osaka, of course, but also new scenarios, new stories, and new playable characters. For instance, in Truth of Majima Goro, Majima Goro will be playable.
Unfortunately, since the original Yakuza 2 title hails back from 2005, the voice actors won't return to their past roles. The game's title theme song will be performed by SiM, a Japanese alternative band.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Limited Edition
Yakuza fans will be able to pick up a limited edition of the game that includes a three-disc set with the original soundtrack and CDs based on Kazuma Kiryu and Majima Goro. What's more, the limited edition will contain 10 business cards, exclusive DLC, PS4 theme and avatars, and more.
Sony will also partner with Sega to release two specialized versions of the PS4 Slim. Players can purchase either a 500 GB or 1 TB version of said systems, and both will feature Yakuza Kiwami 2 designs. These, however, might not make it stateside.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 will launch on Dec. 7 in Japan. Sega hasn't announced plans to localize the game for the West, though seeing as Yakuza has a strong fan base abroad, it's almost certain that the game will be released in the West. Sega is now conducting a survey to gauge Western customers' interest level in all the recently announced Yakuza titles.
Yakuza Series
The original Yakuza title followed Kazuma Kiryu, a Yakuza who, after getting out of jail, learns 10 billion yen has been stolen from the Tojo clan. It's a third-person open-world game with action-adventure gameplay elements. Yakuza proved to be a commercial success, selling well over a million copies. It also spawned an entire franchise.
Thoughts about the Yakuza 2 remake? Do you want it to come to the West? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
