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Yakuza: Dead Souls review: What a twist!
I've got to hand it to Yakuza: Dead Souls. It resurrects an old antagonist with a prosthetic gun-arm, unleashes a zombie apocalypse on Tokyo and still manages to take itself seriously. The only real difference between Dead Souls and Yakuza 4 is some thoroughly mediocre gunplay and, well, the living dead.It's not a terrible idea when it comes down to it. Half the fun is seeing how Yakuza's eclectic cast deals with being recast in what amounts to a Resident Evil game. It has resident psychopath Goro Majima waging a one-man war against the undead horde. It has Kazuma Kiryu punching out a zombie for heaven's sake. It's all good fun, particularly for existing fans of the series.%Gallery-135830%
Yakuza: Dead Souls livened up with minigames
Even a spreading zombie epidemic isn't enough to keep Sega from loading Yakuza: Dead Souls full of inconsequential, goofy minigames. There are a few ... subtle changes to the minigames we've grown to love, however. For example, the fishing minigame has you catching a different kind of sea creature.
Barricading 'Dead Souls' within Yakuza's red-light district
In the first hours of Yakuza: Dead Souls, I witnessed the fictional Kamurocho neighborhood of Tokyo's red-light district becoming ravaged by a zombie nightmare, with wrecked buildings, flaming cars, and thousands of hungry undead taking to the streets.With the help of a DVD store's secret weapons cache, altruistic loan shark Shun Akiyama becomes a dual-pistol-wielding killing machine, cutting a path through the horde of former businessmen, students, and gangsters to get help for his sick assistant Hana.Though the premise seems (and is) absurd, and there's little sense to making a zombie shooter out of a series best known for its uncanny representation of a realistic Tokyo, I couldn't help but appreciate the care Sega put into setting up the adaptation. Every change to gameplay, environments, or story required to adapt the game into a shooter shows evidence of deliberation and forethought. It's not just a matter of adding zombies and guns. Sega took its assignment very seriously, even though Yakuza: Dead Souls delivers its entertainment in a campy, b-movie way.%Gallery-135830%
Yakuza: Dead Souls emerging Mar. 16 in EU, Mar. 13 in NA
In mid-January, Sega locked down a North American release date for Yakuza: Dead Souls, and now Europe's date with Tokyo-based zombies has finally been scheduled.Yakuza: Dead Souls will arrive in Europe on March 16, according to Eurogamer. The PlayStation 3-exclusive is coming to North America on March 13, which is plenty of time for seasoned zombie killers to prepare for the impending attack. Already released in Japan under the name Yakuza: Of the End, the sixth game in the cult-hit series throws players into the "infamous red light district of Tokyo" during a zombie outbreak.Don't fret, Yakuza fans, because zombies aren't the only enemy you'll be facing. Yakuza: Dead Souls will also throw hordes of "merciless" mutants in your path, along with all of those seedy characters from the Japanese underworld. As for possible zombie-infected Hostesses? We're keen on letting the brain-chomping ladies sit this one out.%Gallery-135830%
Introducing the Yakuza keeping Tokyo safe from Dead Souls
So who are these loudly-dressed gentlemen firing guns at zombies? You'd learn a lot more playing any other Yakuza game, of course, but this Yakuza: Dead Souls trailer will start you off with some factoids.
Yakuza: Dead Souls coming to North America and Europe in March
As suggested by trademarks and semi-cryptic statements from a producer, Sega has revealed plans to bring Yakuza: Of the End to the west as Yakuza: Dead Souls. Now that we know for sure that the plans are real, we can safely say that, as producer Daisuke Sato informed us, the controls will be updated to be familiar with western tastes. Coming in Sega's traditional March release window, Dead Souls swaps out Yakuza's hand-to-hand-to-bicycle-wheel mob violence for gunplay against the zombies, who now populate the closed-off Kamurocho area of Tokyo. The announcement suggests that the Japanese DLC will be bundled with this western release, so look forward to blasting zombies in modern-day Japan while dressed as a pirate.%Gallery-135830%
European trademark suggests Yakuza: Of the End coming to the west as 'Yakuza: Dead Souls'
Sega's Daisuke Sato hinted to us during TGS that Sega might be thinking about localizing Yakuza: Of the End. We now have another hint in the form of a European trademark. Just yesterday, Sega filed "Yakuza: Dead Souls," a better, more natural-sounding potential subtitle than "Of the End." There are a few other unlocalized Yakuza projects -- Yakuza Kenzan, the PSP Black Panther and its sequel, and a mobile game for GREE -- but "Dead Souls" is a more fitting name for the zombie shooter Of the End than for any of those, and thus the most likely use of the "Dead Souls" name. We're checking with Sega, in the hope that it'll confirm the transplant of a zombie-filled Tokyo to America and Europe. [Thanks, George.]
Sato: 'If' Sega localizes Yakuza: Of the End, it will have new controls
Daisuke Sato, director of Binary Domain and Yakuza 3, wouldn't say whether or not Sega had any plans to release the team's previous shooter, the very weird Yakuza: Of the End, in America and Europe. But he offered a hypothetical that suggested that, at least, the thought has come up. When asked about how Binary Domain compares to Yakuza: Of the End (and indirectly to other shooters), Sato said "For the western version of Yakuza: Of the End -- if that's going to happen, then we will tweak the controls, to be closer to other western shooting franchises." Not when, if. Sato wouldn't elaborate on whether or not there were actual plans. The odds are in favor of it: every Yakuza game has been localized, with the exception of the samurai spinoff Yakuza Kenzan.
Yakuza: Of the End hits the top of slow Japanese sales chart
After an earthquake-prompted delay, Yakuza: Of the End has been officially released in Japan, to ... pretty good sales. Not the best sales of the series, but the best sales of the very slow week. According to 4Gamer's report of Media Create sales, the gangsters vs. zombies shooter sold 298,717 copies in its first week, fewer than Yakuza 4 moved last year (384,000) or Yakuza 3 before (372,000). It wasn't enough to boost hardware sales appreciably, as PS3 sales only increased 594 units over the previous week, to 17,104. Fans of low numbers will enjoy the rest of the sales chart -- the number two game behind Yakuza was Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, which earned its position by selling 15,551 copies. See the rest of the "top" ten after the break, and start formulating your plan to revitalize the Japanese game industry. Nintendo's thinking "release the 3DS again in a new color." Sega's plan is, of course, Of the End costume DLC (as seen above!)
Yakuza: Of the End out in Japan June 9, sales support Red Cross
A victim of really unfortunate timing, Sega's Yakuza: Of the End was to be released in Japan on March 17 -- a week after the Tohoku earthquake. Sega delayed it right after the earthquake, with no definite release date. Sega just announced the new date for the PS3 Yakuza spinoff, which has Kazuma Kiryu and other tough guys shooting up zombies in a wrecked Kamurocho. It'll be out in Japan on June 9. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the game will go to the Red Cross, and a "Let's Go, Japan" sticker will be bundled with the game. Sega has yet to make any announcements regarding a Western release.
Yakuza: Of the End, Motorstorm: Apocalypse delayed in Japan; Disaster Report 4 canceled
Citing "various circumstances," both Sega and Sony have announced delays of major game releases, reports Andriasang, while Irem has outright canceled Disaster Report 4. Sega announced that Yakuza: Of the End has been pushed back to a "TBA" release date in Japan, while Sony has altered the MotorStorm: Apocalypse launch to "TBA," as well. both titles were scheduled to be released in Japan this Thursday, March 17. While neither company directly cited the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 as the cause of the delays, it's evident that the disaster prompted the moves; though it's unknown if the reasons extend beyond the two games' disaster-themed premises. Andriasang also reports that Sony has temporarily closed its PlayStation repair and information center, located in one of the worst hit areas of Japan, the Miyagi Prefecture. Just yesterday, Square Enix temporarily shut down the Final Fantasy XI and XIV servers to conserve power in the country. Meanwhile, Irem has canceled Disaster Report 4 without citing a specific reason, according to Andriasang. As the title suggests, DR4 centers around players escaping a city that has just suffered a devastating earthquake. Both DR4 and Yakuza: Of the End were only announced for release in Japan. It's unclear at this point whether MotorStorm: Apocalypse is still on track to launch across Europe this week, as SCEE told GameSpot UK, "[The game's release is] under discussion at the moment. We'll get back to you when we know more." (The game's release in New Zealand was previously delayed following the severe earthquake that struck Christchurch last month.) The North American launch was set for April 12 two months ago. To find out more about how you can help those affected in Japan by the past week's events, head over to RedCross.org.
Lost Planet 2, Yakuza demonstrated on NGP
Capcom's Jun Takeuchi took to the stage at today's PlayStation Meeting to show off Lost Planet 2 running on the NGP handheld -- as a demonstration only, as he said Capcom was not announcing new titles at tonight's event -- "but before long we will be able to announce new titles for NGP." According to Takeuchi, LP2 was running on MT Framework Mobile (which also powers Capcom's 3DS games) and this demo was put together in just two weeks. "I'm sure you've seen the PS3 version," he told the audience, "and the quality is just as good" on NGP. Takeuchi said the NGP could handle the "full specification." Next up, Sega's Toshihiro Nagoshi demonstrated assets from Yakuza: Of The End, to show that "everything can be transcribed [from PS3] onto NGP."
Yakuza: Of the End begins in March
Despite the fact that Yakuza: Of the End violently breaks from series tradition, it's hewing pretty closely to the previous games' schedules. According to Siliconera, Famitsu magazine has revealed the Japanese release date for the gangland zombie shooter: March 17. The date follows tradition, apparently, as Yakuza 4 was released in Japan this past March (along with Yakuza 3 in North America and Europe), and Yakuza 3 debuted in Japan in late-February 2009. In addition to next March's release, Sega has a new Yakuza game coming this winter: a mobile social game called Yakuza Mobile for GREE, in which players raise and train Yakuza characters, earning weapons that can be transferred into Of the End.%Gallery-102455%
Yakuza: Of the End video proves the game still holds surprises
Okay, after watching this eight-minute Yakuza: Of the End gameplay trailer, we can now think of the game in a different way. Our bemusement is reduced and our interest increased. Instead of a really strange Yakuza game, we now look at it as a cheesy zombie game with great production values -- like Onechanbara, but less embarrassing and with a better budget. Kamurocho is still a great setting for games, and now it's a setting for a zombie game! Well, maybe it's just marginally less embarrassing. For some reason, the dating, hostess club, table tennis, and mahjong minigames are still present -- and for some reason, Goro Majima finds an opportunity to sing. With backup dancers.
Yakuza: Of the End screens introduce cast and ... this thing
Sega continues to work on the zombie shooting spinoff Yakuza: Of The End, releasing more screenshots as proof that it really is following through on this insane idea. The new screens feature Kamurocho pre- and post-zombies, as well as the four protagonists (and Chiaki Kuriyama) firing weapons at the undead. Also, one screen (above) reveals the presence of at least one non-zombie monster, which is totally disgusting. The accompanying news post rounds up all the voice talent behind the cast, and explains how each of the main characters ended up in the middle of a ruined Kamurocho. Kazuma Kiryu returns to rescue his adopted daughter Haruka; Yakuza 4's Shun Akiyama is in town to collect on a debt when the zombie thing happens; Yakuza 2 final boss Ryuji Goda has been wandering aimlessly, selling takoyaki on the street (to pay for maintenance of his awesome cybernetic arm, possibly); and Goro Majima is chasing Goda when he finds a city full of zombies. Apparently, the crazed Majima is enjoying himself.
Details begin to appear for Yakuza: Of the End
Andriasang has rounded up all of the details announced about Yakuza: Of the End so far, giving us a bit more info than "it's got zombies in it and it's really weird." Of the End takes place in a Kamurocho that is quickly becoming infested with zombies, causing Japan's Self Defense Force to close the district off and leave the remaining survivors for dead. Four gangsters from previous Yakuza games, including series hero Kazuma Kiryu, decide to take up arms and clean out the town rather than allow themselves to be eaten. Also, complicating matters, Kazuma's adopted daughter Haruka has been kidnapped. The "Heat Action" finishing moves from the series have been replaced by "Heat Snipe" moves, which grant increased accuracy with guns when launched. Each character has a different weapon with which they are most proficient: calm Kazuma is a rifle expert, while nutjob Goro Majima is best with shotguns. In addition to these four characters, you'll be able to pick up partner characters -- including hostesses from hostess clubs -- all of whom can be trained at "Gary's Boot Camp." Perhaps strangest of all, the usual Yakuza distractions will be back. In the midst of a zombie invasion, you can play some arcade games in Club Sega, hang out in batting cages, or even perform karaoke. Don't worry, those booths are soundproof, so the groaning undead outside won't bother you when you're concentrating on your song.
Yakuza: Of The End designed to bring shooter fans to Yakuza
Yakuza: Of The End was ... unexpected. Not in that it's another Yakuza sequel -- we can pretty much count on those being at least annual -- but in that it's a zombie shooting game. Why would Sega take a series built around realistic criminal organizations, known for its accurate (if fictionalized) representation of Tokyo, and fill its latest entry with zombies? Where do people even find all those guns in Japan? At TGS, we asked producer Masayoshi Kikuchi about this seemingly inexplicable decision. "We want to essentially use the Yakuza universe to try our hand at different genres of games," he said. "In that effort, one of the games that hasn't been released [outside of Japan] yet, but that we've done, is a samurai-based game called Kenzan. That is our foray into utilizing the mythology and universe of Yakuza to branch out into different gameplay. The other one, obviously, is Of The End." "For us, it's a way to hopefully attract more fans to the Yakuza franchise by widening the gameplay styles that we create," Kikuchi added. In other words, Of The End hopes to attract people who love zombie shooters, and who might then discover there are other Yakuza games; albeit ones about punching street punks and running orphanages. But what about the people who already love Yakuza? Are they to simply stare at this spinoff in disbelief? "From my point of view," Kikuchi told us, "I feel that -- if you have 100 Yakuza fans, it's not going to be the case where all 100 of them will be receptive to the new direction. But however, we feel that by making something that is very enjoyable, we will be able to capture as many of the existing fan base who enjoy the games we create." [Pictured: Yakuza: Of The End TGS booth models]
