Kazuma Kiryu as he appeared in the PlayStation 3 edition of Yakuza 5. — AFP Relaxnews
Three more remasters from Japan's comprehensive answer to the Grand Theft Auto franchise are set for PlayStation 4 in early 2019.
Reformed gangster Kazuma Kiryu is extending his stay on PlayStation 4.
Debuting in 2005 on PlayStation 2, Yakuza was an open-world action adventure received as a credible successor to the earlier cult hit Shenmue franchise with plenty of potential to grow.
Well known for their in-game reconstructions of Tokyo cityscapes as well as a variety of diversions awaiting moneyed gangsters-about-town, the Yakuza series retained Kiryu's noble criminal persona for 2006's Yakuza 2 but by Yakuza 3 was recasting him with a second career as the owner of a rural orphanage.
Yakuza and Yakuza 2 have already been re-released and expanded for PlayStation 4 as the two Yakuza Kiwami games, and now Sega is continuing that trend with three more remasters from the PlayStation 3 era.
The PS4 edition of Yakuza 3 is set for Japanese release on Aug 9, with Yakuza 4 aiming for between then and the end of the year.
Yakuza 5 rounds out the PS3 trio with a PS4 presence targeted during the first-half of 2019.
Sega made the announcement in this week's edition of Dengeki PlayStation magazine and through a Famitsu preview, as reported by Gematsu and SiliconEra.
While the "Kiwami" remakes featured additional storylines and gameplay mechanics, remasters of the third to fifth games are understood to be more straightforward copies of the originals, with 1080p graphics running at 60 frames per second.
International fans of the franchise have Yakuza Kiwami 2 on Aug 28, a year after the worldwide release of its predecessor.
Prequel Yakuza 0 was released on Japanese PS3 and PS4 in 2015 with an international edition emerging in 2017; Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life was likewise staggered with a 2016 Japanese debut and worldwide distribution in April. — AFP Relaxnews
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