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bishopcruz

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New game announced for the PS2, looking prettu damn cool, and seems to be rather Shenmue like. We love you SEGA

 

Quoting from here

 

Ryuga Gotoku

 

Publisher: Sega

Platform: PlayStation 2

Genre: Action Adventure

Origin: Japan

Release: Winter 2005

 

 

 

Sega announced a new PS2 title called Ryuga Gotoku, an 3rd person action adventure game with the theme adult entertainment, the game resembles Shenmue and Grand Theft Auto, with strong dramatic element like love and betrayal.

 

The story takes place in Kamurochou in Japan, ruled by desires and violence. There are a large amount of shops and places you can enter, certain places can only be accessed by obtaining a password. The protagonist is named Kazuma Kiryu, who killed is boss 10 years ago in order to protect his best friend and girlfriend from being harmed. Now that Kiryu returns to the city, his old cohorts are planning for revenges. Kiryu can battle the enemies with fists or weapons, as physical strength and experience raise, new attacks can be obtained.

 

ryu11.jpg

ryu14.jpg

ryu13.jpg

ryu17.jpg

 

More shots if you follow the above link. Well, this could be a nice one to play while we wait for Shenmue 3.

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pics arent working, ima try the link...but damn, this news has me thinkin maybe i should find a cheap PS2 somewhere, this sounds awesome.

On a side note in that vein...bishop, you ever see "Infernal Affairs", Tony Leung & Andy Lau? Great cop/yakuza drama...anyway, thanks for the heads-up, im gonna look for more on this one.

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IA movie thread's here, doesnt say much, but its awesome...i can toss it on disc when youve got time.

 

Pics are all up on the site, which look gorgeous, and very Shenmue-like, just darker....got me really interested seeing it tho, im almost waiting to see the screenshot of Dragon's Lair-esque controls. Youve prolly sold me on this one.

 

I truly hope so; i kept thinkin Sega dropped out the hardware game to be one of the heavy-hitting 3rd party compaines, but it looked like they just wanted to bank on their arcade stuff for a while. Good to see them entering the fray again, and putting out there what caused me to love them for so many years: innovation.

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I'm also hearing Yu Suzuki is involved with this game, I'm gonna see if I can find more info.

 

I'm still hoping for a traditional Phantasy Star though. I hope Universe's single player is better than PSOs.

 

It's wierd with sega, because they never stopped, making stuff, it just fell under the radar. Still we even have stuff from SEGA USA that is looking very good, Condemned (an upcoming game for the 360) also looks like it could be very interesting, combinging the feel of Se7en with detecteve work and an interesting looking combat systems could make it a sleeper.

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Story from Gamespot:

 

TOKYO--Sega today announced that it is making a new action adventure game, titled Ryu ga Gotoku, for the PlayStation 2. The game was originally in development under the code name of Project J and is now being produced by Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball, F-Zero GX). The game is slated for release this winter in Japan for 6,800 yen ($62).

 

In Ryu ga Gotoku, the player assumes the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a legendary yakuza who was once known as the "Dragon of Doujima" for his unmatchable strength. The game takes place in a downtown entertainment district of Kamurochou in Japan, which Kiryu left 10 years ago after slaying his boss to protect his best friend and the woman he loved. His old cohorts didn't forget his betrayal, so they waited for his return to exact their revenge.

 

Adding to the mess, Kiryu gets involved in a series of unexplainable incidents and encounters a girl named Haruka, who holds the key to a missing fortune. From there, Kiryu pledges to fight for the sake of Haruka's future and to confront the past he's been avoiding.

 

The player will talk to the city's citizens, fight thugs, and collect information. There will be several side-story quests where the player can help out the people of Kamurochou by taking on jobs or lending a hand to someone in need of help. Completing the quests will reward the player with items, money, experience points, and valuable information. With money, the player can shop in the numerous stores located throughout Kamurochou to purchase items, have a meal to recover energy, and play games in an amusement area.

 

Of course, the game isn't just about shopping. On the combat side, Kiryu can punch, kick, and grapple, but he can also equip various objects on the ground and use them as weapons. With enough victories in battle, Kiryu can level up, thereby increasing his life meter and allowing him to learn new moves.

 

Sega says that Ryu no Gotoku is targeted toward more-mature audiences. Ryu no Gotoku's storyline has been supervised by award-winning novelist Hase Seishu, who's best known for Fuyajou and other novels that take place in the underground society. The heavy drama is aided by voice acting from a number of famous celebrities in Japan. Lending their voices to the game are seasoned actor Tetsuya Watari, actress Junko Mihara, DJ Kei Grant, and martial artist Yoshiaki Fujiwara.

 

Sega says that it aims to make Ryu no Gotoku's depiction of a Japanese entertainment district as realistic as possible. To make the city as lifelike as possible, Ryu no Gotoku will feature the likenesses of real stores and actual product billboards throughout its city. Among the companies signed up to be featured in the game are retailer Don Quiote and whiskey manufacturer Suntory.

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:bananaman::ohface:

 

...didnt Yoshiaki Fujiwara lend hsi voice to Shenmue, or am i thinkin of another game?

 

Seriously, im so hyped on that article. I cant recall a game that's enveloped me like Shenmue, and taking that engine to modern day Japan's undergrounds...its the kinda move that requires i take time off of work.

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  • 7 months later...

From IGN:

Yakuza Coming to US

The acclaimed Japanese title is officially headed stateside.

by Chris Roper

 

February 23, 2006 - Sega of America this morning announced that it is bringing the critically-acclaimed Yakuza stateside. Known as Ryu Ga Gotoku in Japan, the game is the brainwork of producer Toshihiro Nagoshi and award-winning novelist Seishu Hase.

 

The game focuses on the world of Japan's underground criminal organization and one of its ex-members, Kiryu Kazuma. After serving 10 years in prison for murder, Kazuma attempts to rebuild his life until he's brought back into the criminal world to solve the mystery of a mysterious girl known as Haruka and a missing $100 million.

 

"Yakuza is a game like none other as it delves into one of the most mysterious and iconic aspects of Japanese culture," says Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing at SEGA of America. "Players will have the opportunity to take on the world's most notorious and sophisticated underground organizations as they embark on a series of dangerous missions set in the gritty and seedy underbelly of Tokyo."

 

Yakuza will be available exclusively for the PlayStation 2 and is currently slated to ship in Summer 2006.

Edited by bishopcruz
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  • 1 month later...
SEGA has announced an all-star line-up of Hollywood actors to voice the characters in the upcoming western release of Yakuza.

 

Yakuza, already a hit in Japan, is gearing up for its western release, and today SEGA has announced the line-up of Hollywood talent lending their voices to the game's characters. Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Madsen, Eliza Dushku, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Mark Hamill have all been signed up to voice characters in the game.

 

Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City) will voice Shimano, a Yakuza boss who relies on brutality to achieve his selfish goals; Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor from Smallville) lends his voice to Nishiki, a ruthless Yakuza member who has turned against his friend Kazuma; Eliza Dushku, (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) voices Yumi, who grew up with Nishiki and Kazuma in an orphanage; Rachel Leigh Cook (She's All That) plays Reina, the owner of the Serena hostess bar; and Mark Hamill (son of Darth Vader) voices Majima, a violent and insane Yakuza boss.

 

"Yakuza was an immense hit in Japan, and in bringing the game to the western market, we wanted to ensure that the subtle nuances of the game were brought to life," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "The title delivers the cinematic visuals and fast-paced action gamers demand, and with these top notch performances, they will experience a deep, character-driven storyline like nothing they have encountered before."

 

Yakuza is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 in September.

 

Looks like we have a pretty good cast. Eliza Dushku? Rock!

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  • 2 months later...

B000FIVC2W.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V59078176_.jpg

 

Well, its out, and on its way to my house.

 

Most reviews seem favorable (1up.com and others) but then again, i dont pay much attention here cause Shenmue got trashed and i adored it.

Regardless, many are praising a solid dub, but the hollywood thing really doesnt do it for me here...this game's supposed to be an envoloping journey into the dark underbelly of japan, right? why would i want that in english?

that said, i found the PAL euro version here, i just need to find out if its japanese with english subs like im hoping - bishop, newt, can anyone find out for me?

 

also, here's some fun hype: the sega-europe site did a sereis of 20-minute or so clips that build into a prequel movie of sorts, ive been enjoying watching them to build hype for the plot, and they can be found here.

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Don't think the Europe version is subbed, so I can't help you there, there hasn't been any buzz about it so I'd say probably not. Still, at least the acting is supposedly good, and Shenmue being dubbed didn't make me like the game any less.

 

I'm going out to grab the game today, I was going to grab it this weekend, but was putting in a marathon to beat DQVIII, now that I am done with that, Yakuza beckons.

 

I have high hopes for this one, Game Informer hated it, but I care a lot less for reviews nowadays.

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youre prolly right; id just like 100% confirmation before i play....after playing shenmue II in japanese, i couldnt play the dub. mebbe im being picky, im sure it wasnt a bad localization, but its part of the experience, you know?

 

im hoping my copy arrives tomorrow. lemme know what you think, bish, cause its just us here, sadly.

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Well, I WANT to love this game, and so far I am just kinda liking it. I dunno, maybe it's because Shenmue set such a friggen high standard. The voice acting is pretty good, it's got a few of my favorites in it, Hamill and Clarke specifically, so it's not too bad there.

 

I think part of it is that the city just doesn't feel that alive to me, not nearly as vibrant as Yokosuka in Shenmue did, it looks amazing though. That and the random battles, whatever possessed the developers to add that bit of JRPG goodness should be shot, in the kneecaps, then the head. WTF, whatever bit of realism the game had goes flying out the window when ever block and a half some new idiot tries to bash your head in because you looked at him funny. I mean who the FUCK thought that was a good idea.

 

The storyline is great when it sticks to the main conflict between Nishiki and Kazuma, and Date is a GREAT character, the problem is for all the hullaballoo of how this was supposed to be a highly realistic portrayal of the Yakuza, it ain't. I won't spoil anything, but it plays out more like a cheesy manga, than a hard hitting crime drama. It's about as realistic as say Metal Gear Solid.

 

At least the combat is fun, if inelegant, the finishers are all great and while things can get repetitive, it is at least enjoyable. I haven't hit the hostess clubs yet.

 

I'm stuck right now in a shooting scene that makes me want to throw my controller through a window. I'm ripping through the beat em up stuff just fine and then out of nowhere the game decides that it wants to be time motherfucking crisis. I hate it when games do that shit. They never do it well, EVER.

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  • 3 years later...
After countless indications that a Western release was unlikely, Sega has announced that Yakuza 3 is making the trip to U.S. and European PlayStation 3 consoles early next year.

 

Sega has been teasing us. Ryū ga Gotoku 3, the third game in Sega's Yakuza series, has sold half a million copies in Japan since its release in February of last year. Despite strong sales and the clamoring of the franchises' fanbase, the developer has remind quiet about a Western release - until now. In a post on the European PlayStation Blog, Sega announces the impending U.S., European, and Australian release, with words from SOE's European Marketing Director, Gary Knight.

 

"Yakuza 3 was one of the most requested titles for localisation by our European SEGA community, so we are delighted to be able to fulfil their wishes with this announcement. As well as delving even further into the rich narrative of the Yakuza universe, the development team have pushed the PlayStation 3 hardware to the limits to produce a beautiful and startlingly realistic depiction of the Japanese underworld."

 

The localization of the game will feature full Japanese voice acting with English subtitles, as it should be. Best of all, the PlayStation 3 exclusive is due out in March. That's only three months or so of waiting. Perhaps Sega was wise to tease us until now.

 

Our long struggle is over.

 

 

 

hi.jpg

 

 

Fuck....Isn't FFXIII in march as well?

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  • 1 year later...

449px-Playstation_rising_dragon_pack.jpg

 

so, since IV was reviewing highly in japan this last year (and there was a kmart deal to get 3 with 4), i've spent the last few months catching up on this series, and am nearly halfway through with 4, wanted to share.

 

first off: there's thematic comparisons to Shenmue (attention to detail, odes to Suzuki's fighting engine here & there, even in-jokes) but one should not enter this series expecting that.

second: dont listen to bishopcruz @ part 1, he's crazy.

 

Yakuza is a series that at its peaks, highlights japanese Godfather-level stuff, and at its lows, it's zany troupes. It's an action RPG series that's engine plays like an old-school Sega arcade fighter, which is to say even with it's flaws, it has a fun time shitting on turn-based combat. It's a niche series that Sega seems to be profitable from, and rewards its fans by continually improving, despite having medium to the higher-end-of-low quality assets, which are constantly reused.

 

The best part is, you can enter the series at any point, due to excellent catchup videos offered by each installment, which are all also setup as stand-alone chapters so you dont feel gypped when one ends (of course, you're going to be more emotionally invested the more you play, like any series). To give an indicator, most titles can be beaten comfortably in 15-20 hours, but offer almost double the time in sidequests and minigames should you be interested.

 

Part 1 - the only game dubbed in english, but it's got Mark Hamil & co with a solid effort - sets up the drama & introduces a fair chunk of the cast. It's a fun title but it's among the lesser of the series.

 

2 is a vast improvement in every way; from combat, to graphics, to story/character: the Godfather-esque shit starts going down here in the mob wars, and as always i enjoyed the sidestory stuff but found the main plot riveting enough to keep coming back to.

 

3 was the first official one on PS3, and was widely publicized for its cut content (hostess bars, oddly), though it still offers tons of other stuff to do. compared to 2, it's a quieter side-story that ties up Kazamu Kiryu's plight.

 

4, this year's entry, is told from the perspective of Kiryu and 3 other characters, alternating & flowing between them to come to a climactic conclusion, and though not yet finished with it, i feel comfortable saying 4 > 2 > 3 > 1. finally, Kesnan! is a japanese-only title that puts the cast of Yakuza in the samurai ero of Miyamoto Musashi, while the forthcoming Yakuza of the end is another spinoff apparently featuring 4's cast defending their post-apocalyptic tokyo from zombies/robots/god knows what. it's actually refreshing to have such a oft-times serious crime drama be able to have fun with itself.

 

Just wanted to share this, as the series has revived my old-school fanboy Sega-love like almost nothing since Shenmue or the arcade days of Suzuki have. if you're tired of too many games trying to cash-in on trends this gen, there's a chance you might find this series as awesome as i have.

 

2pq6ypl.jpg

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^right, GTA is a great deal more vast (ironic since that series was built on what Shenmue did, from III onward though) - for the most part, you're playing in a map of 5x5 city blocks or so, and though it's a big large, that corner of Tokyo is where most of the games go down, with the exception of 3 which also takes place in Okinawa. Again, the attention to detail and side-missions are there, but when playing it, it doesn't really feel like GTA much to me, mostly because the main plot is interesting enough to want to see it through. And yeah, the fighting engine is less structured than say that Virtua Fighter way Shenmue did it, but that's what makes it more like a classic beat-em-up, with leveling opening the way for new, more vicious moves.

 

4 really is something, though. you start off as Akiyama, this smooth-ass dude who runs an oddly philanthropic moneylending setup and a hostess bar (his story's awesome for the noir moments), and now I'm playing chapter 2 as Seajima, a grizzled yakuza hitman who's spent 25 years in prison waiting for his execution. Next chapter looks to return to Kazuma Kiryu (woo!) and an unkown cop for chapter 4, but again, seeing the plots interweave by your actions/flashbacks to a more violent mid-80s yakuza families making power moves is really cool.

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  • 3 weeks later...

segabits!

 

 

</h2>

<h2>Yakuza 4 the best selling Playstation 3 game of 2010 in Japan

Posted on April 18, 2011 by George in SEGA News yakuza4pic_061310-600x337.jpg

Japan love their Yakuza games, almost as much as we like to play cowboys in the west with Red Dead Redemption. So its no surprise that Yakuza 4 is the best selling Playstation 3 game in Japan for 2010.

 

The game manage to sell 577,199 units in 9 months (was released in March 18, 2010). Sure it isn't uber blockbuster numbers and it just beat out Sony's Gran Turismo 5 which was released in November, that did 563,378 units.

 

Even though Yakuza 4 was the best selling Playstation 3 game, it still came in #16 for best selling Japanese game on all consoles. Damn those Japanese kids and their love for Monster Hunter, Super Mario and Pokemon!

 

 

so deserves it - finished it last week, going for the platinum in the weeks to come. Best in the series, really great game with tons of content.

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