Yakuza Kiwami 2 has an official Western release date. Players will return to the city of Kamurocho on August 28th, 2018.
Check out Yakuza Kiwami 2‘s official trailer from Sony’s YouTube channel below.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a complete remake of 2006’s Yakuza 2 in the Dragon game engine.
The story focuses on fan-favorite Kazuma Kiryu after the fallout of the first Yakuza game. When Kiryu’s attempt to build a life out of the ruthless Tojo Clan’s shadow falls apart, he returns to Kamurocho after a high-ranking clan member falls to a rival organization. Intent on discovering who’s behind the latest conflict in his city. Kiryu discovers a tale of intrigue and ambition and must prevent an all-out war between the Tojo and Omi Yakuza families.
The brutal open-world beat-em-up is a popular series back in Japan. The nation sold the bulk of the series’ 10.5 million lifetime sales. The Yakuza series has enjoyed a niche following here in the West for the past decade. But shifting marketing strategy from SEGA gave the series a massive Western push in January 2017. Likewise, the series attained greater market appeal with the Western release of Yakuza 0 in January 2017. Yakuza 0 released to critical acclaim and sold over half a million copies the first month after its Western release. The game was many newcomers first foray into the quirky open-world series. In light of its Western success, SEGA appears driven to popularize the series in the West. With the team’s release of the first Yakuza Kiwami in the August of 2017, it’s clear they’re confident in having the series succeed to its newly inducted Western audience.
Also, Yakuza 6, the newest release for the Yakuza franchise, drops this Tuesday, March 20th.
Yakuza Kiwami 2’s release this August marks the series’ fourth Western release in a two-year span.
For more information, check out the Yakuza team’s website to learn more about Yakuza Kiwami 2.