SEGA has revealed over ten minutes worth of gameplay footage of the upcoming demo of Yakuza 6 as part of a live stream event with series creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi.
Seen below, the demo offers a look at some of Yakuza 6’s bone-breaking combat, and also showcases the improved AI functions and a look at one of the new features in the series, namely AI companions.
Yakuza 6 is scheduled for release exclusively on PlayStation 4 in Japan later this year. Also coming to Sony’s latest home console is a full-blown remake of the original Yakuza, known as Yakuza Kiwami. Both games have yet to be confirmed for a U.S. and/or European launch.
Yakuza originally launched on the PS2 in Japan back in December 2005, before making its way to western shores the following year. The series has remained a strong seller in its native Japan, although hasn’t taken off in the west, explaining SEGA’s initial reluctance to localise subsequent sequels for the U.S. and Europe.
Yakuza 2 took two years to show up in the west following its Japanese release, and with spinoff Yakuza Kenzan remaining a Japanese-exclusive. However, beginning with the third instalment, SEGA has made a concerted effort to bring the games over to western fans, with Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza: Dead Souls showing up roughly a year after the Japanese versions.
Yakuza 5 is the latest game to see a localisation, arriving on the PlayStation Store as a digital download in December 2015. It is notable for taking the longest to arrive in the west, arriving three years after its Japanese counterpart. Yakuza 0 is due to hit the U.S. at some point, though a European release has yet to be confirmed.
The franchise has sold 7.8 million units worldwide as of November 2014.