Japanese gaming bible Famitsu has spilled the beans on upcoming PlayStation 3-exclusive adventure Yakuza 5.
As reported by Andriasang, Yakuza 5 will feature five main characters, among which includes series regular Kazuma Kiryu. Joining him will be Taiga Saejima, Shun Akiyama, Haruka and Tatsuo Shinada.
All of them will be playable, and have their own unique backstories. New face Shinada is a former baseball player, and apparently in debt. Kiryu now works as a taxi driver in Fukuoka, while Soejima is currently in jail. Akiyama meanwhile is away on business in Osaka, with Haruka also residing in the same city. The story is directly connected to Yakuza 4.
Meanwhile, players will be able to soak up five cities during the game, with Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka all ripe for exploration. Yakuza 5 will also use a new engine, and as such creator Toshihiro Nagoshi considers the game a “New Yakuza” featuring better controls and improved script.
Yakuza 5 is currently 70 per cent complete and will be released in Japan in December 2012. A western release has yet to be confirmed.