Considering we probably wont be seeing it any time soon at least, it’d be nice if the brand new additions to the series weren’t antiquated by the time they reach our shores. The new trailer showcases some of the story, which seems to involve an accidental murder leading our hero to fight for his life as part of an underground tournament. A lead in which is very much unlike the previous titles in the series, but the most interesting part is that some of the cut-scenes will take place as digital comics in the style of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. According to the source it’s actually the same company producing them too, which bodes incredibly well for the quality of them.
Much of the game looks set to change mechanically too, the environment seemingly returning to pre-rendered backgrounds along the same vein as the old PSX era RPGs and more recently Devil Summoner from Atlus. Combat is more familiar, although seeming slightly more fluid and with an apparent choice at the end of a battle as to what you do with the enemy which comes before the reward screen, which maybe affects just what exactly you get as a reward. I imagine there’ll be a certain EXP/Money balance to play off, as seen in previous games as rewards from sub-stories. Speaking of which they showcase a number of those in the trailer above too, including some old favourites like the hostess game and baseball, along with new ones such as a bartending job and something involving a conveyor. I literally have no idea what’s going on in that one.
It looks like a nice addition to the still surprisingly strong PSP line up, and although the multi-player doesn’t actually appear to be anything more than a 4-player VS battle at the moment, I’d still very much like to see it make its way over here in some form or another. We are getting Yakuza 4 though, so I guess pining for two Yakuza titles at the same time is a little bit greedy.
NEED THIS GAME NOW. Also, slight tag edit, it’s Ryu Ga Gotoku, not Ryu Go Gotoku.