News: And the hostesses are coming along for the trip.
After the surprising success of Yakuza 3, Sega has announced (via their Sega Blog) that Yakuza 4 will be coming to North America and Europe as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in the Spring of 2011.
Released in Japan in March, Yakuza 4 will feature multiple playable characters and another densely plotted gangster saga:
4 is a very powerful number in this particular installment as not only will you experience the gritty atmosphere of Kiryu Kazuma's experiences, three other characters will also be available to play. Each of them with their own engaging backstory and a gripping interwoven plot.
Sega was taken to task for the removal of the risque "hostess bar" scenes in the western release of Yakuza 3. Thankfully, they've promised that Tokyo's most popular ladies will be included in Yakuza 4: "[T]he much loved Hostesses will return in Yakuza 4 in all their alluring glory."
We'll have more soon.