More Yakuza 0 Details Revealed While Confusion Abounds Over EU Release

We’re getting some mixed messages over a potential EU release for Yakuza 0. While SEGA’s official Twitter account mentioned that they’re unable to confirm a EU release, Eurogamer pointed out that the trailer featured on the official PlayStation Youtube channel clearly mentions the game is coming to Europe as well. On the other hand, the US trailer on the official Sega of America Youtube channel only mentions the release for the Americas. It’s certainly odd to see the conflicting statements, so we hope SEGA will clarify the situation soon.

Atlus U.S.A. (and occasionally also SEGA of America) PR manager John Hardin, who first confirmed the physical frelease for the game, also mentioned that Atlus is not involved with the localization of the game at all. SEGA did upload a new press release, which we included below, along with a batch of screenshots. There’s also a new post on the US PlayStation blog, where John talks about what you can expect from the game.

This is an image taken from the trailer on the official PlayStation Youtube channel.

This is an image taken from the trailer on the official Sega of America Youtube channel.

Here’s the official press release from SEGA:

IRVINE, Calif. – Dec. 5, 2015 – The 1980s in Japan were defined by unprecedented amounts of decadent overindulgence – and nothing was out of greed’s reach, especially in Kamurocho. A chilly but electric Tokyo in December 1988 is the backdrop for Kazuma Kiryu’s ascension into the ranks of the Yakuza – the name given to members of notorious crime organizations. And with Yakuza 0, newcomers to SEGA® of America, Inc.’s Yakuza series will be able to get in on the ground floor, with the game’s standalone, story-driven action that focuses on navigating the seedy underworld of Japan with series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, and for the first time in a numbered title, players will be able to play as long-time NPC, Goro Majima – the Mad Dog of Shimano. Available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the game will be localized and released as physical and digital versions in the Americas.

Yakuza 0 portrays the genesis of Kazuma Kiryu, the rising Dragon of Dojima in the heyday of the economic bubble in the late 1980s. Starting off in series familiar location Kamurocho, Kiryu, a junior member of the Dojima family, gets blamed for a debt collection that ends in murder. Of course, this murder happens on a hotly coveted plot of land in Kamurocho, and Kiryu quickly finds himself in over his head trying to regain his honor and save the reputation of his savior and father figure, Shintaro Kazama.

Meanwhile, series familiar Goro Majima is living the life in Osaka, running a cabaret above board. But his desire to rejoin the Yakuza Clan he was ousted from is intense, and in order to do so, Majima must complete impossible tests set by increasingly unforgiving bosses. The clan keeps pushing his limits just to see how far he will really go to prove his loyalty…
Yakuza 0  Features:

• The Dragon’s Origins: What lies in a man’s past defines his future, and in this case, we learn a lot about what inspires Kiryu down the paths he takes in the rest of the  Yakuza series. Plus, you don’t get to be called “Dragon” without being able to knock a few heads. Combat styles can be hot-swapped during fights for some of the most intense battles in the  Yakuza series to date.
• Embrace the Mad Dog: For the first time in a numbered game, long-time NPC Goro Majima is now playable. With his own fighting style, abilities, and his penchant for turning sleaze into profit, stepping into the role of Yakuza’s most eccentric character will provide some eye-opening insight.
• The Decadence of the 1980s in Japan: Cash rules everything in the world of  Yakuza 0, and in the game, there are a million ways to spend, make, or take money. From cash spilling out of the pockets of gang members you fight to Telephone Clubs, Disco Halls, or even Pocket Circuit car races, there are tons of ways to be a well-to-do gangster.
• Possession is 9/10ths…:  Yakuza 0 will get a physical release in the west! More details on the retail edition will come at a later date, but there will definitely be a physical release.

Yakuza 0 is being localized by SEGA® of America, Inc. and will release on PlayStation 4. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit: yakuza.sega.com/yakuza0