"Yakuza 5" PS3 developers have revealed details on the game.
In an interview with SCEA's Gio Corsi, series general director Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Masayoshi Yokoyama discussed the theme, scope and other details of "Yakuza 5" PS3. Sega's action-adventure game is created by Japanese people aimed at a Japanese audience. However, the game has been confirmed to be released digitally in the West this summer.
"When we try to figure out what adult Japanese players will really enjoy, I can use what I enjoy as a standard," producer Yokoyama said. "It makes it possible to create the game without too much hesitation. For each game in the series, including 'Yakuza 5,' I've made sure to ask myself that as we go."
The developers revealed that they decided to create the game with organized crime as a theme because they felt that there were not a lot of story around the motif. Nagoshi admitted that he was confident that they would be able to make a unique drama with it.
"Yakuza 5" PS3 is set in five major cities across Japan. Kazuma Kiryu is the main character but players can also choose among four other characters. Each character comes from a major city in the game. The matches were made based on connections with the location, organizations and the overall story. Character arcs and overall story decided which character went with which specific city.
The first female protagonist in the series is also featured in the upcoming "Yakuza 5" PS3. Haruka Sawamura, who has appeared in every "Yakuza" game ever since it was initially released, is the first female playable character in the franchise.
"Haruka's pursuit of her dream takes center stage and the story develops around her dream and the four men around her," Yokoyama told Corsi. "We built the story around that theme this time, which is unusual for us."