Japanese weekly magazine Famitsu has published its online preview of the recently announced PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game Yakuza Zero: The Oath’s Place, offering a comprehensive first look at the game. Alongside details of the game’s protagonists, we can see the beautiful in-game versions of Japan’s red light districts.
Yakuza Zero is a prequel set in 1988 before the events of the first game, and it tells us the stories of Kazuma Kiryu and Majima Goro.
Kazuma Kiryu is a 20-year old gangster from East Japan’s Tojo Clan. According to a translation by Gematsu:
Kiryu is a gangster belonging to the Dojima Family, which is under the direct command of the main Tojo Clan itself. He lost his parents at an early age, and was brought up at the Sunflower Orphanage founded by Dojima Family lieutenant Shintaro Kazama. After growing up, he followed in Kazama’s footsteps and joined the Dojima Family himself. Already widely known for being among the strongest fighters within the Tojo Clan, he operates predominantly within Kamurocho as his headquarters. However, on one fateful day in December 1988, Kiryu finds himself accused of extracting money from a back alley murder victim, putting his organization in a state of crisis. What’s worse, Kazama, the man Kiryu owes his life, too, gets caught in the crossfire. In order to protect him, Kiryu has decided to leave the Dojima Family.
The second lead character is Majima Goro, the 24-year old manager of the cabaret club “Grand” in Soutenbori, Osaka. His description is as follows:
The “King of the Night,” he managed to turn Grand into the most popular club in Soutenbori in the blink of an eye amidst cutthroat competition. However, his true identity is that of an ousted former yakuza. Several years ago, he was working in Tokyo under the Tojo Clan, but during a certain raid, went against the will of the organization, facing imprisonment as a result. Afterwards, he was sent to Osaka under the supervision of Kansai’s greatest yakuza organization, the Omi Alliance, allowed to stay alive as a normal citizen. But for his close friend and sworn brother, Majima dreams of returning to the family. One day, as the condition for his return, he is ordered to kill a person.
The two red light districts we’ll get to visit in the game are Kamurocho, Tokyo and Soutenbori, Osaka. Kamurocho is a glamorous place that offers various options for eating, drinking, sex, and gambling. On the other hand, Soutenbori is described as “a uniquely Kansai-esque city with an electric atmosphere, and home to the region’s greatest yakuza organization, the Omi Alliance.”
Further details for Yakuza Zero will be announced during the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. We’re still awaiting a release date, and confirmation of whether the title will be released worldwide or not.
