Yakuza 4 Making Its Way West

It turns out it's not just people in Japan who want to play an action-RPG focused on being a big-time Japanese gangster. Pretty much from the moment Yakuza 3 arrived in North America and Europe in March, hardcore fans of the series have been begging for a Western release of its sequel. Today, Sega has given in to these demands.

Over on the Sega Europe Blog, the publisher has announced a spring 2011 release for Yakuza 3 in "the West," which we're assuming includes North America as well as Europe. As with the last game, Yakuza 4 is a PS3 exclusive.

If a lengthy plot, improved visuals, and tweaked technology isn't enough, Yakuza 4 also introduces three new playable protagonists in addition to long-time series lead Kazuma Kiryu.

Our reviewer wasn't terribly impressed by Yakuza 3, but we're always willing to give an ambitious series another shot, and it's great that English-speaking fans will be able to continue the adventures of Kazuma Kiryu in a language they can understand.