In a recent interview with JP Games, longtime Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato wants to bring even more of the franchise to the West. If everything works out we could see Japan-exclusives Yakuza Kenzan and Yakuza Ishin in our neck of the woods. Although given the age of the titles, Kenzan released in 2008 and Ishin in 2014, Sato has hopes for a complete remake as opposed to a localized port to bring them up to more modern standards.
“Personally, I would like to see these titles localized so that Western fans can enjoy them. In the past, we prioritized to regain a foothold in the west with Yakuza 0. Time flew by without a good time to publish these titles. In my opinion, the action in “Ishin” and “Kenzan” is some of the best on the show. So I would like to localize the titles if there is a chance. However, they are already a good seven years old. So it would take additional work to produce remakes instead of simple ports. That makes the decision a little more complicated.”
Yakuza Kenzan and Yakuza Ishin mark departures from the settings and styles of the mainline entries in the series. Both titles take place in feudal Japan and are set in the Tokugawa and Bakumatsu eras of Japan’s Edo period respectively. They put a fresh spin on the usual Yakuza formula by utilizing their samurai-centric settings as opposed to the franchise’s traditional organized crime trappings. The identity of the series is still alive in well though. The expected intrigue, honor, and betrayals are all present. Just as the wacky and more outlandish aspects that fans have grown to love.
The popularity of the Yakuza games has grown exponentially in the West in recent years. The most recent entry, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, went on to push the overall franchise sales to over 14 million units sold. It’s safe to say that western audiences will be happy for more Yakuza in their lives. Given the explosive success that the franchise continues to find, more ports and sequels could very well be on the horizon.
