"Yakuza Zero 0" is the 11th entry (Including spin offs) to come out. It will take fans back to the year 1988. Taking place years before the first Yakuza game,It will focus on it's two protagonists: Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. If you have played the Yakuza games the past is always referenced to by the cast. This really sounds exciting and if you are a big Yakuza fan this is the time period that you always wanted to learn more about!

The game looks to also star fan favorite Goro Majima into the fold, maybe a playable character? I hope so! Here is also the full length trailer that was shown at TGS. Let's cross out fingers for a western release, even with the possibility as slim as it is, regardless this looks worth the import!

Yeah, this ain't coming out over here.... If they're not even willing to bring over Yakuza 5, then I imagine a prequel is practically impossible. Which is a shame because 90s Yakuza and playable Majima HNNNNNNGGG.

I know right!!! It's a darn shame! Hopefully one day Sega comes around....

Sega might be tempted to localize this entry because it's a prequel, but then again...

We're probably gonna be left in the dark. Again.

Is the game actually called Yakuza Zero Zero?

@counterclockwork87: In theory, it would probably be called Yakuza Zero if it ever got a western release (which it won't). For now, it's just Ryū ga Gotoku Zero.

Yakuza: Zero Chance of Being Localized!

HA Ha ha haaaaaa.

I can't take this anymore guys... The lack of new Yakuza games in my life is slowly killing me.. And by killing me, I mean actually killing me, not just a rubber bullet.

OH man why do you do this to us Sega. Probably another one that won't come over here. >_<

As someone who is slightly interested in playing this series, do the Yakuza games have some kind of continuity that requires one to play through them in order? I've only played the first one, and all I remember was that Michael Madsen was in it. I know that the second one is sorta hard to find nowadays, and the third and fourth had limited releases.

@viciousbearmauling: I like how Yakuza forums have slowly just become a place for yakuza fans to cry. I feel your pain man.

There is continuity with returning characters and the like, but you can jump into the fourth game and still pick things up fairly quickly. From the main menu you can actually watch re-caps of each game, which outline all of the major plot and characters from each title, so you can get yourself up to speed. The fourth game was my first one, so I watched those re-caps and jumped in, and I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of things quite quickly. If you don't want to play the second game, I'd say jump in with Yakuza 3 and just watch the re-caps for the first two.

Yakuza 4 has a recap mode that is over an hour long, if I recall correctly.

But yeah, the games are connected and expect you to know what's happened. So you can imagine the pain of a fan being invested in 4 games, and not being able to see the whole series through because localization has come to a halt.

Is the ps4 region free?

I figured I'd import P5 if it has English subs with JP voice acting, and I'd probably prefer it that way.

I believe the PS4 is indeed region free. If you're like Jeff I think you can just download it from the japanese store if you know how to do it.

@viciousbearmauling: @winsord: Oh cool, I wasn't aware of there being a recap mode. That should make it easier for me when I decide to skip 2 and not replay the first one.

@asilentprotagonist: Just wanted to let you know you made a typo in the thread title. 1998 instead of 1988

I was always super intrigued about this series, but never actually played one (other than a demo of fooouuur?) Having it set in the late eighties seems super cool. I could be completely wrong, but it seems like that would be Japan at its peak, atleast in modern times. I mean I wasn't born then, but it seems like Tokyo was future-city at that point.

Anyway!!! Who cares! This ain't going to come out in the west, so whatever!

Ops! Thanks man, silly me =P. If you are into or at least the bit interested in Japanese culture I would play the Yakazu series especially 3. It's the most faithfully recreated japan I have seen in game, It took me back to walking through the streets of Tokyo - Shibuya,Shinjuku etc. I highly recommend you give it a try regardless!

The JP versions of games very rarely have english subs and never english menus.