1. Yakuza 5 Announced for Localization
When all the controversy of the year started, we agreed that we would keep our focus on games. So it makes sense that amidst the controversies, the birthdays, the weird appearances, and the passings of personalities that a game localization would take our top spot.
Released in Japan on December 6th, 2012, the localization was announced two years later to the day. Obviously, this was a long time coming to get this game. But coming it is.
I don’t have a history with this series. So, to help with this, I refer to Assistant Review Manager Tyler Lubben’s remarks regarding the game in his Most Anticipated article last week.
…I was ecstatic to discover that SEGA had suddenly flipped on their decision not to localize Yakuza 5. I’m still fairly new to the franchise, having only played through Yakuza 4, but I instantly fell in love with the game’s intriguing story, memorable characters and crazy, over-the-top combat. Yakuza 5 looks to be an enormous game, with five different locales – all based on real Japanese cities – for players to spend exploring, playing minigames and beating the tar out of street punks. The game also has five playable protagonists – three returning and two new – all with different fighting styles to keep the game fresh and exciting. One of them, Haruka Sawamura, who has been a central character in the series since the beginning, also brings a variety of rhythm-based minigames to the game in her quest to become an idol. With all this, plus the promise of another high-stakes story of warring Yakuza clans – and all with a brand-new graphics engine – I’m simply beside myself with excitement.
As you can see, it’s a development that many are looking forward to. You can expect to see it sometime next year.
And that is it for our look at the past year. What was your most memorable moment of the year? Do you disagree with our list? Let us know in the comments.
And stay with us in the new year as we begin the process of determining the Readers’ Game of the Year.
