Screenshots of Yakuza 8 may have been shown during a studio tour
Mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura enjoyed visiting the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, filming footage of various jobs, Sega President Haruki Satomi (he led the tour), and even some new screenshots of Yakuza. Asakura may have inadvertently captured footage from Yakuza 8 or the Like a Dragon sequel, but without any additional context, the truth remains a mystery. You can watch the video below.
Like the Dragon protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga and his friends appear in several screenshots. Gone are the afro days of the charming hero, now sporting slicked-back hair and a ponytail. Based Famitsu reported that Nibel translated (see below), Yakuza 8 takes place in a new location and Mikuru Asakura appears.
Screenshots behind the scenes are the first peak of Yakuza 8 (part of the YouTube behind-the-scenes video)
The article states that there will be a new city in the game; Ichiban has his hair tied in the back instead of an afro.
Also, it looks like Mirai Asakura (MMA/YouTuber fighter) will be in Y8.
— Nibel (@Nibellion) July 19, 2022
Either way, Ichiban has entered our hearts in 2020. Jeff Cork reviewed Like a Dragon and said:
“Like a Dragon is a departure from the games that came before it, but I found these changes to revitalize. As much as I love the Yakuza formula, it definitely was a formula. Like Dragon has enough familiar elements to make it feel like it’s essentially a yakuza game. At the same time, I was fully aware of how much of a new identity this record creates. We hope this is the first step on another big journey for the series.”
I’m looking forward to Ichiban’s next adventure, whether it’s a numbered entry in the franchise or not.
