New and old Yakuza fans alike got a special treat today, as the Yakuza Remastered Collection was announced for PlayStation 4 – a full update of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 for modern machines with modern localisations. But now that the series has finally started making its way to PC, can the fresh set of remasters be far behind?
We can say for sure that a PC version of the Yakuza Remastered Collection is not coming immediately. Asked about the possibility of a PC port at Gamescom, series producer Daisuke Sato tells VG247 that “I can’t comment on that at this very moment. But I wouldn’t say it won’t ever happen.”
Given the path of Yakuza ports on PC, an eventual release for this collection seems inevitable, but it looks like that’s as concrete a response as we’re getting for now. On console, the remasters are only available as a bundle. Yakuza 3 is out right now, Yakuza 4 will launch on October 29, and Yakuza 5 will finish out the collection on February 11.
The Yakuza 3 release is especially notable, as it’ll include the content cut from the original localisation, including things like mahjong and hostess clubs that were removed for fear that Western audience wouldn’t understand them. Mahjong will even have a new tutorial to introduce English-speaking players to the game, as Sato tells GamesIndustry.biz in a separate interview.
There’ll still be some things cut in the new version, though. A substory where Kiryu tries to escape the romantic advances of a trans woman has been removed, for example. The game’s also been altered as a result of expired licenses for actor likenesses and corporate logos. Sato says “since we had to change some content anyway, we felt we should update the content for the current age when we’re releasing this game.”
Yakuza Kiwami 2 – a full remake of the original Yakuza 2 – hit PC earlier this year, so the collection of 3, 4, and 5 will mark the perfect continuation of the series if you’ve just jumped in. But do expect to keep waiting if you want that continuation on PC.