A studio tour of developer Ryu Ga Gotoku guided by MMA star Mikuru Asakura has revealed the first look at Yakuza 8, the next game in the long-running RPG series, and sequel to 2020’s Like A Dragon. The video, spotted by Famitsu, gives a brief look at the development work of three returning characters: Ichiban Kasuga (the beloved protagonist of Like A Dragon), Koichi Adachi, and Yu Nanba.
Notably, the video has revealed that Kasuga will sport a new hairstyle in this game. While he wore his hair wild and unkempt in Like A Dragon (the result of a bad haircut), his hair is seemingly tied back in this adventure. Still, with his stern eyes and heavyset brow, he remains distinctly recognisable.
His appearance also cements what many had been expecting of the sequel: that Kasuga will be the primary protagonist of the series going forward. It’s unknown if former protagonist Kazuma Kiryu will appear in this game as well, although given he did have a small role in Like A Dragon, this is likely.
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You can check out the first, early looks at Yakuza 8 below, courtesy of Mikuru Asakura:
While the game was previously confirmed to be in development, this is the first time we’ve seen actual footage from the project. Given the scale of past Yakuza games, we’ll likely have to wait some time before we learn more about what’s in store.
That said, the Asakura-led tour did reveal some interesting tidbits – namely, that the fighter will have a cameo appearance in the game. This is fairly standard for the franchise. In the past, it has featured stars from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, including Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano, as well as a number of other celebrity fighters.
Mikuru Asakura joins a stellar cast of guest stars.
We’ll learn more about the game, and Kasuga’s new role, as Ryu Ga Gotoku continues development on the title.
