Yakuza’s producer wants to bring Japan-only games Kenzan and Ishin to the west

The producer of the Yakuza series says he would like to bring two spin-off titles, Kenzan and Ishin, to the west for the first time.

Speaking to JP Games, Daisuke Sato said he would like to see the two games localised for western audiences, but that because of their age they would require more work than just a straight port.

“Personally, I would like for these titles to be localised and enjoyed by our Western fans,” Sato confirmed. “We were prioritising regaining our ground with the series in the west from Yakuza 0, so time just flew by without an ideal time to release these games.

“In my opinion, the action is among the best in the series, so I’d like to localise them if we get the chance.

“However, [Ishin] is also close to seven years old, so we may need to put in additional work to remake it instead of a simple port, so the decision is a bit more complicated.”

Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! was a historical spin-off of the main Yakuza series, released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3. It’s set in historical Japan in the early 1600s and follows Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.

Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin!, meanwhile, was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2014 and is set during the mid-1800s, with players taking on the role of real-life samurai Sakamoto Ryoma.

Earlier this month, Sega announced that the Yakuza spin-off Judgment, which was released in the west on PS4 in 2019, would be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Stadia on April 23, 2021.

The most recent Yakuza instalment, Like a Dragon, released in the West last year. In VGC’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon review, our critic Matthew Castle called the game “hugely entertaining”.

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