Sega Confirms Yakuza 2 European Release

Sega has announced that Yakuza 2, the sequel to its cult hit 3rd person action adventure game, will be coming to the PlayStation 2 in Europe on a yet-undetermined 2008 date. Sega originally announced the sequel in September of 2006. The original game received wide critical acclaim for its 'realistic' portrayal of Japanese crime families, and the sequel continues the same storyline surrounding the Tojo clan, taking protagonist Kazuma across Japan to prevent an all-out gang war between the Tojo and the rival Omi clan. Sega had announced a year later that the game would see a North American release in 2008, but to date no further information or more specific release date has been given. The game's third iteration, released in early March for the PlayStation 3 in Japan, takes place centuries earlier in Japan's Edo period. The title has proved to be one of the console's biggest hits in the region, selling around 181,000 units in its first week, including copies sold as part of a new hardware bundle for the PlayStation 3. Said Sega's European marketing director Gary Knight, “We are thrilled to treat the gamers in Europe to the sequel of the critically acclaimed Yakuza. Yakuza 2 is one of the most requested Japanese titles in our portfolio and we’re delighted to finally announce a European version.”