During a recently held Yakuza event at the Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California, series producer Daisuke Sato spoke a little bit about the future of the franchise, and in addition to speaking about the currently in development code-named Shin Yakuza, as well as the possibility of a direct sequel to last year’s Yakuza 0.

Sato mentioned that Yakuza 0 is as well loved within the development team over at Sega as much as it is by the fans of the game, and as such, the team has often bounced around ideas of possibly making a Yakuza 0-2, a game that would be set between Yakuza 0 and the first game in the series. Such a project, though, is not in development right now, as per Sato, nor are there any plans to work on it in the near future.

What is being worked on right now is a game that has been given the code-name Shin Yakuza (which was already revealed in 2017), and Sato gave plenty of interesting details on that particular project. The game will take players to new locations and will be set after Yakuza 6, and might see the return of several characters from past games. Since Yakuza 6 was series protagonist Kiryu’s last game, though, Shin Yakuza will feature a new protagonist in Ichiban Kasuga.

Sato also went on to speak about how Kasuga will be different as a protagonist than Kiryu. For one, he will be a much more emotive and outspoken character than Kiryu was. Also, when Kasuga’s story begins, he will have no money, power, friends, or support, and the game will show how he rises from that.

It definitely sounds interesting, so here’s hoping Sega will announce some more concrete details on the game soon. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more updates.

Yakuza 6 is out, and concludes Kiryu’s story, while the upcoming Yakuza Kiwami 2 will conclude the remake series for the franchise. We already have a Kiryu-less new Yakuza game announced. And in addition to all of this, the Yakuza studio is also already at work on a brand new IP that it will launch for consoles.

Speaking to Famitsu, Sega Sammy CEO Haruki Satomi confirmed that the studio has already begun work on a brand new franchise, noting that this new game will hit consoles- though, given Sega’s definition of the term, that could mean anything from coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or all three, or any combination in between.

Whatever it is, hopefully it is revealed soon. Yakuza is, after all, absolutely awesome, and I can’t wait to see what the studio will try its hands on next. Meanwhile, Yakuza 6 is available now on PS4 exclusively, so go get that.

Yakuza 6 is the latest entry into the Yakuza series but it’s also the conclusion to the story of Kazuma Kiryu. This time around, we see Kiryu going to prison for 3 years and then returning to the world outside. As with all Yakuza games, this one promises its share of over-the-top craziness, but there’s also an engaging story that is told through this game. The game features a huge open world with lots of activities to participate in, mini-games to play, and secrets to find. So if you’re looking for some information about how things work in this game, then look no further because this guide is here to help you out!

GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS

Explore the wide open world

This game features a bustling and large open world for you to explore. Make sure you see as much of the world as you can. More than many other open world games, Yakuza games are known for the many activities that are available for you to try out in the game. These can be really fun and they also offer good EXP and rewards. It’s also a great way to come across various side missions in the game.

Learn how the combat works

One of the main aspects of a Yakuza game is the brutal hand-to-hand combat you’ll have to engage in, so make sure you get the hang of how it all works.The basics are as follows: press square for a light attack, triangle for a heavy attack, and you can press circle to grab an enemy. There is also a heat gauge in the game represented by 3 orbs. As you attack enemies, the heat gauge slowly fills up and allows you to trigger heat mode which provides a boost to your combat abilities.

Complete the main missions

Not only is the story in this game a good one, but it’s also the best way to get familiarized with the game’s world. These offer a lot of EXP and great rewards overall so make sure you go back and do the main missions whenever you’re feeling stuck at any point.

Complete the side missions

Side missions are a great way to learn more about the game’s world. These quests can also be quite memorable, and they also offer a lot of EXP and some good rewards. Doing side missions is also a good way to explore more of the world around you.

ALL SAFES AND KEYS LOCATION

There are 10 different safes to find in the game with each of them holding some precious items. The keys and safes are found quite close to each other, and listed below are the locations of keys and safes in Kamurocho.

• Can be found inside POPPO. Safe holds High-tech In-soles, can be found in parking lot.
• In the building where you play the Mah-Jong mini-game, you can find the next key. Safe holds the Rusted Chain Mall, and can be found at the top of the building.
• Next key can be found on stairs to the north side. Safe holding Experience Book can be found at the top of the building.
• In Tenkaichi St., there is a building with a red carpet. The key is on the staircase, while the safe holding Steel Underwear can be found at the top of the building.
• You can find the next key is at the entrance of the SPUNKY building. Safe holding Hungry Belt will be found in the office on the second floor.

The following are the locations of the keys and safes in the Onomichi region.

• You will find a key at the docks. The safe holds Fearless Binding.
• Next key can be found on the path to the hill on E National Route 2. Safe holds Blood-Stained Binding.
• Next key is opposite where you found the previous key, i.e. on the other side of E National Route 2. You can find the safe in the garage below and it holds Love Protection charm.
• Head west from where you found the previous key and you will find a key on the first floor. The safe can be found nearby, just after the narrow crossing, and it holds the Bloody Fundoshi.
• You can find a key at the top of a building between W National Route 2 and Jingai Main Street. The safe holds the Stamina Belt.

HOW TO LEVEL UP AND EARN NEW SKILLS

As you may know from other RPGs, you can earn EXP and then level up your character. As your character gains more EXP, he gets stronger and will also be able to unlock new abilities. In Yakuza 6, you earn experience in any one category from the following: Strength, Agility, Spirit, Technique, and Charm. Doing a particular activity will net you EXP in the corresponding category. For example, fighting thugs will net you Strength EXP among other things.

There are a number of ways to earn EXP in the game including completing main story missions, side missions, and just exploring the open world. Make use of the Troublr app on your phone through which you can various tasks to do. Eating food items also grants you a decent amount of EXP. Also try and earn awards (these work like achievements but are not achievements) as these grant you a sizable amount of EXP as well.

Once you’ve earned enough EXP, the next thing to do is to spend this EXP so as to level up your character’s stats and abilities. There are different categories you can spend your EXP on, which are as follows:

• Battle Skills: These are some combat moves and techniques that can be unlocked and they can be very powerful apart from also looking really cool.
• Heat Actions: These refer to the special actions Kiryu can use when the heat gauge fills up.
• Stats: These are your basic stats like Health, Evasion, and others. It’s always a good idea to spend some EXP on leveling up your stats.
• Other Skills: These refer to various other miscellaneous skills like the ability to earn more EXP

In general, make sure you level up your basic stats first as these are always going to be useful. Next, focus on boosting how much EXP you earn, and try to balance the EXP you gain across different categories. Make sure you spend on Battle Skills as these will make your character much stronger. Given the many times you’ll be engaged in combat, spending EXP on Battle Skills will never go to waste. Finally, although Heat Actions are special moves, they can be used fairly often since the heat gauge doesn’t take too long to fill up. So make sure you spend some EXP on Heat Actions as well. You can spend the rest of your EXP based on the kind of activities you’re interested in, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit.

CLAN CREATOR AND CLAN CODES

An interesting mini-game in Yakuza 6 tasks you with building up your clan with four types of units: Brawlers, Gunners, Heavies, and Rushers. You can recruit members for a clan by getting a unique code for each member. You can engage with various clans in battle and you’ll have to deploy your units out into battle. The aim is to basically defeat as many enemies as possible. There is a hierarchy present and leaders will lead other soldiers such as Brawlers and Gunners into battle. Leaders also have some special skills which can aid you in battle. Pay attention to your Deployment Points (DP Gauge) as it decreases every time you deploy a soldier. Defeating enemy soldiers and leaders will result in an increase in your DP gauge.

Leaders affect the strength of their Captains while their own strength depends upon the soldiers they are leading. You will slowly expand your clan as you win more battles and you’ll be able to hire more leaders for your clan. There are many clan wars to participate in just within the main story missions, and these offer some great EXP.

You can find below the codes that you can use to recruit members to your clan.

• Kiryu- Common Rank: S66X7BAQN4ECAEE9
• EVIL – Rare Rank: 0Banshee0Muzzle0
• Satsuki- Rare Rank: MYSTRYMANSATSUKI
• Akiyama- Super Rare Rank: 0INTHEREDAKIYAMA
• Gedo- Rare Rank: ITSTHEGEDOCLUTCH
• Sodachi- Rare Rank: BestCoachSodachi
• Satsuki- Common Rank: PNJTEF9STVONK4U9
• Koumei- Rare Rank: BLACKPANTSKOUMEI
• Nagata- Rare Rank: NagataLockNagata
• Amon- Common Rank: 7R30M9ZDUH0MJIA1
• Bushi- Rare Rank: FirebirdSplasher
• Majima- Common Rank: T2OMQ7FM5KBJPOUR
• Joe- Rare Rank: HeaintNoJoeShmoe
• Ono Michio- Rare Rank: OHNOONOMICHIOKUN
• Kushida- Rare Rank: TheSuperNovaRana
• New japan- Rare Rank: PURORESUNEWJAPAN
• Sae Jima- Common Rank: VRJR9A7SX9Z6MMTV
• Date- Rare Rank: detectivemanDate
• Taguchi- Rare Rank: MasterofDropkick
• Akiyama- Rare Rank: AdreamingAkiyama
• Amon- Super Rare Rank: THESECRETJOAMON
• Ishii- Rare Rank: 00IshiiDriller00
• Strong Machine- Rare Rank: STRONGMACHINEDDT
• Daigo- Rare Rank: the6thheadofTojo
• Naito- Rare Rank: ELingobernable00
• Satsuki- Rare Rank: MYSTRYMANSATSUKI
• Masao- Rare Rank: shouldertoleanon
• Katsuyori Shibata- Rare Rank: ShibataGotoSleep
• Ono Michio- Common Rank: 3QXI6YIGSH03DETX
• Date- Common Rank: UVHVD2H7WI95GHNL
• Koumei- Rare Rank: NAPQWI7OTVM124HA
• Bartender Guy- Rare Rank: AMasterbartender
• Daigo- Common Rank: M5BXOKQRSIELV19D
• Nakanashi- Rare Rank: 0HERCULESCUTTER0
• Toru Yano- Rare Rank: BinwanProducer00′
• Okada- Rare Rank: RainmakerMrOkada

Each character has their own unique skills and abilities and you can read below what each character’s skills and abilities are.

• Kiryu: He is a Brawler type melee fighter with the useful skill Dragon of Dojima that grants 50% attack bonus to allies while also making them immune to knockbacks.
• EVIL: He is a Grenadier fighter who has the skill Ultimate Lariat which deals damage to all enemies within range.
• Date: He is a Gunner type fighter with a useful support ability called Muscle Party which renders the party invulnerable for 10 seconds.
• Majima: He is a Rusher type fighter with the skill Demonfire Slash which eliminates enemies within a given radius.
• Amon: He is a Gunner type fighter with the skill Ultimate Rocket Launcher which deals damage to all enemies within range.
• Tanahashi: He is a Heavy fighter with the useful skill Warrior of Love which revives leaders and restores some health to all allies.
• Captain New Japan: He is a Heavy/Grenadier type fighter with the skill Essence of Recovery which fully recovers his own health.
• Bartender: He is a Grenadier type fighter with the skill The Bartender’s Essence of Grenade which deals damage to all enemies within range.
• Saejima: He is a Heavy type fighter whose skill Woodsman Chip deals damage and stuns enemies within range.
• Koumei: He is a Gunner/Grenadier/Rusher type fighter with the skill Essence of Surprise which stuns all enemies within range and also restricts their movement.
• Daigo: He is a Gunner/Grenadier type fighter with the skill 6th Chairman’s Dignity which increased Deployment Points gauge by 150.
• Kushida: He is a Heavy type fighter with the skill Ultimate Diving Head which deals lots of damage to enemies within range.
• Akiyama: He is a Heavy/Brawler type fighter with the skill Essence of Stability that makes allies go into a frenzied attack mode for 10 seconds.
• Satsuki: He is a Heavy/Brawler type fighter with the same skill as Date which makes allies invulnerable for 10 seconds.
• Taguchi: He is a Brawler/Gunner type fighter with the skill Dropkick which inflicts quite a bit of damage to enemies within range.
• Super Strong Machine: He is a Heavy/Rusher type fighter with the skill Ultimate Diving Head which deals quite a bit of damage to enemies within range.
• Ono Michio: He is a Brawler/Rusher type fighter with the skill True Essence of Healing which restores medium health for all allies.
• Ishii: He is a Brawler/Heavy type fighter with the skill Spinning Lariant which deals a bit of damage to enemies within range.
• Sodachi: He is a Heavy/Grenadier type fighter with the skill Ultimate Diving Head which deals a lot of damage to enemies within range.
• Toru Yano: He is a Grenadier type fighter with the skill YTR which deals a lot of damage to enemies within range.
• Okada: He is a Rusher type fighter with the Rainmaker skill which deals a lot of damage and stuns enemies within range.
• Naito: He is a Gunner type fighter with the Tranquilo skill which deals a lot of damage and stuns enemies within range.
• Nakanashi: He is a Brawler type fighter with the skill True Essence of Healing which restores medium health to all allies.
• Gedo: He is a Grenadier/Gunner/Rusher type fighter with the skill Essence of Grenade which deals a lot of damage to enemies within range.
• BUSHI: He is a Heavy/Rusher type fighter with the skill Essence of Surprise which stuns and restricts movement of enemies within range.
• Shibata: He is a Heavy type fighter whose Ultimate Dropkick skill deals a lot of damage to enemies within range.

RECRUITING BASEBALL PLAYERS

Baseball is a fun mini-game that can also be quite challenging. To win these baseball matches, you’re going to have to put together a really strong team. You can find below how to recruit players for your team. First of all, you need to have completed Substory #35 ‘We need a Ringer’ before you can start recruiting players for your team.

• Moritsuka: You just need to finish Baseball Substory #35 ‘We need a Ringer’.
• Kase: After completing Substory #25 ‘The fools who dream’, you can find him in the Central Shopping District.
• Kawamura: You can find him roaming around North Hana No Kubo. To recruit him, you will need the RIZAP ‘Muscle’ protein supplement on you.
• Gorchov: To recruit him, you need to complete Fishing Substory #48 ‘World’s Best Octopus.’
• Gen-San: After completing Substory #43 ‘Tech Support’, you must speak with him in the bar to recruit him.
• Genie: To recruit him, you’ll have to first find him next to a taxi on the East side of Shishido Street and then give him some Sushi.
• Kuramoto: First off, buy some Kabukin from Nagi pharmacy. Give him this when you find him outside Yonetoku.
• Gori: To recruit him, you must finish Substory #20 ‘A Promise Between men.’
• Akiyoshi-san: To recruit him, you must speak with him at the bar after having finished Substory #42 ‘Powerful Memories.’
• Maetani: You need 1 million yen to recruit him and you can find him to the North West of Onomichi, standing next to a shrine.
• Yoshida: To recruit him, you must complete Substory #19 ‘Step up to the plate.’
• Hatakeyama-san: To recruit him, you must complete Substory #41 ‘What’s the matter with kids today.’

HOW TO CHANGE TIME OF DAY (DAY OR NIGHT)

In Yakuza 6, there are many missions which require you to do them at a particular time of day. Unfortunately, you don’t get the ability to change the time of day early on in the game. In fact, you only gain this ability by the final 13th chapter of the game. Once you reach this chapter, you’ll be able to change the time in both Kamurocho and Onomichi.

To change the time in Kamurocho, just go to New Serena bar and then you’ll see a blue arrow on your mini-map. Just go up to the door and select the option ‘Rest Until’ and you’ll be able to choose how many hours you want to pass in the game’s world.

In Onomichi, it works the same way in Kiryu’s Crash Pad, the Old Navy Apartments. Similar to how it worked in the New Serena bar, just go up to the door where you see the blue arrow and then select ‘Rest Until.’

HOW TO TRAVEL FROM ONOMICHI TO KAMUROCHO AND VICE VERSA

Just like with the ability to change time, your options when it comes to travelling between these two cities is quite limited. This may be worrying for those of you who have left some side missions incomplete in a particular city. However, by the end of the game, i.e. at the very last chapter, you gain the ability to hail a cab so as to travel between these two cities. You can do this just before the final events of the story. But keep in mind that this option isn’t available prior to the 13th chapter.

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES GUIDE

You can read below the full list of achievements you can earn in the game.

The Song of Life: Obtained all other trophies.

Welcome Back: Arrived in Kamurocho for the first time.

Hiroshiman Shadows: Completed Chapter 2.

Her Secret Life: Completed Chapter 4.

A Dead End: Completed Chapter 6.

Priceless Child: Completed Chapter 8.

The Secret of Onomichi: Completed Chapter 10.

Cycle of Blood: Completed Chapter 12.

Thank You: Completed all of the main story.

Dragon of Legend: Completed the game on LEGEND difficulty.

Tell Me a Story: Completed 10 substories.

Hero of the Story: Completed 40 substories.

Story of My Life: Completed all substories.

Troubleshooter: Completed 5 types of Trouble Missions.

This Is My City:  Completed 20 types of Trouble Missions.

Feeling the Heat: Activated Extreme Heat Mode 10 times.

Live to Fight Another Day: Ran away from 10 encounters successfully.

Skill Dabbler: Obtained 10 skills.

Skill Pro: Obtained 25 skills.

Skill Master: Obtained all skills.

Life of the Dragon: Raised Health to a natural 150.

Strength of the Dragon: Raised Attack to a natural 150.

Vitality of the Dragon: Raised Defense to a natural 150.

Speed of the Dragon: Raised Evade to a natural 150.

Heat of the Dragon: Raised the Heat Gauge to a natural 150.

Limit Breaker: Raised all stats to a natural 200.

Peak Kiryu: Raised all stats to a natural 300.

Amon Defeated: Defeated Amon on any difficulty.

A Man’s Experience: Obtained 1,000 total experience points.

A Fighter’s Experience: Obtained 10,000 total experience points.

A Dragon’s Experience: Obtained 100,000 total experience points.

Just Getting Started: Completed 10 items on the Completion List.

Maybe You Can Do It: Completed 31 items on the Completion List.

You Did It: Completed 100 items on the Completion List.

Kiryu Clan Founder: Assembled the Kiryu Clan.

Kiryu Clan Captain: Reached level 3 in the Kiryu Clan.

Kiryu Clan Patriarch: Completed the Clan Creator storyline.

What A Player: Played every minigame.

Dragon of DoGYMa: Experienced every RIZAP training.

I’ll Have the Calamari: Defeated the Emperor Squid.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Reached Beloved Customer rank at Snack New Gaudi.

Club Shine Star: Requested every hostess.

The Internet’s Real Purpose: Chatted with both lovely Live Chat ladies.

To Be This Good Takes AGES: Played every Club SEGA game.

Play Ball!: Won a baseball game

Dandling Dragon: Experienced the trials of raising a baby.

How Fortuitous: Pulled “Great Blessing” at the temple.

Get Out And Stay Out!: Made a store employee angry at you.

Off the Beaten Path: Found a secret passage.

Not the Brightest Idea: Jumped from a dangerously high place.

Pretty Tasty: Activated five types of eatery combos.

Commemorative Photo: Took a photo of Ono Michio-kun.

Life Through Kiryu’s Eyes: Walked 30 seconds in first-person mode.

No Photos!: Got surrounded by enemies while trying to take a picture

Yakuza 6 finally saw an end to the dramatic and long-running story of Kazama Kiryu. If you’re itching to play some more of Yakuza, then you’ll be excited to know that some of the older games in the series, namely Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5 are being remastered, and will release between this year and the next, according to this week’s issue of Dengeki PlayStation.

Yakuza 3 will actually be out quite soon as it set to release on August 9. The game is priced at 3990 yen, and will also come with a download code for the game’s soundtrack. Yakuza 4 is set to release during Fall of this year and Yakuza 5 will release in Spring of 2019. The remasters will not come with any added content, but will bring improved resolutions and framerates. This will allow you to experience these older games on the PS4 and they’ll look better than they ever did before.

A western version has not been announced yet. Are you excited to try out these games for yourself? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks, Ryokutya2089.

It seems as though Yakuza 6 has gone on to do well for Sega, in spite of their baffling decision to launch it right next to Sony’s God of War. Speaking during a Sega Nama live stream, Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi shared that according to his estimates, Yakuza 6 has sold 800,000 to 900,000 copies worldwide already- which makes it a healthy success for such a niche game in the west.

It makes it one of the more successful games in the series (though still not the most successful- the first few games, for example, hit over a million units sold in Japan alone). This kind of international success is also why Sega will be committed to ongoing international releases of the games going forward, Nagoshi confirmed, hinting that the Yakuza remasters announced for the PS4 may be headed west eventually.

For now, if you haven’t already, make sure to play Yakuza 6. It’s out now exclusively on the PS4.

We’ve seen some amazing bosses come from 2018 already, filling that need we all have for toppling the gigantic, unbeatable feeling foes and proving ourselves worthy. Whether bringing down an elder dragon or saving our boy from an angry enemy, we’re taking a moment to discuss some of the best fights of the year so far. Beware of spoilers.

Monster Hunter: World – Tempered Deviljho

While the Deviljho seen much earlier in the game can be prepared for and taken down with relative ease, the Tempered version added to the late game as an event is a different story all together. The huge beasty is incredibly well armoured and aggressive, meaning players are going to constantly want to be on the move, only moving in to punish when completely safe to do so. A mobile weapon that allows such quick strikes is advised, bonus points for dragon element.

Yakuza 6 launched exclusively on the PlayStation 4 earlier this year, marking a grand conclusion to the saga of Kazuma Kiryu. The first game made on Sega’s brand new Dragon Engine, tailor made for the Yakuza series, the game, while in some ways a step back from last year’s excellent Yakuza 0, was a great title that gave the Yakuza series and Kiryu the send off they deserved.

Now, PC players may get the chance to play the game, too. On the heels of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami (the remake of the original) coming to PC, Yakuza 6 may be coming to the platform, too- and soon. Sega’s financial statement lists Yakuza 6 as a major game for this financial year- which, of course, you’d expect. Except it lists Yakuza 6 for PC and PS4, both.

So unless Sega made a major mistake on their financial documents (which you usually won’t, you know), it seems like they’ve outed a PC version for Yakuza 6 that will be coming some time before the end of March next year. Hurray.

There are boss fights and then there bosses. The foes listed here didn’t just a pose a challenge in 2018 – they threatened to wipe the floor with us at almost every turn. It’s one thing to have a frustrating encounter but pulling out all the stops and taking them down was a reward unto itself. Let’s take a look at the hardest boss fights of 2018.

Inner Agent 3 – Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion

Accessible only when all 80 challenges and the final event have been cleared in the Octo Expansion, Inner Agent 3 challenges you to “surpass the hero within”. Bombs galore, an infinite ink tank, the ability to fly and bombard you from above, splashdowns with huge impact radius – Inner Agent 3 can do it all and then some. And make no mistake – all of these attacks hurt.

An open world game is judged on a number of different criteria, from the range of its activities to whether the gameplay is fun or not. But the true hallmark of a game in the genre is how lively its world feels, pulling in players and seemingly immersing them on a grand scale. Let’s take a look 15 of the most lively open world games of all time and why they’re so noteworthy.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Bethesda’s games have always been buggy and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was no exception. However, the sheer attention to detail that went into its world and NPCs was staggering, even by today’s standards. Non-playable characters each had their own schedules that follow irrespective of the player’s state; the world is immense and rife with interesting quests, factions and storylines; and there’s freedom in both player choice and AI behavior (to a degree in the latter’s case).

Throughout the long and storied history of PlayStation, Sony’s family of devices has played host to countless games that have offered up some truly amazing boss fights that stand out in our memories to this day, either because of how dramatic they were, or how challenging they were, or how fun they were, or any number of other reasons. In this feature, we’re going to talk about fifteen such boss fights.

NOTE: There will be spoilers ahead for all games mentioned in this feature, so if we’re talking about a game you want to avoid spoilers for, skip ahead to the next entry.

CRONOS (GOD OF WAR 3)

The Cronos boss fight in God of War 3 is the perfect encapsulation of everything this series is about. The sheer scope of this entire fight is simply staggering, and the brutality that Kratos exhibits while taking the Titan down – from ripping off his fingernail to stabbing him through the throat – are the epitome of that era of God of War. In God of War (2018), when Atreus sees a dragon and asks Kratos if he can kill something that big, it’s hard not to laugh and immediately think back to the time he killed a creature literally the size of a mountain.