| Kurohyōu: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō | |
| Developer: | Sega CS3 Syn Sophia[1] |
| Publisher: | Sega |
| Series: | Yakuza |
| Platforms: | PlayStation Portable |
| Genre: | Action-adventure |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Producer: | Toshihiro Nagoshi |
| Composer: | Hidenori Shoji Hyd Lunch Yukie Sugawara Hideki Naganuma |
, codenamed "Project K", is a video game developed by Sega along with syn Sophia[1] and released by Sega for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2010.[2] The game was introduced on April 21, 2010 by Famitsu and is a spin-off of Sega's Yakuza series.[3] An adaptation of the game was televised from October 5 to December 21, 2010, on Tokyo Broadcasting System.
On September 22, 2010, street punk Tatsuya Ukyo attempts to rob the Chinese mafia while posing as a Tojo Clan enforcer, but accidentally kills a Tojo Clan yakuza, Naoki Toda, during his escape. He is caught and brought before Toda's patriarch, Ryutaro Kuki, who introduces him to Dragon Heat, an underground fighting circuit where spectators bet on the victor. Kuki gives Tatsuya an ultimatum: earn his freedom by winning ten consecutive matches there, or be handed over to the police for murder. With no alternative, Tatsuya enters Dragon Heat.
The gameplay is focused on 1-on-1 brawling and martial arts, rather than the beat-em-up gameplay of the main Yakuza series. The combat is modeled after Def Jam Fight for NY, made by AKI Corporation (now syn Sophia), combined with elements of the main series' titles such as heat actions, overworld enemy encounters, and picking up weapons scattered around the arena. The 3D rendered gameplay uses the same kind of fixed camera system as in the first two Yakuza games on the PlayStation 2.
Though on PSP, the game has similar mini-games to the main series, such as bowling, claw machines, and a batting center. Hostess clubs feature an interaction for a Kiss, which depends on how highly hearted the hostess is. Part-time jobs have been added for gaining money, as it is purposefully scarce in the game compared to other franchise titles.
As part of the game's multiplayer mode, a custom character is required to play online. This mode consists of missions to unlock items for character customization, and can be played either solo or cooperatively with another player. A standard VS mode can also be played among other players and teams. Fighting styles and stats are carried over from offline mode, and are based on the player's progress in the game.
A television series based on the game began airing on TBS on October 5, 2010 and ended after 11 episodes.[4] The series spawned a sequel in 2012 based on the game's sequel, the series also ran for 11 episodes[5]
A sequel, was introduced for PSP by Ryū ga Gotoku series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in Weekly Famitsu[6] and released in Japan on March 22, 2012.[7] [8]
Although the game, along with its sequel, is one of the few entries in the Yakuza series which has never received an international release, interest from fans has led to the development of fan translations for both games.[9] [10] [11]