The upcoming PSP Yakuza game’s announcement was accompanied by hints of multiplayer support, but we have been in the dark as far as details goes. Now, thanks to Famitsu, we know some of how the multiplayer will work in Black Panther: Yakuza New Chapter (or whatever they’re going to call it).
There will be ad-hoc support for four-player battles. There’s a tag match mode that is basically two-on-two fights. A battle royal (2-4 p) is called Dogeza Battle. Famitsu says that the first player to be defeated has to kneel down before the winning player. Finally, there’s Team Battle, where two players create a team of five thugs. The first time to get three wins overall is the champ.
You’ll begin the game by creating a custom character and then equipping it with fighting styles and options that will increase as you progress through the main story mode. You’ll also gradually gather thugs for the Team Battle from characters you encounter in the main game. Andria Sang says that those team members have their own lives, and you’ll get messages that tell you what they’re doing when they’re not available for a fight.
All of this sounds like a solid addition to single-player Yakuza. It’s funny how the smallest game of the series sounds like the biggest now.
