Sega's upcoming Yakuza game "Of the End" (that's upcoming in Japan -- Yakuza 4 is next for us!) changes things up by bringing zombies into the picture. Kamurocho is for some reason crawling with the undead, and four classic Yakuza series heroes have risen to take them on.
Previously, Sega introduced the new "Gun Shot Battle" system, which turns the game into a third person shooter. Sega has since provided additional details on the system, along with confirmation that the classic Yakuza will be in there too.
The four heroes of Of the End are Kazuma Kiryu (he's the franchise's main character in the previous Yakuza games), Shun Akiyama (he's one of the playable characters in Yakuza 4), Goro Majima and Ryuji Goda. They each have preferred weapons, Kiryu with his anti material rifle, Majima with his shot gun, Akiyama with his twin guns, and Goda with his gatling arm.
The default weapons have infinite ammo. All you have to do is keep reloading timing in mind, and you'll be able to blast away at the hoards of attacking zombies.
You don't even have to aim. The basic gunplay is being kept simple, so all you have to do is turn your character in the general direction of the enemies, and they'll auto target.
If you do want more precise aim, you can switch to Aiming Mode. This will allow you to target weak points for greater damage, and aim for instant kill head shots.
Of the End isn't all gunplay, though. Sega confirmed yesterday that the game will have melee combat. You'll be able to pound zombies with hand-to-hand attacks. Characteristic of the series, you'll also be able to make use of road side objects like signs and trash cans.
Screenshots suggest that the shooting and melee components of the battle system will be closely integrated. In one shot, we see Akiyama kicking a zombie while still holding on to his twin guns. Sega hasn't gotten too specific about how you'll switch off.
Past Yakuza games had flashy "Heat Action" special moves which you could perform once you'd filled up a Heat Action gauge. We're not sure at present if the Heat Action moves will be available for the game's melee combat component. But during the shooting component, you will hav access to a variation, the "Heat Snipe" move.
These character-specific moves are just as flashy as their Heat Action counterparts. One example has Kiryu throw grenades at a group of zombies, triggering the grenades with fire from his gun. The moves appear to be interactive, requiring button presses to complete them.
The game also has cooperative Heat Snipe moves where your characters will team up for group attacks.
There's a lot more to the game's battle system than the above. Sega hasn't shared too many details on what could be a major component: team-based blasting. You can team up with another character for your zombie rampage. Outside of the primary cast, team members can consist of NPC characters, including the game's hostesses!
Like its predecessors Of the End appears to offer a complete gameplay experience whether you're shooting or punching away at your foes. It just happens to be that those foes are zombies this time around.
