Zombies invade next Yakuza game

This year's Tokyo Game Show is seeing a lot of familiar franchises upended. Devil May Cry is moving to a modern-day setting with DMC, Spike is making a family-friendly version of Fire Pro Wrestling featuring Xbox Live avatars, and the next Steel Battalion game is swapping out the original's mammoth 40-button controller for Xbox 360 Kinect support.

Sega is getting in on the trend as well, as the company is using the show to debut a new Yakuza game featuring zombies. The newly named Yakuza: Of the End will arrive for the PlayStation 3 in Japan, though a release window has not been specified.

When Sega first acknowledged the game's development, series director Toshihiro Nagoshi said the core concept was "destruction." The first teaser for Yakuza: Of the End certainly backs that notion up, as it features zombies invading the series' Kamurocho district (based on the real-world Kabukicho area in Shinjuku). The ensuing havoc sees a building blown up, military forces overrun, giant monsters tearing up the city, and four main characters brandishing some heavy-duty firearms. In the case of Ryuji Goda, his right arm has been replaced with a Gatling gun.

Staving off the zombie apocalypse with high explosives and heavy artillery will be a primary theme of the game, but Sega is including a variety of other activities. Players will be able to unwind from the carnage by going fishing or playing minigames like table tennis, pachinko, mahjong, or darts.

While Yakuza: Of the End has not been confirmed for international release, the series' history suggests it would be a good candidate for localization. A feudal-Japan-set spin-off and a PSP installment in the series have yet to find their way to foreign shores, but the first three main installments in the Yakuza series have been released in the West. Another installment, Yakuza 4, is set for release in North America and Europe next spring.

For more on Yakuza: Of the End, check out GameSpot's first impressions.