Summary
Sega andYakuzadeveloperRyu Ga Gotoku Studiohave announced two brand-new titles at The Game Awards 2024, including a brand-new entry in the veneratedVirtua Fighterseries, and a completely unique open-world game. WhileRyu Ga Gotoku Studiois best-known for theYakuza/Like a Dragonfranchise of games, the studio has been brought on to help revive Sega’s classicVirtua Fighterfighting game series. Alongside the first look at a brand-new entry in the long-running series, the studio also gave fans a teaser trailer for a game that is very different from the typicalLike a Dragonfare.
Many fans expected that Sega would be bringing backVirtua Fighter, considering The Game Awards 2023 saw the announcement of several classic IPs from the publisher likeJet Set RadioandCrazy Taxiwere being revived. There were a few cryptic hints about a new entry in the series being dropped throughout 2024 untilSega officially confirmed a newVirtua Fightergame was in developmentearlier this November.
The teaser trailer for this newVirtua Fightergame shows it taking place in a rural town, with a shadowy fighter punching and tackling an enemy through a nearby house, who bears a similar resemblance to series mainstay Akira Yuki, based on the pose. The trailer also shows some brief gameplay of this new game, where this mysterious fighter is taking on Sarah Bryant, another regular oftheVirtua Fighterroster. More information aboutVirtua Fighterwill be shown in a special 30th-anniversary livestream taking place on December 13 at 12 AM EST.
Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Reveal New Virtua Fighter, Project Century
The other and most surprising announcement wasProject Century, a period piece taking place in Japan and is set in 1915. The game has a grittier feel compared to themainlineLike a Dragontitles, having slightly more realistic graphics. The violence on display is a bit more realistic too, where the player can mount on top of an enemy to beat their face, or dual wield a pair of weapons and fend off enemies in the rain.
As such,Project Centurylooks to be a variation on the game’s classic beat-em-up gameplay instead of the turn-based RPG gameplay in the Ichiban Kasuga-led titles, similar to the return to the roots oftheGaidenspin-offs. The more realistic and gritty look, combined with the open-world and side activities draws immediate comparisons toSleeping Dogsas well. Regardless, many fans are very curious aboutProject Century, considering how much of a departure it is fromRyu Ga Gotoku Studio’s well-known works.
