Sega revamped the battle system for Yakuza 5. The PlayStation 3 game will have seamless transitions into battles and people in the city have more vibrant reactions to fights.

Sega’s newcomer in Yakuza 5, Tatsuo Shinada, is an ex-baseball player. He shows his true power in a fight when you grab a baseball bat or another cylindrical object.

Tatsuo Shinada is new to the Yakuza games. He used to be a baseball player for the Nagoya Wyverns, so when he brawls he uses like bats.

The Yakuza series has arcades where Kazuma can play various video games. In Yakuza 5 he can play Namco Bandai’s rhythm game series Taiko: Drum Master.

Meanwhile, Yakuza 4 character Taiga Saejima is in prison. He escapes into Hokkaido’s forests in Yakuza 5.

Tatsuo Shinada used to play for Nagoya’s Wyverns, but is banned from baseball after he started gambling. You can help him regain his honor in Yakuza 5.

Players will also have to manage Haruka’s schedule, show up to fan events, and answer questions for news reporters.

Taiga Saejima from Yakuza 4 returns in Yakuza 5 as a playable character. In his Another Drama storyline, Taiga goes hunting for a giant bear in Hokkaido, but loses consciousness on the mountain.

Kazuma Kiryu left the gangster life behind and when Yakuza 5 begins he’s working as a taxi cab driver in Fukuoka. Of course, Sega took this opportunity to make a taxi driving mini-game, but Crazy Yakuza Taxi this isn’t.

Haruka who we’ve seen since the first Yakuza title is a playable character in Yakuza 5. Since she’s only 16 years old she can’t hang around cabaret clubs or gambling dens.

First screenshots of Yakuza 5 inside.

Tatsuo Shinada is a new character. He used to be baseball player, but was banned from the game for gambling. Debt collectors are chasing Shinada down and he’s designed to be a character players emphasize with.

The next game in the series picks up after Yakuza 4 and of course Kazuma Kiryu is the main character.

Fans in Japan can vote for one of four cities.