Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s next game will feature encounters with birds (no, I’m not kidding…).

SEGA has given a little more insight into Yakuza 8 (that’s what it is, just not in the name). Here’s a little glimpse into some of the sub-stories you can experience with the people of Hawaii! In Close Encounters of the Bird Kind?, Kasuga meets a girl who swears up and down that her beloved pet chicken was taken away by a UFO. Everyone she’s told, including the police, has dismissed it as her eyes playing tricks on her, but Kasuga sees her desperation and agrees to help her search for the UFO. While exploring a certain park rumored to be a hotspot for UFO sightings, he witnesses a cow floating towards a mysterious light… In Home to Roost, Kasuga takes a nap on a Hawaiian beach. But when he wakes up, his head feels heavy. He rushes to a shop window to examine himself, only to find that a baby bird has taken up residence on his head. With the baby bird refusing to budge, Kasuga must embark on a frantic journey across Hawaii to reunite it with its mother.

Increase your Personality stats and enjoy Hawaii to your heart’s content! Personality is a stat made up of six character traits: Passion, Confidence, Charisma, Kindness, Intellect, and Style. These can be enhanced through substories, mini-games, and more. Enhance Kasuga’s personality traits to improve his stats and abilities, get new jobs, interact with more people, and unlock new events. Enjoy the streets of Hawaii as you build your personality!

Strengthen your bonds with friends and take on battles together! A friend’s bond level represents how close they are to Kasuga or Kiryu. Unlock more jobs and abilities by reaching certain bond levels! What’s more, your friend will use chain and combo attacks in battle, giving you an extra edge against enemies. Nurture your bond by spending time together chatting at restaurants in Table Talk, sharing laughs on the streets in Party Chat, or playing mini-games like Darts and Karaoke. There are also many other ways to strengthen your bond, such as giving gifts to your friends when you see them around town, so do whatever it takes to get closer! Sounds like Persona, doesn’t it?

During Walk & Talk events, you can chat with one of your friends and learn everything from their favorite foods to their unexpected hobbies. Your Bond Bingo keeps track of everything you learn from Walk & Talks. Complete any vertical, horizontal or diagonal row to significantly strengthen your bond. The deeper your bond, the more you’ll see a new side of your friends and hear all about their troubles in a special story called a Drink Link. This is reminiscent of the Loyalty Missions in Mass Effect.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be available on January 26th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC Steam, Microsoft Store, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: Gematsu