Today Yakuza Producer Toshihiro Nagoshi announced during a livestream from Tokyo that the new Fist of the North Star game Hokuto Ga Gotoku for PS4 will use the same engine used for Yakuza Kiwami, that incidentally released today in the west.

According to Nagoshi-san, the new Dragon Engine used for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and in use for Yakuza Kiwami 2 is rather challenging to use and still partly being developed. Combined to the fact that many new developers joined the team recently to work on the new games, Sega decided to stick to the older engine for Hokuto Ga Gotoku. It's a safer bet because it's already fully developed and feature-complete, more suitable for new staff to work on.

That said, there will be a marked difference in looks compared to Yakuza Kiwami, because a different shader has been plugged into the engine. Called "Toon Shader," it will give the game's visuals a more anime-like feel.

You can see the full recording below, also starring actor Takaya Kuroda, who voices Yakuza hero Kazuma Kiryu, and will also voice Fist of the North Star protagonist Kenshiro in the new game.

Recently, Sega revealed the future of the Yakuza series (split in two games, Yakuza Online and Shin Yakuza), and Yakuza Kiwami 2. You can also check out Hokuto Ga Gotoku's original announcement.

Just a couple days ago, the western arm of the company issued a survey asking fans if they're interested in the new game.