Today Sega released a sizable batch of new screenshots of the upcoming PS4 exclusive Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, that will be released in Japan on December 8th.

First of all, we get the introduction of two characters:

Kanji Koshimizu is a lieutenant of the Himei Alliance, boss of the Koshimizu family, said to be next in line to become the boss. He belong to a belligerant faction within the clan, with a strong thirst for mortal combat. Koji Masuzoe is the boss of the Masuzoe Family of the Himei Alliance.

If you want to hear their voices, you can also check out their voice actors in the videos at the bottom of the post.

We also get a deep overview of combat in the game:

For the first time the game will include the "Action Matching System," which has been built from scratch for the sixth chapter. Whenever Kazuma hits an enemy, the system determines the angle of attack, posture, and more, displaying a natural animation whether it goes through or his guarded.The reaction of the enemy also adapts to the effect of the attack

The "Figure System" takes in account the environment and the mutual interference among characters, also having them react naturally to obstacles like terrain and roadside objects. This creates drastically improved visuals and realism for battles, with movement intertwined with dynamic objects, characters and elements of the environment.

The team also paid attention to the inclusion of more diverse terrain design and props, like large and small steps and stairs, slopes and more, including a variety of terrain unprecedented in the series, also dramatically increasing the number of objects that can be found and used. The streets are overflowing with items that can be used as weapons (including the classic bicycles) and liven up the battles.

The fighting style of Kazuma Kiryu himself, described as "the Dragon of Dojuma Reborn," has been revised to add more variety and to be more intuitive, featuring attacks, guard, diverse offensive and defensive tactics and dodge. Heat Actions will be more powerful, and it will be possible to feel the power of massive attacks as much as the quickness of nimble ones.

For the first time in this game you will be able to use the "Ultimate Heat Mode," boosting Kazuma's attacks. During this mode, he will be impervious to the weak attacks of his enemies, and he will be able to lift huge objects, using them as weapons while he would not be able to do so normally.

Interestingly, the game also supports the option not to fight, this time around, avoiding battles and allowing players to focus on exploration and enjoying the story if they so wish.