Yakuza 4 demo shaking down PSN this month

March is shaping up to be a pretty big month for game releases, including the 3DS launch lineup, Dragon Age II, Homefront, Okamiden, Shogun 2: Total War, Darkspore, Shift 2 Unleashed: Need for Speed, Crysis 2, PlayStation Move Heroes, and Yakuza 4. That's a slew of different ways for players to divide their gaming dollars for the month, but Sega is looking to help them make at least one decision on that front.

The publisher today announced that it will release a demo for Yakuza 4 on the PlayStation Network later this month. In the latest installment in the organized crime saga, main character Kazuma Kiryu is joined by equally pugnacious combatants Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima. The demo will let players try out all four of the characters and their respective fighting styles. PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download the demo starting February 16, with all PlayStation Network users getting access to it on February 23.

Sega localized Yakuza 1, 2, and 3 but elected to skip the westward migration process for series spin-off Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!, which was released in Japan in 2008. A fifth installment set amid a zombie apocalypse, Ryu ga Gotoku: Of the End, is expected to launch in Japan in March. A global release for that game has yet to be announced.

For more on Sega's latest, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Yakuza 4.