Wreckless 2 in the works

More than three years after the original game was released, Microsoft has revealed that an Xbox sequel to Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is currently in development.

Double S.T.E.A.L.: The Second Clash (the first game was published under the Double S.T.E.A.L. name in Japan) is set in Chicago, and features familiar characters such as coppers Madoka and Mai and Yakuza bigwig Tiger Tagaki.

It seems Takagi has been forced to leave Hong Kong following a US extradition order, and is now preparing to face charges in the windy city. But he manages to break out of jail and hook up with some old Yakuza friends, leading them on a violent crime spree right across town.

It's down to Madoka and Mei to bring Takagi down, pursuing him through the Chicago streets in any one of up to thirty vehicles - including patrol cars, tanks and bombers. Most of the cars will feature a turbo boost function, too.

As well as the single-player mode a split-screen two-player game is rumoured, but no Xbox Live functionality is currently planned other than the option to check your scores against other players. There are also around 30 mini-games and free-roaming and off-road racing options.

The game is being developed by Bunkasha Games and the same team which brought us the first Wreckless. Bunkasha has also hinted that a next-gen title is in the works, but won't reveal for which platform.

Wreckless was initially developed for Xbox before being ported over to PS2 and GameCube, and at present the sequel is an Xbox-only title. It's out in Japan on August 4 but Microsoft has yet to reveal if it'll make it to Europe - we'll keep you updated.