Featuring eight main games and multiple spinoffs, the Yakuza series isamong SEGA's most popular long-running franchises.The series has sold over 14 million units around the world andcontinues to skyrocket in popularity, in large part thanks to the2020 release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.For newcomers, the sheer number of Yakuza games may be intimidating, as it's not obvious which order they should be played in.
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To make the most out of the crime series'melodramatic narratives and shocking twistswithout any spoilers, it's best togo with a chronological approach that follows the franchise's main storyline. Of course, players can stop and play any of the spinoffs, like Judgment and Dead Souls, in between the main games. However, newcomers mayfind it more immersive and less confusing to follow Kazuma Kiryu's story from start to finish before exploring games outside of the main storyline.
Yakuza 0
Despite beingthe sixth main entry in the series,Yakuza 0is an excellent starting point for new players.Set in 1980s Japan, 0's events take place more than a decade before the first Yakuza game. The 2017 release delves into the story of the game's protagonists, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, and sets up the rest of theeventsin the series well.
Yakuza 0 features some of the series' core elements like long cutscenes, dramatic dialogue, and old-school brawling. The game explores the major characters and their motivations, making it an ideal introduction to the franchise's large cast.Of course, it also hashundreds of mini-games and side activities that help introduce players to the lighthearted entertaining side of the series. In between brawls, players may find themselves wandering into the arcade or hosting a karaoke night. All in all, Yakuza 0 captures the best elements in thefranchise and lays out everything in a cohesive way that new players will surely appreciate.
Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuzareleased for the PS2 in 2005. Kiwami was launched not long after Yakuza 0 and is a faithful retelling of the events in the original Yakuza game.Set in the same streets as its prequel, the player's objectives revolve around Kiryu's struggles with love, friendship, and organized crime.
While Kiwami does feature modern gameplay mechanicsthat make the game's battles and brawls fun, it's not as expansive as Yakuza 0, which had more mini-gamesand side activities. It's still a goodway to really understand where the franchise started and it features callbacks to some of the events in Yakuza 0.
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Like Kiwami, Kiwami 2 is a remake of the original PS2 version. There is a notable difference in visuals, as this entry in the series was createdin Ryu Ga Gotoku's Dragon Engine. This is the same engine that was used for Yakuza 6, which was the first game in the series made for the PlayStation 4.
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The story is set a year after the events ofKiwami 1and follows Kiryu through the streets ofKamurocho and Sotenbori. Aside from the addition of a few new moves and the cinematic'Heat Moves,'Kiwami 2stays true to the franchise's core elements and fleshes out someplot points fromKiwami 1.
Yakuza 3 Remastered
After completingKiwami 2, it's time to jump into The Yakuza Remastered Collection, which was released for the PS4 in 2019. The collection includes Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, and spoils moments from the previous games. It's best not to playthis trio if players have not finished Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2.
Aside fromthe upgrade in visuals,Yakuza 3's remastered version featuresnever-before-seen content from the original 2009 release. This entry delves even deeper into Kiryu's story,exploringhis internal strugglesduring his retirement in Okinawa. Yakuza 3's slow pacing and repetitive tutorials maybe bothersome to players whoare likelymorefamiliar with how the game works at this point. Nonetheless, it is still crucialto the story and effectively sets up the next games in the franchise.
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Yakuza 4's events take place a year after Yakuza 3's story. As the second entry in the remastered collection, this significantly changes the player experience. Instead of focusing solely on Kiryu, itfollows three other protagonists– Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima.
WhileYakuza 4 doesconfine players toonly one city,Kamurocho, it features more detailed streets and hidden alleyways that make the limited setting feel bigger than it is. Like Yakuza 3, this entry doescontain spoilers for previous games, so players should avoid it if they haven't completed Kiryu's last adventure.
Yakuza 5 Remastered
Following the multiple-character approach of Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5 takes it one step further and allows players to experience the beat-'em-up game from five viewpoints. The last game in the remastered collection reintroduces the familiar characters of Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, and Haruka Sawamura. The newcomer, Tatsuo Shinada, is also a playable character with an interesting story.
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Yakuza 5is jampacked with all of the franchise's best features, including several mini-games and highly accurate depictions ofpopular sights in Japan. It also has the largest world in the series, as it has five cities for players to explore. It's the ideal way to cap offwhatYakuza 3and4have built up to thus far.
Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life
Yakuza 6 was the first entry in the series made in the previously mentioned Dragon Engine, which makes its visuals stand out from the rest. Afterthe multiple-protagonist approach of Yakuza 4 and 5,players are thrust back into Kiryu's story, which centers around the disappearance of his daughter.
Itfalls short when it comes to mini-games and side activities, as it's a much smaller world compared to Yakuza 5. However, for players who have been following Kiryu's story up to this point, Yakuza 6 does serve as a powerful finalethat wraps up the story arc of the well-loved character.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Releasedin March 2021 for the PS5, Yakuza: Like a Dragon or Yakuza 7 is the eighth and latest main installment in the series. It deviates from the other entries in the franchise in two major ways. First, Kiryu is no longer the main protagonist in the story and is instead replaced byIchiban Kasuga. The second major change is the battle system, which is now turn-based instead of thebrawler real-time action combatseen in previous games.
While Yakuza: Like a Dragon does have callbacks to its prequels, its main focus is to set up a new cast and battle systemthat signal afresh era for the Yakuza series.New players may be tempted to jump into this game first, but it's best experienced after playingeverything else. It serves as a testament to how far the series has come and ushers innew story arcs that future games will undoubtedly explore.
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