Yakuza is an epic videogame franchise that balances numerous styles of games to keep it entertaining and players on the edge of their seats.
There is plenty of hand-to-hand combat, a must-have in such a violent world.
This even comes with an open world to explore all under the action-adventure branding that ensures the games are never dull.
These games center around Kazuma Kiryu as he fights (and plays) through the Japanese underworld as he and players understand what it’s like to be a yakuza.
If you haven’t played any of the Yakuza games yet, then what better way to dive into this awesome world than by going through them chronologically?
Below we are listing all the Yakuza games in order of release with description and gameplay for each one, so let’s get started.
1. Yakuza (2005)
Supported Platforms: PS2, PS3, Wii U
Set in the fictional village of Kamurocho—a realistic take on the Kabukicho district in Tokyo—Yakuza drops players into the role of Kazuma. He’s the yakuza member who served a 10-year prison sentence for a murder he didn’t commit.
He soon finds himself caught up in a crisis: someone stole 10 billion yen from the Tojo Clan, the biggest yakuza clan. Kazuma must unravel the mystery and protect Haruka, the young girl who’s also caught up in all the mess.
There’s an open-world exploration of Kamurocho as well as plenty of combat scenarios with many of them being randomly triggered. Players use hand-to-hand combat skills such as Rush Combo and Guard.
There are 13 chapters in all to go through.
2. Yakuza 2 (2006)
Supported Platforms: PS2, PS3 Wii U
In the second installment, Kazuma now lives peacefully with his adoptive daughter Haruka.
However, the chairman of the Tojo Clan, Yukio Terada, shows up to ask for his aid in stopping a brewing war between his clan and the Omi Alliance based in Osaka.
Once Terada is assassinated, Kazuma is thrown into this violent world yet again.
The most noticeable difference in Yakuza 2 is that the world has expanded. Players still explore Kamurocho, but you can now branch out further to Osaka.
There are fictional areas of Shinseicho and Sotenbori that offer a cool, realistic atmosphere as well as showing some real-life landmarks.
Other than the main story and random battles, players can interact with people on the street too for sub-stories.
This second game features 16 chapters.
3. Yakuza 3 (2009)
Supported Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One
With the war with the Omi Alliance wrapped up, Kazuma and Haruka plan to move to Okinawa so he can run an orphanage.
After months of successfully running it, he must deal with the issue of the Ryudo Family who own the land and want to tear the orphanage down to build a seaside resort instead.
This third installment still allows players to explore Kamurocho, but the map is expanded to show additional areas and landmarks. There’s also the new location of Ryukyu to explore too.
Combat is like the first two games as players still level Kazuma up and can use some of the environment in his fights.
You can also train with mentors to develop new abilities and improve skills. There are 13 chapters total with the third game.
4. Yakuza 4 (2010)
Supported Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One
Taking place a year after the third game, Yakuza 4 sees a new power struggle brewing among the yakuza clans. There are three new locations added on to explore as well as three new protagonists in addition to the familiar Kazuma.
Players can now also take over Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima.
These major differences also come with a switch-up in the combat. Each character has a unique fighting style, and even Kazuma sees some new additions thanks to the skills he can pick up from the new protagonists.
Besides some familiar minigames, players can also explore the cabaret girls, even getting the opportunity to date them.
This game has a total of 17 chapters.
5. Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)
Supported Platforms: PS3
This non-canon story is a spin-off of the main franchise that takes place a year after Yakuza 4.
Things certainly take a fun turn with this game as the residents in Kamurocho have been exposed to an outbreak, causing them to turn into zombies.
There are four playable characters, much like in the previous game, with Kazuma returning yet again. Players also take over other familiar characters from the past games such as Goro Majima, Ryuji Goda, and Shun.
Each character has unique weapons to participate in Gunshot Battle, and there are even combat support characters you can call in. There’s still the usual hand-to-hand combat, however.
This distinct take on the franchise offers plenty to do as there are 17 chapters to play.
6. Yakuza 5 (2012)
Supported Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One
The story in Yakuza 5 centers around the alliance between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance threatening to dissolve.
This game keeps up with the format of allowing players to control multiple protagonists. In this case, there are five in all to play with.
Familiar protagonists return such as Kazuma, Taiga, and Shun. Players can now also control the familiar Haruka who has never been playable until this point. There’s a new character too: Tatsuo Shinada.
There are five cities to explore on the open-world map, and there’s a more seamless transition between adventuring around and falling into combat scenarios.
Combat’s much the same with each having unique styles, and there’s also dance battles with different dance styles too.
The length of the game has increased too with 21 chapters to play.
7. Yakuza 0 (2015)
Supported Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
Yakuza 0 marks a major turn in the franchise as it serves as a prequel rather than following up with the previous game.
It takes place during the 1980s with there being two major locations to explore: Kamurocho in Tokyo and Sotenbori in Osaka.
Kazuma makes a return again as one of the protagonists with Goro serving as the second one. This follows Kazuma when he was framed for murder, while the other storyline focuses on Goro running the Cabaret Grand.
Players can walk through the districts freely and find sub-stories through interacting with people on the street. There are still random battle encounters too.
There are additional fighting styles for both protagonists that you can switch right during a battle.
Players get 17 chapters to go through with this prequel game.
8. Yakuza Kiwami (2016)
Supported Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One
Yakuza Kiwami marks a remake of the original Yakuza game. It still centers around Kazuma taking the blame for a murder and spending 10 years in prison for it.
The rest of the storyline is similar too with him being released to find his childhood friend missing, his best friend cold-hearted, and 10 billion yen stolen from the Tojo Clan.
Like with Yakuza 0, players can switch fighting styles for Kazuma. He starts out weak, but slowly regains his strength throughout the game.
There’s a new system too: Majima Everywhere. Players will encounter Majima Goro at random places, and fighting is the only way to level up the Dragon of Dojima style.
This has mini-games and even new romances for Kazuma. Like the original game, there are 13 total chapters.
9. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)
Supported Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One
This takes place after Yakuza 5 in which Kazuma is now arrested for previous crimes. He comes out to find Haruka in a coma from a hit-and-run and that she now has an infant son.
With this game, there is still an open world map to explore. However, Kazuma is the only playable character, returning to the roots of the first few games. At the same time, it’s the conclusion of Kazuma’s story.
The combat mechanics are completely overhauled here though as this marks the first game in the franchise to use the Dragon Engine.
This has 13 chapters to play.
10. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)
Supported Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One
A follow-up to Yakuza Kiwami, this game serves as a remake to Yakuza 2. The plot is similar in that Kazuma finds himself in the middle of a building conflict between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance, and he works to develop peace between them.
The game focuses mainly on Kazuma and his recognizable fighting style. However, there’s the addition of Majima Saga that allows players to control Goro at times as well.
As it uses the new engine, the combat is improved from the original game. But besides the main game, players can also participate in mini-games.
There are 16 main chapters and 3 chapters from the Majima Saga.
11. Judgement (2018)
Supported Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
This game takes a turn in the storyline with a new protagonist named Takayuki Yagami who was previously a lawyer, but now serves as a private investigator.
The storyline is vastly different too as Takayuki works to investigate a series of murders that occurred in the Kamurocho district.
Alongside that, there’s a new investigation mode that lets players track down clues to lead to the killer.
There are 13 chapters with this game.
12. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)
Supported Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
This game takes players to familiar settings like Kamurocho and Sotenbori but also takes them mainly around the Yokohama district.
Players are also introduced to a new character: Ichiban Kasuga. Ichiban can recruit other players to join up with his party to help him fight.
His storyline centers around coming out of prison after 18 years after being betrayed by his boss with his main task are discovering why he was betrayed.
This game also shows a major change in the combat. Rather than the beat ’em up style, this game employs a turn-based RPG fighting mechanism alongside a 4-person battle team.
There are “jobs”, which serve as character classes, and players can adapt certain party members to best suit the fight at hand.
This game comes with 15 chapters.
13. Lost Judgement (2021)
Supported Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Following Judgement, this game drops players back into the familiar open-world of various districts such as Kamurocho and Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama.
The story follows private investigator Takayuki again as he’s been called to investigate Akihiro Ehara who has been accused of sexual assault in which a body soon showed up afterward.
Throughout the game, players can decide on whether Takayuki will work to defend the law or apply his own justice to the case at hand.
Combat is similar to Judgement and other games in the franchise with players being able to switch styles mid-fight.
There are 2 chapters to go through.
Image Credits
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By Sega & Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio – https://likeadragon.sega.com/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64632619
