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Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a beloved JRPG series with many entries in its catalog. Here are the best games from the ever-growing franchise.
From the classical Dragon Quest and The Legend of Zelda to the ever-expanding Final Fantasy that continues to grow with the latest remaster trilogy of its seventh entry, the Japanese RPG genre has brought us quite the masterpiece series.
However, one series emerging from this genre is known for its serious-comedic tone, gaining huge attention from worldwide audiences – Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Known for its memorable characters and plotline, it now has 10+ entries, and surprisingly, all are consistent with their quality.
With multiple entries in their catalog, this list will rank the five best Like a Dragon games.
5. Yakuza 4
The fourth main entry in the series was hailed as one of the best games of its generation. Yakuza 4 brought in three new main protagonists along with Kiryu: Saejima, Akiyama, and Tanimura as their stories intertwine with each other.
While numerous moments in the story progress slowly, they don’t ruin the overall experience, as the extremely satisfying redemption arcs may hit home too close for the player.
The blockbuster action present in the game is truly a masterpiece, offering a variety of playstyles according to the player’s preference and complete freedom over mind-blowing brawling mechanics.
With an edge-of-your-seat extensive storyline that can last around 30 hours depending on your play style and the fan-favorite side quests to quench your thirst for exploration, Yakuza 4 is a great (mis)adventure of four men finding their true selves.
4. Judgment
Judgment is a spin-off of Yakuza that took a different direction from the previous games. It brings in a protagonist named Yagami who’s an experienced lawyer in the city of Kamurocho. Moreover, an ex-Yakuza who helps his clients gain redemption and forget about his sketchy Yakuza life.
A story full of mystery and consistent jaw-dropping twists. It takes place in the same universe as the original games; Judgment is a spectacle that turns the brawler series upside down with the addition of lawyer elements. Additionally, Yagami’s experience with Yakuza makes him a relentless fighter who uses his fists only to protect himself and not for violence.
Since it is not a main installment, Judgment can serve as a refreshment after brawling through five games with Kiryu and his fellows.
3. Yakuza 6
What was supposed to be the final entry of Kiryu’s story ended up turning the franchise into a massive success. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life dives deeper into Kiryu’s newfound family, but this case might not be the same anymore as Haruka is currently injured due to a hit-and-run case.
Additionally, this entry paved the way for RGG Studios to upgrade the Dragon Engine and turn around the messy development phases it had during Kiwami 2’s release.
This allowed them to implement smoother combat compared to the native PS2 and PS3 releases, making it feel realistic. Yakuza 6 takes the player on an emotional joyride in Kamurocho, with upgraded visuals and the new karaoke systems.
The story continues with the adoption of Haruto, forcing Kiryu to find his father while he’s looking for revenge. It is for you to find out if you haven’t played the game yet.
2. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The turning point for the series was when it was renamed to Like a Dragon, Yakuza: Like a Dragon brought in a new, goofy yet kind protagonist – Ichiban Kasuga – who was falsely imprisoned for seven years.
Moving away from the brawler combat, the game introduced turn-based combat for experimentation, and despite it being a controversial addition, it managed to encapsulate the essence of brawl-like combat.
Ichiban’s story is depressing, and watching him grow as a person as he rises out from the darkness he was thrown into, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is uniquely beautiful thoroughly.
1. Yakuza 0
The storyline that started it all. Yakuza 0 marks the beginning of the series’ first release on PC, and what would later become such a massive hit to force SEGA to port all games on PC despite being a PS exclusive.
Before the events of Yakuza 1/Kiwami, the game dives deep into the relationship between Kiryu and Nishikiyama. Leaving no loose ends, it shows how Kiryu cut ties with the Tojo clan and how the brotherhood between Nishikiyama and Kiryu had a fallout, bad enough to make Nishiki the sequel’s antagonist.
Not only the Dragon of Dojima but Yakuza 0 also reveals the past of The Mad Dog of Shimano, aka the ever-lively Majima Goro. Both Kiryu and Majima are playable characters in the game, making them equally prominent protagonists. Do not forget about the karaoke songs; they are phenomenal.
Emotional, mysterious, and epic boss battles where you will see a jacked oji-san riding his bike in the sewers, Yakuza 0 outshines every other game present in the series with its storyline and well-written characters.
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