Yakuza games took the world by storm in the early 2000s by creating a very interesting alternative to the growing popularity Grand Theft Auto series. But – it added a twist to it. It wasn’t Miami or a version of New York City. The plot was strictly and culturally connected to Japan with all its quirks, cons, and vices. It also added new fighting styles unknown in the GTA series, where it mainly was punching and stabbing people. 

Here – the fighting style was elevated into a martial art, and so was the story. Compelling, full of tradition with Eastern charm – it won the hearts of many gamers all around the world, including Western audiences. And with the series opening up to new platforms – it’s a shame not to try this one as well. 

Keep in mind that it’s still a Japanese production, so be ready for some weird mini-games, cultural references, and just a world full of terrible and awesomely weird elements!

So – with that in mind – check out our list of the best games in the Yakuza series. It’s big, great, and full of amazing characters – you just have to check this one out!

9. Yakuza: Dead Souls

• Release date: 2011
• Developer: Sega CS1 R&D
• Platforms: Playstation 3
• Meta Score: 64

The first on our list does not mean the worst by any means necessary. Dead Souls is just not as good as the other installments on this list. Yakuza franchise is full of strong characters but this time Kiryu’s story did not feel as good as in all the other installments in the series. 

In this game, we visit Kamurocho, inspired by the Shinjuku suburb of Kabukicho. It looks good on the paper. Everything seems to line up but…well, there are a lot of buts.

People felt this one was a filler in the whole franchise as it wasn’t canon. And you know how people feel about filler episodes in manga and anime.

The other thing is – why did they do a Yakuza game with zombies? We all know and love our little undead friends, but there is no reason to implement them everywhere possible. Like in this case, we enjoyed plotting and scheming as a mafia boss in Japan, but when you add some zombies into it, it falls flat.

The best thing about this Yakuza game is that it is still a Yakuza game, after all. By that, we mean – it’s fun to kick butts, shoot and just enjoy the goofiness that Japanese entertainment is known for. It’s just not the same thing regarding the quality of the product as the entire series.

Key Features:

• First Yakuza title with zombies in it.
• Still good at kicking faces and shooting butts.
• Kirya is a stoic, cool, and strong protagonist, and it does not matter if it’s canon or not.

8. Yakuza 3

• Release date: 2009
• Developer: Sega CS1 R&D
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
• Meta Score: 79

So, we’re back, or at least on track with the mainline Yakuza games. And the first on our list is a strong one at that – Yakuza 3! It’s also the very first game in the Yakuza franchise created for the Playstation 3, a new generation of entertainment back in the day. And it shows – everything was bigger and better. Well, was the game better itself? The opinions are split.

Let’s first focus on what you can find in the game itself. The first thing that changed in the gameplay was the introduction of the Event Mode. The main story has 12 chapters and a prologue. Every one of them is backed by a series of cinematic elements. It has a combined 295 minutes of recorded elements. You can also visit the Underground Coliseum to fight in a mixed martial arts tournament inspired by cage fighting competitions that are ace in Japan.

As the story goes, it follows the plot from the previous games. We once more take control of Kazuma Kiryu in Kamurocho, a red-light district inspired by the real-life version of Tokyo’s Kabukicho. We also get to visit a new location Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa. There, we have to take control of the Morning Glory Orphanage with our adopted daughter Haruka Sawamura.

Overall – it got very positive feedback from the community. The game’s story was interesting, with many twists and turns on our way to the top.

So, if everything’s great with it, why isn’t it higher on our list? Well, it’s just an ok Yakuza game. There is just not anything too exciting about this title for us to care too much about. In the Yakuza world – it’s an ok. And just ok.

Yakuza 3 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• The overarching story is still very entertaining and this one adds something valuable to the collection.
• The first Yakuza game released on Playstation 3 was a great quality jump for the entire franchise.
• Yakuza 3 opened up to the Western market with this one.

7. Yakuza 4

• Release date: 2010
• Developer: Sega CS1 R&D
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
• Meta Score: 78

…but it was the fourth installment that really utilized the possibilities of this console. The biggest change is that we moved from the Kiryu story alone and got multiple protagonists instead. Shun Akiyama – a loan shark, ex-convict Taiga Saejima whose bad temper gets us in trouble, and a cop that likes to get dirty – Masayoshi Tanimura. 

For some – it may come too much, but really – it’s a very good and original game that not only adds to the overall experience of the mainline Yakuza series but expands this world to show us everything from a perspective.

With four characters for us to enjoy – it does the job!

We have our favorite mini-games back, with some new ones added to the collection. Saejima's mission, Create a Fighter! – is strictly focused on winning fighting tournaments to add some move sets to our collection.

Each character has something else going on for them as well. For example, Akiyama can befriend some of the NPCs with items or by just being a regular customer in one of the shops. In the case of Tanimura’s mission, we have Resolving Police-Radio Disputes. The idea is to keep the streets of the town peaceful and cool. Whether we’re talking about some brutal murder case or some minor vandalism – Tanimura is on top of his work!

It’s also great to see how each character differs in how they fight. Kiryu is still a strong proponent of a mix between karate and boxing. Akiyama is more into Taekwondo, Saejima is a real-time wrestler/grappler, and Tanimura goes more for some Aikido/Jiu-Jitsu he knows from the police academy.

Overall – it’s an incredibly well-put-together game with an ultimate team of protagonists. It does something that earlier titles have never even tried. It expands the world of Yakuza!

Yakuza 4 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• Four playable characters in the main story.
• You can see outstanding character development in case of all the protagonists.
• Secondary heroes are not as bad as many people thought…
• …especially when you get to experience some of the most creative fighting styles ever done in the Yakuza series.

6. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

• Release date: 2016
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
• Meta Score: 87

This is a game where the Yakuza series goes dark. Our favorite protagonist goes to prison for three years and wants to lead a normal life after this time. Unfortunately, his daughter Haruka got into a hit-and-run incident and is now in a coma. So, as it usually is in that kind of situation, our favorite protagonist Kiryu goes for revenge! And we’re here to enjoy it!

This one plays slightly differently from the series's other installments. It’s still an open-world game with elements of beat-’em-up fighting but with a twist compared to the previous titles. This time, it’s not a combo-bonanza, but more or less the same set of movements. The Yakuza series meandered into more RPG elements. It’s also interesting that you can gain different kinds of experiences for doing different things, similar to Skyrim.

It’s also the first game in the series that utilizes Dragon Engine.

When it comes to the plot, it’s only Kiryu that we take control in this one, unlike the previous games. We’re still in Kamurocho in Tokyo, but we also get to discover Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. It’s more or less the Shingai district of the city.

It’s overall a very good title with many surprising elements added to it. Decent writing, extremely well-done combat with RPG elements, and just overall a great game altogether. Previous events got their conclusion in this last game featuring beloved Kiryu. And then – everything else came! More about it – further in the article!

Yakuza 6 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• Conclusion to the original Yakuza story with the emotional final entrance of Kiryu.
• RPG elements elevate this gameplay to a completely different type of game than in previous, more arcade-like beat ‘em ups.
• Breath of fresh air in the franchise.

5. Yakuza Kiwami

• Release date: 2016
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Microsoft Windows
• Meta Score: 81

The original Yakuza game made such a big impact that Sega decided to create a completely different set of remakes to introduce new players to the franchise. It’s one of those AAA games that still, to this day, are full of surprises, and it really doesn’t matter if you played it once or a hundred times. It’s a remake of the first of the main games in the series in the Yakuza universe. 

Like the original, this one is an action-adventure game with some RPG elements and a big and beautiful world of Japan.

We go back to Kamurocho once more to (again) fight our way to the top! Apart from the main story, we have thousands upon thousands of new and fresh sub-stories full of crazy interactions.

But – let’s get into what changed in this edition of the game. Well, as you may have guessed – it looks completely different. Brand new Dragon Engine does what it can best to ensure that we get the highest possible quality. 

Also – combat is completely different than what we’re used to. There are four fighting styles we can switch between them. Brawler – is the most balanced and basic one, slower and heavier Best and quick Rush. Of course, there is also a traditional Dragon style associated with Kiryu. 

Gaining experience and money in side missions will get you additional upgrades, new techniques, etc.

A new addition in Kiwami is a new mode Majima Everywhere. It means that our rival character – Goro Majima – will challenge us randomly to fight from time to time. Sometimes in the form of a mini-game like darts, for example. It’s really fun and makes the whole game feel more dynamic.

Yakuza Kiwami is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• New and improved Yakuza remake that lets us enjoy this story once more but with better graphics and mechanics.
• Majima Everywhere mode makes the gameplay dynamic.
• New fighting mechanics with different styles of combat.

4. Yakuza Kiwami 2

• Release date: 2017
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4, Microsoft Windows
• Meta Score: 88

The same goes for the second remake in the series – Yakuza Kiwami 2. It’s the same in the second title – more and better at all possible costs!

So, you get more sub-stories, more additional content, and more of the crazy Majima Everywhere!

When it comes to combat – we got some cool special new moves with cinematic “Heat Moves.” Also, you can now play as Goro Majima in the new, upgraded “The Majima Saga” part of the game. 

In short, as it is indeed what it is, a better, bigger, funnier, and stronger Yakuza Kiwami title. Surely deserving of the spot!

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• Bigger, better, faster, stronger - it does everything that a good sequel needs to do when it comes to improving upon the concept.
• Goro Majima is a new playable character!
• Heat Moves add some pizzaz to the combat.

3. Yakuza: Like a Dragon

• Release date: 2020
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Luna
• Meta Score: 89

The only game on our list that you can call a spin-off of the original series. Also – the only one with turn-based combat. Still confused?

So, what is Yakuza: Like a Dragon? Well, it’s the answer to what would happen if you’d take a Yakuza game and just turn it into a slower and more chill game. You know, like a Dragon Quest. For some reason – it surely works!

The plot is simple – you are Ichiban Kasuga. You were imprisoned for 18 years, and now you get out. You want to be a good guy and find out why you were betrayed. That’s pretty much it.

Turn-based battles work pretty well. You have a team of four members with different skills and abilities. 

Also, the game has a unique element in the series called Jobs. It’s more or less a class. You can change your party’s jobs if you need something else in your team.

Overall – what once was thought to be a really stupid idea (turn-based combat was initially an April’s Fools joke) turned out to be one of the greatest games in the series.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• New turn-based gameplay really works wonders in the Yakuza environment.
• The new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, is different from what we’re used to.
• Jobs as classes is a very great concept that could be greatly developed.

2. Yakuza 5 

• Release date: 2012
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
• Meta Score: 83

Yakuza 5 is the peak Yakuza's “main story” title. It really has it all. The game brings five characters you can control, some of the wackiest and crazy adventures in the series up to this point, and the possibility to just roam the streets of Japan and just, like, be a taxi driver for a month or so. Crazy stuff!

When it comes to the gameplay itself – it’s pretty much the same as it was in the previous games. You have your Adventure Mode and Combat mode intertwined with each other, with the first being something like a free-roaming, and Combat is, well, a Combat mode.

With a heartbreaking story and great voice acting, there couldn’t be anything higher on this list than this one from the original storyline.

Yauza 5 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• Five playable characters to choose from.
• Adventure and Combat modes at their peak in Yakuza games.
• Probably the best storyline in all of Yakuza games – intimate, heartwarming, and tough – feels like a movie!

1. Yakuza 0

• Release date: 2015
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Amazon Luna
• Meta Score: 90

And the best game on our list is – you knew this would be here. An entry point to all the other games. A prequel to the sequels. Spin off to the spin-offs. The one, the only – Yakuza 0.

We get to not only experience what it was like for Kiryu to step on the ladder and climb to the top as Yakuza boss, but also – see how Goro Majima was introduced to this world of crime. All of the other titles on this list are good, but this one – it’s on an entirely different level.

This feels and plays like it’s an homage to the whole series as if the developers were just having good ol’ fun while doing this.

It’s just the peak of everything we’ve discussed on this list. The best of the side quests, the most fun mini-games. The main protagonist (or main protagonists, we should say) are on top of their game. There is a love interest in there, outstanding cutscenes, and just a whole load of different fighting styles. 

Yakuza 0 is available at Royal Cd Keys.

Key Features:

• Two of the best protagonists in the series as playable characters.
• Peak Yakuza content – from heartwarming stories to some crazy stupid mini-games.
• We get to find out the backstory of the heroes we all enjoyed throughout the years.

Best Yakuza Games – Ranked: Wrapping Up

We hope that we managed to show you some of the best games in the Yakuza series you can find on the market.

It’s really one of the best and probably a little underrated gaming series, with GTA getting all the praise for creating some gangster’s life kind of story.

We also hope that thanks to our help, this series will gain some new fans! Maybe even on Western shores!

See you at the next one!