Order to Play Yakuza Games
Questions about the order to play the Yakuza series come up routinely in Yakuza discussions, especially from new fans wondering which Yakuza game to start with.
Yakuza, or Ryu ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon) as it’s known in Japan, is a long-running brawler/action RPG series featuring intense crime drama storylines, wacky side quests, and a ton of fun mini-games.
There are currently 8 games in the main series, 3 localized spin-offs, and 5 spin-offs exclusive to Japan.
In this post, I’ll be answering popular questions like “Which Yakuza game should I start with?”, “Can I start with Yakuza 7?”, “When should I play Dead Souls?”, and “Is Yakuza Ishin ever going to be localized?” (okay, I don’t have an answer for that last one, as much as I wish I did).
The Yakuza game order is actually pretty straightforward, so let’s take a look.
Main Series
Yakuza 0
Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (upcoming)
The original Yakuza and Yakuza 2 for the PS2 have been remade as Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2. Meanwhile, Yakuza 3-5 were remastered and bundled together as the Yakuza Remastered Collection.
Currently, all of these games are available for the PlayStation 4. Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are available for Xbox One and PC as well. It remains to be seen if Yakuza 3-6 will be brought to Xbox and PC or not. Meanwhile, the upcoming Yakuza: Like a Dragon is set to be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the western title for Yakuza 7, and it will be the first game in the series to move away from brawler action RPG combat in favor of turn-based combat.
There is also a live-action movie called Like a Dragon, which is an adaptation of the first game in the series due to that being the actual translation of the series title. The movie is not based on the upcoming Yakuza: Like a Dragon game.
So, which Yakuza game should you start with?
Ideally you should play Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami first. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the entire series, while Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the first game. I suggest you start with Yakuza 0, since Kiwami added content that references it, but either is fine.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a soft reboot for the series and stars a new protagonist, which means you should be able to start there if you want. However, it still follows the events of the seven games that precede it, so for the full impact, you’ll want to be familiar with the previous Yakuza games.
Another question that commonly arises is if you can skip Yakuza games. Each game has its own standalone story, but they’re all connected and the characters grow and change over time. You can skip games if you must, but it’s not recommended.
To summarize: start with Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami and then play the rest of the games in numerical order.
Yakuza Spin-Offs
Now, let’s talk about the spin-offs. There are three localized Yakuza spin-offs:
Yakuza: Dead Souls
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise
Judgment
Yakuza: Dead Souls is a non-canon spin-off set during a zombie outbreak in Kamurocho. Since it’s not canon, you might think there’s no particular time when you should play Dead Souls, but it draws on content from up through Yakuza 4. For the best experience, save Dead Souls until you’ve finished Yakuza 4.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is the spin-off most fully removed from the Yakuza series, since it is a Fist of the North Star game that uses the Yakuza gameplay formula. It has no relation to the main series and can be played anytime.
Judgment is a detective spin-off set in Kamurocho, the same city where most of the series takes place. Judgment is canon, but is a separate story and requires no knowledge of the Yakuza series. It will show changes in Kamurocho from later in the series, but you can play Judgment anytime.
Then there are five Yakuza spin-offs currently available only in Japan:
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan (Yakuza Kenzan)
Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho (Yakuza: Black Panther)
Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Ashura Hen (Yakuza: Black Panther 2)
Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin
Ryu ga Gotoku Online
Kenzan and Ishin are two historical takes on the Yakuza series, with Kenzan being set in the Edo period and Ishin in the Bakumatsu period. Currently there are no known plans for Kenzan and Ishin localizations, although this is one of the most common requests from fans. In a 2019 interview, Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato suggested a hypothetical Yakuza Kenzan Kiwami would be our best chance of getting Yakuza Kenzan in English. Meanwhile, the success of other historical/samurai games has led fans to hope Sega might consider a western release of Ishin.
Moving on, the Black Panther games are PSP spin-offs about a young street punk who runs into trouble with the Tojo Clan.
Finally, Ryu ga Gotoku Online is a free-to-play gacha game for mobile/PC that ties into Yakuza 7/Like a Dragon. It isn’t canon, although the character backstories/context it gives is.
To summarize: It doesn’t matter when you play Judgment and Lost Paradise, Dead Souls should be played anytime after Yakuza 4, and the other spin-offs aren’t available in English.
Conclusion
And there you have it! If you’re getting into the Yakuza series and aren’t sure where to begin, I hope you’ve found this Yakuza order guide helpful. Let me know if anything could be improved, and feel free to ask any remaining questions you have about the order to play the Yakuza games.
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