Despite its commercial success in both its native Japan and, more recently, in the West, the Like a Dragon or Yakuza series remains an enigma to those that have never spent time in one of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios' sweeping crime dramas. Part beat 'em up, part RPG, and the closest thing to a captivating video game soap opera, the Yakuza series (now going under the original Japanese title Like a Dragon) has eight mainline titles, several spin-offs, a side-series about a detective (Judgment) and even a historic reenactment that uses familiar Like a Dragon series characters as stand-ins for real-life figures.

All of this can be a lot to take in for newcomers that have watched Like a Dragon grow in popularity yet never taken the plunge into the series. With the upcoming release of the eighth mainline game in the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the recent release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name to catch players up on how Kiryu gets involved with Ichiban, there's likely a whole new audience of potential fans wondering how to break into the franchise. Thankfully, re-releases, remasters, and ports to PC and modern consoles make a comprehensive deep-dive into the Like a Dragon franchise more possible than it ever has been.

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Getting Into the Like a Dragon/Yakuza Series, Including Necessary and Skippable Entries

With the sheer number of games available across the franchise, simply sitting down and playing every mainlineYakuza game and the various spin-offs is a monumental task. Some games in the series can run upwards of 100 hours if players engage in the worthwhile and entertaining side content along with the main story, and even though the series maintains a standard of quality that's impressive, there are some games that players are safe skipping in the interest of time. That said, if one is new to the series, plays Yakuza 0 and is immediately hooked, it's worth playing through the entire saga from front to back. The mainline games and spotlighted spin-offs in the Yakuza series include:

• Yakuza 0
• Yakuza Kiwami
• Yakuza Kiwami 2
• Yakuza 3
• Yakuza 4
• Yakuza 5
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
• Like a Dragon: Ishin!
• Judgment
• Lost Judgment

Yakuza 0

Release Year: 2015

Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: While some might make the claim that playing Yakuza Kiwami ahead of Yakuza 0 gives greater context for the characters and heightens the impact of their origin stories explored in this prequel, Yakuza 0 makes a strong case for being a perfect jumping-on point for series newcomers. Players meet young yakuza enforcer Kazuma Kiryu and follow him through one of the more tumultuous and formative periods in his life, as well as getting to play as his recurring series rival Majima. The combat is excellent, Kamurocho is absolutely packed with entertaining side activities, and it's a perfect litmus to test if players are interested in the series for the long haul.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Yakuza Kiwami

Release Year: 2016

Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: Although "kiwami" translates to "extreme", this 2016 remake of the first game in the series (originally released on the PS2 in 2005) is actually a bit of a step back from the excellence of Yakuza 0. A large part of that rests on the fact that it's a remake of a much older game, but for those that are coming off fresh from Yakuza 0, there's still a lot to like in Yakuza Kiwami, especially its continuation of Kiryu's story. There's not as much entertaining side content as in Yakuza 0, and the "Majima Everywhere" system is a love-it-or-hate-it mechanic that sees him show up at some hilariously inopportune times, but Yakuza Kiwami is essential for developing Kiryu's character.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Release Year: 2017

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: Longtime series fans tend to consider either Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami 2 as the best games in the series, and playing Kiwami 2 makes it easy to see why the game is held in such high regard. Like Yakuza Kiwami before it, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a remake of the original Yakuza 2 but this time completely redone in RGG's new Dragon Engine. The result is one of the absolute best-looking games in the series, complete with one of the most realistic and jaw-dropping recreations of Japan for players to get lost in. The combat is some of the best in the entire series, both Kiryu and Majima's stories hit some emotional highs, and the side content could practically be considered its own standalone game.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Yakuza 3

Release Year: 2009

Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: Yakuza 3 is an interesting outlier in the series as one of the few dips in quality for what's otherwise one of the most consistently entertaining game franchises. Partially due to the fact that it's a simple remaster of a nearly 15-year-old game and not a remake or brand-new prequel like Yakuza 0 through Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3 is a noticeable step-down in terms of its combat, pacing, and side-content. That said, the game opens with one of the more entertaining turns for Kiryu's character, with the Dragon himself now operating an orphanage in Okinawa. It's a good game, but not nearly as polished or tightly-paced as the first three games in the chronology, which makes it skippable for all but diehard fans.

Essential/Skippable: Skippable

Yakuza 4

Release Year: 2010

Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: After the slight misstep of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 comes out swinging to be one of the better entries in the franchise and kicks off a new era for the series. No longer focusing solely on Kiryu, players get to take control of four different protagonists throughout the story, each with their own captivating stories and unique fighting styles. The best aspect of Yakuza 4 is the way that it satisfyingly interweaves and then ties up each character's stories by the end of the game, and it introduces players to some important characters that reappear later in the series.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Yakuza 5

Release Year: 2012

Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: The fifth mainline game in the Yakuza series is notorious for how incredibly long it is to complete if players engage with all of its content. Going one step further than Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5 introduces five protagonists that players get to take control of, taking them through one of the franchise's most grandiose tales in the process. Longtime fans have justifiable gripes with this game for how it takes the focus off of the series hero Kiryu, and the subplot involving his adopted daughter's turn as a pop idol understandably isn’t for everyone's tastes in a series that normally involves gratuitous street fighting.

Essential/Skippable: Skippable

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Release Year: 2016

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Synopsis: Alongside Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2, Yakuza 6 is one of the best and most important games in the series' overarching narrative for how it (at the time) concludes Kazuma Kiryu's story. The game begins with Kiryu once again getting released from jail, only to find that his adopted daughter-turned-pop idol Haruka is missing. As Kiryu starts looking for answers as to her whereabouts, he discovers that she has a son, which triggers the softer, father-like side of Kiryu that players get glimpses of in earlier games. The setting of Onomochi is once again a brilliant and dense open world location for players to explore, and the combat is incredibly polished and satisfying, right along with the game's incredible story.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Judgment

Release Year: 2018

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Synopsis: While it's not directly connected to the Like a Dragon series per se, Judgment takes place in the fictional district of Kamurocho from the Like a Dragon games and sees players control a detective. Seeing the Japanese criminal underworld from the side of the law presents the Judgment series as an excellent companion piece to the Like a Dragon games, but they are by no means essential playing. That said, if players find that they enjoy the pacing and structure of RGG Studios' games, there's a lot to like about Judgment and its captivating tale of detective Takayuki Yagami as he tracks down a serial killer.

Essential/Skippable: Skippable

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Release Year: 2020

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Synopsis: Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an excellent jumping-on point for anyone new to the series as it marks a new era for the Like a Dragon franchise alongside its introduction of new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Contrary to Kazuma Kiryu's stoic but noble characterization, Ichiban is a goofball with a heart of gold that is immediately affable and relatable as a protagonist. Additionally, Yakuza: Like a Dragon switches up the real-time beat 'em up combat that the Like a Dragon series is known for in favor of becoming a turn-based RPG. The result is that Like a Dragon is both an excellent Like a Dragon game and one of the best JRPGs of the current era. For anyone interested in Infinite Wealth, Ichiban's story starts here.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Lost Judgment

Release Year: 2021

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Synopsis: Like its predecessor Judgment, Lost Judgment once again sees players take on the role of private detective Takayumi Yagami. This time, Yagami is called on to investigate a bullying ring at a local school and winds up stumbling into a much more sinister plot at play. Once again taking place in Kamurocho from the Yakuza series, Lost Judgment adds in some new features that help to differentiate it as a sequel, such as Yagami's ability to cruise around on a skateboard and a greater emphasis on stealth. Lost Judgment is an excellent RGG game but not necessarily essential to play ahead of Infinite Wealth.

Essential/Skippable: Skippable

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Release Year: 2023

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Synopsis: Regardless of whether fans think Ishin! should be played before any of the mainline games or after beating all of them, it's a welcome surprise that the game finally arrived in the West after being a Japan-only spin-off for years. Originally releasing in 2014, Like a Dragon: Ishin! retells the story of Japan's real-life transition from the Shogunate into the period known as the Meiji Restoration. Though the story uses real-life events and historical figures, players will recognize familiar faces from across the series standing in for the likeness of these important players in Japanese history. Getting to control the historical samurai Sakamoto Ryoma and use four distinct fighting styles as they support the end of feudalism in Japan is a blast, but not a must-play before Infinite Wealth.

Essential/Skippable: Skippable

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Release Year: 2023

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Synopsis: The most recent game in the series is a shorter, more self-contained adventure that aims to explain how Kiryu winds up in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, bridging the gap between Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and the next mainline entry in the series. Kiryu, now older and forced out of retirement, has two distinct fighting styles that are suited for either one-on-one encounters or crowd control. As one would expect, the setting of Sotenbori is chock-full of entertaining and worthwhile side content that provides a nice distraction from the game's main quest.

Essential/Skippable: Essential

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth builds on its predecessor's ideas, delivering turn-based combat and a gripping and lengthy narrative led by Ichiban Kasuga. However, the story also brings back Kazuma as a protagonist and introduces a new location in Hawaii, which is a significant departure from the franchise's previous games.

Franchise

Yakuza

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , PC

Released

January 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Publisher(s)

Sega

Genre(s)

RPG

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