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It's worth playing it. It's a Yakuza game and of course if you are already in Kiwami 2, why not just play the whole Kiryu Saga (1-6)? The story in Yakuza 3 also relates to 4 and 5, and you need that. Just play it blindly as I did, play the game on normal, and don't touch the hard difficulty.
- Overview
- How to play the Yakuza games in order: chronological order
- How to play the Yakuza games in order: release date and platform
- Yakuza games on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC
- Best Yakuza games ranked
- What's next for the Yakuza games?
- Is Judgment a Yakuza game?
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By Adam Vjestica
published 23 December 2021
Discover Sega’s superb Yakuza games
(Image credit: SEGA)
Keen to try the Yakuza games but not sure where to begin? We’re here to help. The series is now available to play on more platforms than ever before, including the PS4, PS5, Steam and Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. This means there’s never been a better time to get into the popular action adventure game.
Even those who have played Sega's long-running Yakuza series might be confused by its timeline.
To play the games in chronological order, you’ll need to start with Yakuza. This is where a young, fresh-faced Kazuma Kiryu is beginning to make his mark.
Next up is Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 (excellent remakes of Yakuza and Yakuza 2), and then… well, it’s pretty self-explanatory from there. Here’s how to play them all in chronological order:
•Yakuza 0 (takes place in 1988)
•Yakuza Kiwami (a remake of Yakuza on PS2, takes place in 2005)
•Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of Yakuza 2 on PS2, takes place in 2006)
We've covered how to play the Yakuza games in chronological order, following Kazuma Kiryu from younger to older. But it might also be fun to play the games in order of release.
To do that, you’d need to dust off your old PlayStation 2 to play the first game in all its standard-definition glory. However, we’d advise against it, as you can play Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 instead on both PS4, Xbox One and PC, which are modern remakes of the first two games. It should also save you a trip to the attic.
•Yakuza (2006, PS2)
•Yakuza 2 (2008, PS2)
•Yakuza 3 (2010, PS3)
•Yakuza 4 (2011, PS3)
One of the biggest surprises at Microsoft’s X019 event was the announcement that the Yakuza series was finally coming to Xbox, and even more importantly, Xbox Game Pass.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has also made its way to the service which means that if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you can now play the every mainline Yakuza game on the service.
Grab Xbox Game Pass today
PC
$4.99
/mth
While reviews of any game are entirely subjective, we’ve listed the best Yakuza games based on their Metacritic rating below. We'd strongly recommend playing Yakuza 0 first if you’re new to the series, though, as it's the most accomplished version of the game and it serves as a great introduction. It’s also the highest-rated game according to critics, alongside Yakuza Kiwami 2.
•Yakuza 0 (85)
•Yakuza Kiwami 2 (85)
•Yakuza: Like a Dragon (84)
•Yakuza 5 (83)
•Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (83)
The Yakuza games will stick with the turn-based RPG gameplay of Yakuza: Like a Dragon moving forward, according to developer Ryu ga Gotoku.
Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa told IGN that the Yakuza series signature action gameplay has "been transformed into a turn-based RPG" and that Lost Judgement, a spin-off to the Yakuza games, will instead focus more on action, like previous entries in the series did.
Judgment is a spin off game from developer Ryu ga Gotoku that sees players follow a detective named Takayuki Yagami. It features a similar gameplay structure to the Yakuza games, with a combat system that is reminiscent of Yakuza 0, side missions to complete alongside the main story and an investigation mode that sees players search a scene for clues and evidence of crime.
Judgment Remastered released on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Stadia on April 23, 2021, and a sequel called Lost Judgment released in September 2021.
Step into the world of Yakuza
Yakuza: Like a Dragon - Day Ichi Edition
$59.99
$14.99
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Jan 26, 2024 · Wondering which Yakuza game to play first? Here's the best order you should play the Yakuza and Like A Dragon games in.
- ed.thorn@rockpapershotgun.com
- Reviews Editor
Fantastic story and characters, Yakuza 3 has some of the most heart in the entire series. It's just really bogged down by the combat, enemies block a lot and you get around that by using more weapons so it's tedious either way.
However, when people are asked which games are their least favorite, Yakuza 3 is almost always brought up, and I just can’t understand why. I find it to be the second best game in the series behind Yakuza 5 in my opinion.
Feb 4, 2021 · Yakuza 3 is a really great game and I like it more than 4 and 5. It is very dated for sure but it has some of the best parts in the series. The final long battle it had is one of the best if not the best ones in the series.
People also ask
Is Yakuza 3 a bad game?
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Should I play Yakuza 0 first?
Is Yakuza 3 worth playing?
Is Yakuza a good series?
Does Yakuza 3 have combat?
Jan 25, 2021 · There’s very much a strong core to Yakuza 3. There’s nothing explicitly bad or unenjoyable at the game - it just feels like a victim of a series that naturally improved its execution of its ideas over time.
