Best Yakuza Games – Yakuza 6, Yakuza Kiwami, and More

Best Yakuza Games –

The Yakuza series is finally being included by gamers worldwide, so you’re probably looking for the top Yakuza games. After remaining in the shadows as something of a niche curiosity for much of its life. The ongoing Japanese franchise exploded into general consciousness in 2018. When Yakuza 0’s phenomenal localization allowed a whole new generation of gamers to pick up the story. By Kazuma Kiryu. And see what all the worry is about (well deserved).

Each game is packed to the brim with pop culture references inject with a game loop that will hook you from the moment you pick up the keyboard. The entire series rounded off with production values ​​that will have you silently nodding in admiration. Whether you’re choosing one of the older titles in the series or one of the more modern remasters.

You’ll come for the high-stakes drama that supports each of the game’s stories. And you’ll linger for the incredibly intricate urban locations each title presents to you. The series has arisen a long way since it was first introduced to Western audiences in 2006. And we’re here, to sum up, the worst of the best Yakuza games in the series.

5. Yakuza 6: The Tune of Life (2018)

The conclusion to Kiryu’s story perhaps comes in the most severe and depressing setting. After playing as the daughter of your former protagonist, Haruka, in previous games, The Song of Life very quickly subjects you to a grim hit-and-run incident that causes Haruka to fall into a coma. Kiryu, currently taking care of his grandson Haruto, seeks revenge.

Yakuza 6’s gameplay is somewhat different from previous titles: Kiryu’s diverse fighting styles merge into a perfect set of melee moves. The developers opted to travel a more RPG-inspired route when it’s about progression and character development. It, perhaps, set the stage for the upcoming Yakuza: Like a Dragon, a game that will move into turn-based combat rather than the series’ traditional real-time action.

4. Yakuza Kiwami (2016)

Yakuza Kiwami is a retread from the first game in the series, rebuilt on the Dragon Engine, and tweaked here and there to make it more playable (and relevant) with modern technology. The original game’s uncertain fighting mechanics have reorganize to be more in line with current titles, and some of the localization has improve, to begin with. As a result, what was originally an endearing but flawed crime drama becomes an engaging and ridiculous tour of Kamurocho.

Majima evolves from a cold-blooded underdeveloped rival who exists only as a rival force to Kiryu and becomes a lovable character in her own right, driven by his love of combat and his (confused) love for Kiryu. This is a game filled with heart, and you can see how it spawned the continuing Yakuza phenomenon that followed.

3. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2018)

Rebuilt with the Yakuza 6 engine and made more accessible for players who want to catch up on Kiryu’s full story, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is not content with simply retreading ancient terrain. Instead, SEGA and RGG Studio filled the game with more substories, an all-new Majima section, and more bonus features to boot. If you plan to jump into the series with Yakuza 0, the absurd part of “Majima Everywhere” in both Kiwami and Kiwami 2 will educate and entertain you in equal measure.

If you’ve played Yakuza 2 earlier, Kiwami 2 is still worth playing – the improved scenes, more engaging environments, and smoother combat make this a more significant, meaner, and bolder experience than the PS2 classic. Come for all the updates, stay with the playable Virtua Fighter 2.1 gaming cabinets.

2. Yakuza 5 (2012)

Yakuza 5 benefits from all that came before: Every Yakuza title developed en route to Yakuza 5 contributed something to this fantastic game. Perhaps as a nod to the number of the same name, you have five mind-blowing cities to explore and five characters to control as you discover the game’s surprisingly intimate story with more freedom than you’ve ever had in a Yakuza game.

The game’s best moments speak for themselves, really: you can fight a bear. You can peek behind the curtain at what it means to be a famous idol, or you can take a job like a dilapidated taxi.  And you can do it all in your own time. The dream! driver to take a look at the underbelly of cities in Japan.

1.Yakuza 0 (2016)

We end where it was all created. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the occasions of the rest of the series. And it’s a great entry point for anyone who wants to start exploring what the series is all about. Played from the perspective of both main protagonist Kiryu and his former rival Goro Majima. You couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the world and tone of Yakuza as a whole than in this eccentric, emotional, and dramatic game from the ’80s.

From genuinely heartbreaking interactions with city bums to some hilarious messages from ’80s icons (we’re looking at you, “Miracle Johnson”). Yakuza 0 goes from the absurd to the sublime with ease. Perhaps the most festive, lighthearted, and sardonic of all Yakuza games. This absolute title of delight is even available to try on Xbox Games Pass. There is no aim not to dive right now.