The Complete Beginner's Guide to Yakuza and Like a Dragon – Best Entry Point, Recommended Play Order, and More

by Mikhail Madnani on 29 October, 2024

With Like a Dragon: Yakuza now streaming on Prime Video, Yakuza Kiwami seeing the franchise makes its debut on Nintendo Switch, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth being a stellar RPG that debuted earlier this year, there has never been a better time to get into Sega and RGG Studio's superlative series. If you're a newcomer wondering what the best entry point is, whether to play the Yakuza games in chronological order, what the deal is with the spin-offs, remakes, and more, I aim to help you find the best game for you to get as your gateway into the glitz, glamor, crime, drama, karaoke, and more featured in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series. I'm also using this as an excuse to write about one of my favorite gaming franchises ever.

While I've not been with these games since the PS2 or even early PS3 days, I have played every game in the series including spin-offs available on all current consoles and also the PC versions since 2017. If you're wondering what Like a Dragon or Yakuza game to play first, which one might work best for you as an introduction, or even what platform to play them on if you own multiple systems, you're in the right place.

Why did Sega change Yakuza's name to Like a Dragon?

Since the franchise's PS2 debut in the West until its seventh mainline entry, it was called Yakuza, but that seventh entry signaled change not only for how the series would be released going forward, but its name. In Japan, these games come under the "Ryu Ga Gotoku" name which translates to "Like a Dragon". To more closely align the naming with Japan, the series has since been changed to Like a Dragon in the West.

What makes the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games worth playing?

When I was playing my first Yakuza game, the napkin pitch was a crime drama with over-the-top humor, memorable characters, great music, and tons of content in a more intimate open world-like action-adventure game. This was for Yakuza 0, and that remains one of my favorite games of all time, not just from this series.

If you've not played a single game in this series, most of the games usually blend action-adventure, RPG, beat 'em up elements, over-the-top mini-games, hilarious to thought-provoking side activities, and more accompanied by memorable stories with superb characters. Two of the newer mainline entries feature turn-based combat, but it seems like Sega is going to keep the brawler style combat for the non numbered entries.

Before I played my first Yakuza game, I had no real idea what to expect aside from reading joke posts about how this was "GTA in Japan". That might have unironically gotten me more interested in checking it out given how much I love GTA Vice City, but what really sold me on the series was checking out some trailers of Yakuza 0 with its 80s setting.

I didn't expect the locations to be as dense and explorable with shops and restaurants you could enter, tons of NPCs, billboards, and more. I still consider the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games as amazing virtual tourism experiences not only because many games reuse locations and show how things change over the years, but to see how much the developers manage keeping things fresh with a yearly series.

Yakuza's beauty isn't in AAA visuals, but in how it punches above its weight every single time in its characters, the overarching narrative, and in its heart. It is also helped by smart asset reuse, superb writers, and impeccable voice acting. Going back to Yakuza 0, I thought it might be a fun open world game (on a smaller scale), but I did not expect to fall in love with the cast and to see that game go straight into my favorites of all time.

Yakuza 0's strengths aren't just in the setting, but how SEGA introduced me to Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Kiryu in particular is one of my favorite characters in any medium. Playing through the games and not only seeing how the world changes, but how he grows as a character has been an absolute joy for the many hundreds of hours I've put into this series across platforms.

Aside from two games, the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series features action or brawler combat, and the quality varies quite a bit by game. Some of them like Yakuza 0 or the Judgment games are superb fun to revisit, but others like Yakuza 3 miss the mark in comparison in gameplay. On the turn-based side, Yakuza: Like a Dragon laid the foundation for what was perfected in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's combat system.

What is the best entry point into the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games?

Having since played every game, there are a few notable break points where newcomers can jump in. These are: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Judgment. I'm going to explain why these are the best entry points and which one you should try out depending on your taste.

Yakuza 0 is the best overall entry point in Yakuza and Like a Dragon

Yakuza 0 is the absolute best entry point into the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games. It is a superb release on its own, but also perfectly sets the stage for Kazuma Kiryu's long journey. I keep going back to Yakuza 0 despite it being an older game that looks quite dated compared to modern entries, but there's just something about the 80s setting in Japan and these characters I love so much. It also helps that it has more side content than most games do with some of my favorite mini-games in the medium. Yakuza 0 is available on PS4 (playable on PS5), Xbox One (playable on Xbox Series), and PC platforms in the West.

Yakuza Kiwami is a good entry point for Switch owners

Yakuza Kiwami is a full remake of the original game in the series using the foundation laid by Yakuza 0's engine and assets. You might be wondering why I called Yakuza 0 the best entry point after learning that, but Yakuza Kiwami felt more like an expansion to Yakuza 0 rather than its own thing when I played it. It has some more gameplay issues as well in its boss fights and pacing, but when treated on its own and played before Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami is still an excellent game. This is also a great entry point for Nintendo Switch owners with it being ported to the system this week. Read my review of that port here.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the best modern entry point into Yakuza and Like a Dragon especially for turn-based fans

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the seventh mainline entry in the series, but it is still a great entry point with its new cast focusing on protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and turn-based combat system. While this one has some references to earlier games and returning characters, it can very much be played by newcomers without issues, and also happens to be the first mainline game to have an English dub option. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC platforms.

Judgment isn't a mainline game, but fans of detective games can start with it

Judgment is a spin-off to the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series featuring a narrative-heavy focusing on the lawyer-turned-detective Takayuki Yagami rather than Kazuma Kiryu. It is set in Kamurocho, but smart changes to gameplay, story progression, and a new cast make it stand on its own as one of the best games Sega has released in many years. It brought in elements like chasing enemies during missions, stealth, investigation, and more with a very different vibe compared to the Yakuza games. Judgment is available on PS4, PS5 (Remaster), Xbox Series (Remaster), and PC (Remaster).

What order should you play the Yakuza games?

With the best entry points out of the way, it is time to move to the best play order for the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games. This will vary depending on where you start, and I'll also cover the long route for those willing to put in the time and effort to get the most out of what RGG Studio and Sega have to offer.

The best order to play the Yakuza games for the complete experience through Like a Dragon:

This is for those willing to put in time, money, and a lot of effort to get the most out of the games. I've indicated which platforms have access to the games as well.

Yakuza 0 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza Kiwami (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza 3 Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza 4 Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza 5 Remastered (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Yakuza: Like A Dragon AKA Yakuza 7 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name AKA Yakuza 7 Gaiden (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth AKA Yakuza 8 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)

The best order to play the modern Yakuza and Like a Dragon games

If you don't have as much time, you can go with:

Yakuza: Like a Dragon AKA Yakuza 7 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name AKA Yakuza 7 Gaiden (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth AKA Yakuza 8 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC)

When to play Judgment and Lost Judgment in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games

If you begin with Judgment, you should play Lost Judgment and its DLC next. Once you finish these, you can go for any of the other entry points I covered above.

Yakuza spin-offs: Are Like a Dragon: Ishin, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, and Yakuza Dead Souls worth playing?

Yakuza: Dead Souls isn't playable on current platforms so I'm not considering it here. I hope Sega remasters or ports it so it can be more accessible and have some of its issues addressed. Like a Dragon: Ishin, a remake of Yakuza Ishin (only released in Asia and Japan) is a good game that I recommend only to those who are already deep into the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series for the best experience. While it is set in the Bakumatsu period in Japan where you play as Ryoma Sakamoto featuring characters and likenesses from the Yakuza series taking on new roles, I still don't recommend it as an entry point.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise would be a good entry point for fans of that manga and brand, but the game itself is a bit too flawed compared to other Like a Dragon and Yakuza games. I recommend this as a break from the main series if you do find yourself sucked into it after starting with Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami.