For almost a decade and a half, the Yakuza franchise was all but exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation consoles. Other than a Japan-only Wii U remaster of the first two games, every single mainline entry or spinoff was released solely on the PlayStation 2, PSP, PS3, or PS4. Show Then Microsoft came along. Along with Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, Yakuza has slowly become a flagship Japanese series for Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service. It all started under a year ago with the addition of Yakuza 0, and as of this week you can play almost every mainline Yakuza game on Game Pass. Couple this with the fact that the next-gen version of Yakuza: Like A Dragon is still exclusive to Xbox Series consoles, with a PS5 version not set to arrive until March, and the improbable conclusion is clear: Xbox — including the PC branch of the ecosystem — is now the easiest and best way to get into the series.  What’s changed this week is the addition of three new mainline Yakuza games. Remastered versions of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 are all now on Game Pass for Xbox and PC after getting a bundled PS4 release in 2019. (You can also buy the trio for $39.99.) These games originally all came out on the PS3, meaning they wouldn’t otherwise have been playable on modern systems through backwards compatibility. These aren’t particularly impressive ports on a technical level. Like most other Yakuza games on the Xbox, they run at 1080p and 60fps with little apparent benefit for the more powerful Xbox consoles. But honestly, given the aging source material, that’s perfectly fine. What matters is that you’ll be able to play almost the entire mainline Yakuza series for the price of a Game Pass subscription. And I definitely think you should do that, because this series is incredibly good. There’s really nothing like the way Yakuza blends brutal violence, goofy comedy, and incredible pathos in the context of a crime drama action RPG. Without spoiling anything, here’s how I’d recommend getting into it:
You may also want to play Judgment, which is a pretty good spinoff set in the Yakuza Cinematic Universe, but it’s not important to the overall story and is still only on PS4. I’d slot it in after 6 if you have the chance. The other Yakuza spinoffs aren’t really worth worrying about. There’s Kenzan and Ishin, two separate samurai-era games that were never localized into English. That was also the case for the PSP-exclusive Kurohyo and its sequel. And while Dead Souls, a PS3 zombie shooter set on the streets of Tokyo, did make it out in the West, you’re better off pretending it never happened. I’ve been playing the Yakuza series from day one on the PS2, but back then I never imagined it’d get so expansive or accessible. I’d recommend these games to anyone, and the barrier to entry is so low now for anyone with an Xbox or a PC and a lot of spare time on their hands. If you haven’t gotten into the series yet, it might be the single best reason to subscribe to Game Pass.
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. In the Yakuza series of games, you’ll follow protagonist Kazuma Kiryu as he takes an emotional journey through the heart of Japan's seedy underworld. This means plenty of violent combat and money-making, of course, but the world of Yakuza has some fun to offer too, with all kinds of recreational activities that range from singing karaoke and eating at restaurants to playing Sega's classics in the arcades. At its heart, Yakuza is quite a mature series. But at times it can be downright hilarious. We’re always surprised that it manages to strike such a fine balance between being absolutely brutal and totally bonkers at the same time. This makes the games difficult to define. Yakuza is often referred to as the "Japanese Grand Theft Auto" or even a spiritual successor to Sega's Shenmue series. But both of those labels don't really do it justice. Instead, it's a mish-mash of so many systems and different mechanics – from RPG progression to rhythm-based mini-games – and it's also much more story-focused than Rockstar's GTA. It meshes all of these different threads and influences together so wonderfully, too, that there's truly nothing quite like it. Read to jump in and prove your devotion to the clan? In our guide below we’ll show you how to play the Yakuza games in order, what critics think of them, and list every Yakuza game released to date. 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:
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 games on Xbox Game Pass for console and PCOne 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. Best Yakuza games rankedWhile 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. What's next for the Yakuza games?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 (opens in new tab) 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. Is Judgment a Yakuza game?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.
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What yakuza game to play first
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