Yakuza Games Tier List (2024)

When the first Yakuza game was released back in 2005, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku probably didn't realize the strength of the IP it had on its hands. Over 10 sequels and spin-offs later, and the series, now known as Like a Dragon, is at the absolute height of its popularity, going from strength to strength with each new iteration. While the same core group of characters has remained ever-present throughout, the series has undergone several changes over the years, advancing visually and mechanically. Not every game has been well received though, and some of the franchise's 12 mainline titles are far stronger than others.

The bulk of the Like a Dragon titles follow the story of Kazuma Kiryu, a respected and feared Yakuza representing the Tojo Clan. Kiryu's exploits have been well chronicled throughout Yakuza's timeline as he's waged a one-man war against some of Japan's most formidable men. Along the way, gamers have been introduced to many other memorable characters, such as Goro Majima and Ichiban Kasuga. These characters, along with new areas to explore and changes to combat mechanics, have helped to flesh out Like a Dragon's universe and have kept gamers coming back for more for over 15 years.

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S-Tier

Yakuza: Like a Dragon: The series' most recent release in 2020 was also arguably its boldest. Ryu Ga Gotoku completely subverted fan expectations by not only introducing a much bigger open-world map, but changing the protagonist, with Kazuma Kiryu making way for the charismatic and kind Ichiban Kasuga, and also the combat too. Replacing the real-time fighting that had become a staple of the series with a new, turn-based combat system, could've backfired horribly. Instead, though, fans and critics both agreed that this refreshing new change was exactly what the series needed and helped to make the game a huge success and one of the strongest entries in the franchise.

Yakuza Kiwami 2: The second of the Kiwami remakes, Kiwami 2 rebuilt 2006's Yakuza 2 from the ground up. Implementing the Dragon Engine that was first used in Yakuza 6, the game is a thrilling recreation of the original version, featuring fast-paced and frantic combat, a memorable narrative, and arguably the series' greatest antagonist. With a ton of side content, silky-smooth visuals, and a completely separate, brand-new campaign starring fan-favorite anti-hero Goro Majima, the game represents the absolute best the series has to offer.

Yakuza 0: This entry serves as a prequel to events in the original Yakuza, and is chronologically the oldest game in the series. It follows the lives of the young, up-and-coming Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. A combination of a rich, gripping narrative, the versatility offered up by dual protagonists Kiryu and Majima, and a large variety of side activities and mini-games helped this entry to become one of the most loved in the series. The game is also widely seen as playing a large part in Like a Dragon's rise in popularity in the west, as well as being one of the series' highest-rated entries on Metacritic.

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Yakuza Kiwami: This remake of the first installment in the series launched in the west in 2017, and reintroduced Kazuma Kiryu and Kamurocho to a whole new audience. With a full overhaul to the visual presentation, and borrowing from Yakuza 0's huge improvements to the combat and overall mechanics, the game proved to be a hit with fans. The plot was fleshed out, with new cutscenes added and much more backstory to characters providing context, and the game helped to solidify the series' newfound western popularity.

Judgment: The Judgment series takes place in the same shared Like a Dragon universe and follows private detective Takayuki Yagami and his allies as they look to solve increasingly complex crimes. The game offers players the same fast-paced, brutal combat as the Yakuza series, and utilizes the Dragon Engine, but offers full English audio and also places an emphasis on a series of detective activities that Taka must carry out to help solve crimes. These activities include drone piloting, analyzing crime scenes, and collecting a series of evidence to be used when answering sometimes complex questions. This change of pace provides a welcome variety to proceedings though, and the whodunnit-style narrative keeps players guessing until the end.

Yakuza 5: The fifth entry in the series was only made available in the west via a PlayStation Network download in 2015, three years after its Japanese release on PS3. Going one better than its predecessor, it featured five playable protagonists, and five areas across Japan for players to explore. Yakuza 5 took longer than usual to develop, but the result was a highly-polished game that was seen as a significant step forward for the franchise and received strong review scores as a result. Fans were once again unhappy at Kiryu playing a lesser role though, which likely resulted in the franchise moving back to a solo protagonist in its next outing.

B-Tier

Yakuza 6: Until events in Yakuza: Like a Dragon unexpectedly brought him back into the fold, many assumed that the sixth mainline entry in the Yakuza series would chronologically be Kiryu's last. Turning its back on the multiple protagonists it had introduced over the previous two installments, the story brought all the focus back onto Kiryu, with gamers getting to know a side of him not seen before. His fatherly instincts were brought into focus, and the bulk of the game takes place in the new location of Onomichi, an accurate depiction of the real-life district of Shingai. This was the first installment to feature the new Dragon Engine, which completely overhauled the game's presentation and fighting mechanics.

Lost Judgment: The sequel to Judgment attempts to improve all the game's mechanics, polishing the combat and including a few new additions such as a skateboard to help Takayuki Yagami navigate the large open-world environment of Isezaki Ijincho, which is where the bulk of the game takes place. Unfortunately, though, this time around the story is uninspired and even borders on dull at times, with large parts of the game having Taka embroiled in a school bullying plot before descending towards a much darker path. Other frustrations linger, such as an uneven balance between combat and detective work which takes up a lot of Taka's time. With the Like a Dragon franchise moving towards turn-based combat, fans of the real-time fighting aspect of the series were looking to Lost Judgment to fill that void, but it ultimately wasn't the game's focus as some hoped it would be.

Yakuza 4: The fourth entry was released in Europe in 2011 for the PS3 and took the series in a new direction, being the first to introduce multiple playable protagonists, with Kiryu having to split the limelight with three other characters. While visuals and mechanics were updated as expected, with each of the characters having their own distinct fighting styles, many felt that the game ultimately suffered due to a fractured narrative that tried to spread itself far too thinly between the four protagonists. It was re-released years later alongside Yakuza 3 and Yakuza 5 as part of the Yakuza Remastered collection.

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Yakuza: The game that started them all was released in 2005 for the PS2. Introducing the world to Kazuma Kiryu and the district of Kamurocho, the game was very popular in its native Japan. It was praised for its story and the variety of mini-games it had on offer, as well as for having one of the most realistic depictions of Japanese culture in video games at the time. The title also had a certain quirky charm that added to its appeal, and its combat was simple and effective which helped players get to grips with it fairly easily. Some felt the game was repetitive though, and it failed to really take off when it hit western shores a year later.

Yakuza 2: The sequel to the original game came to the west in 2008, and brought with it a host of new features, including a brand-new area for players to explore in Osaka, as well as the returning to the streets of Kamurocho. Once again depicting Japanese city life with a meticulous eye for detail, Ryu Ga Gotoku also introduced one of Kiryu's most memorable adversaries in Ryuji Goda, with his fierce blonde hair and brutal fighting style making him a perfectly balanced match for Kiryu. This was also the first game that allowed players to switch between Japanese and English audio in a bid to make it more accessible.

Yakuza 3: With subsequent releases using better technology to enhance gameplay and visuals, and with the Kiwami remakes rendering the first two games almost obsolete, Yakuza 3 stands in a rather odd position in the franchise. While it is not the oldest chronologically, it is now the oldest in terms of technology, and its age certainly shows. At the time of its release in 2010 though, it was the first of the franchise's PS3 titles and introduced many new features to the series, including interactive chase sequences and an optional first-person view. The western release actually had to cut various parts of content to help with localization though, much to the disappointment of fans. Following the remakes of the first two games, many fans are waiting for Yakuza Kiwami 3, which will seemingly never arrive.

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