The 13 Best 'Yakuza' Games, Ranked

We never thought in a million years that we'd see Kiryu and his closest buds would be seen wielding guns and trying to put an end to the zombie apocalypse. Yakuza: Dead Souls presents that fever dream in the form of a halfway decent third-person shooter. The storyline is better than expected (this is a Yakuza game, after all!) and the boss fights are pretty eventful. And while the moment-to-moment zombie blasting action starts out fun enough, it definitely grows dull over the hours-long duration of this game. Better pacing and more varied combat scenarios would have done wonders for Yakuza: Dead Souls, that's for sure.

"Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru." Translation? "You are already dead." If you recognize that catchphrase and know where it came from, we have a gut feeling that you checked out this Yakuza spinoff already. And if you haven't, let us tell you this - it's a lot better than you'd initially expect. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise adopts several signature elements from the classic manga/anime series as players take on the role of the "Hokuto Shinken" martial arts master Kenshiro. Instead of exploring a vast cityscape, players maneuver around a medium-sized post-apocalyptic city that features a combat arena, a nightclub to manage, a bar that lets you work as a slick bartender, and so much more. The Yakuza combat feel matches up quite well with Kenshiro's head-exploding attacks and the finishing moves are lovingly crafted after the ones seen in the anime. Driving across the sand doesn't feel all that great and the central locale of "Eden" isn't as spacious as Yakuza's other main hubs, however.

There was a point in time when this Yakuza spinoff was relegated to being a Japanese PS4 and PS3 exclusive. In 2023, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio did a favor for Yakuza's Western followers by remaking it and making it available across last- and current-generation consoles. Like a Dragon: Ishin! features Kiryu in the role of the real-world samurai Sakamoto Ryōma as he gets caught up in the Bakumatsu (1853–1867) phase of the Late Edo period. The quest he embarks on sees him seeking out the murderer who assassinated his father figure, which results in Ryōma getting embroiled in some political warfare. We also have to salute this Yakuza spinoff for adding the ability to apply "Trooper Cards" to combat abilities that expanded upon its already great battle mechanics.

We'll always have a special place in our hearts for this Yakuza spinoff that dealt with solving a murder mystery instead of getting to the bottom of another criminal underworld controversy. The calm, cool, and collected lawyer-turned-detective Takayuki Yagami is just as cherished as Kiryu in our eyes - we enjoyed gathering clues, fending off random street thugs, and chasing down principal suspects as Yagami up & down the streets of Tokyo, Japan's "Kamurocho." The combat sequences and minigames (especially the drone racing competitions!) included in Judgment set it up as one of the more varied Yakuza spinoffs we've ever been treated to. However, we have to dock a few points off this game's overall score due to how annoying and dull those slow suspect-tailing missions are.

Now let's touch on Lost Judgment, which marked a notable improvement for the latest adventures of Yagami. On the fighting front, Yagami added the "Snake" martial art to his repertoire to become even more of a vicious brawler. And when it comes to storytelling, this sequel touched on some pretty heavy subjects that helped the game achieve a more mature feel. While some of the plot points of this game could feel like a letdown at times, there were enough major revelations to keep us invested in how this game ultimately unfolded. We especially love the fun side missions that allow you to interact with schoolchildren and aid them in their everyday lives/studies. The stealth segments still aren't worth writing about here though, which is a lingering issue from Lost Judgment's predecessor.

Yakuza 3 may not be close to the top of our list for the best Yakuza games. But we still respect it for presenting a heartwarming story while also retaining the dark criminal underworld tones of the first two Yakuza games. Kiryu spends most of his time here as an orphanage custodian, which helps showcase his warm and sweeter side. But of course, problems arise as they always do for our ex-Yakuza turned heroic protector. The signature elements of the series are present here alongside the addition of exhilarating "Chase Battle" sequences and a clever "Revelation" mechanic that helped Kiryu unlock more devastating "Heat Actions." A few sub-stories were lost in translation when coming from the East to the West. Even still, Yakuza 3 remains a solid sequel.

Yakuza 4 started the trend of the series having multiple main protagonists stepping into the picture. And thanks to that dramatic change, this sequel shines and grabs your attention even more than ever before with a plotline full of higher stakes. The new playable characters also feel great to wield during combat, so there's a sense of high replayability in place here when it comes to mastering every last one of them. Policing the streets of Kamurocho as the law-abiding Masayoshi Tanimura is another highlight of this game worth mentioning. While the story might not always be gripping at all times due to some overly long dialogue sequences (which is a Yakuza series staple, to be quite honest), there's enough meat on the bone here to classify it as one of the best in the entire franchise. Yakuza 4 is melodramatic, content-rich, and a clear standout among the rest of the games on this list.

Yakuza 5 ups the ante by focusing on five playable characters this time around. And with those five main protagonists comes the opportunity to explore five districts in total, which include the familiar trappings of Kamurocho and additional areas in the form of "Sōtenbori," "Nagasugai," "Tsukimino," and "Kin'eicho." Yazkua 5 is certainly up there among the best Yakuza games thanks to an abundance of things to see & do, a massive lineup of addictive minigames, well-written storyline threads, and that same brutal combat that series diehards can't get enough of. Some may say those same battle mechanics got a bit old in the tooth by the time this fifth mainline sequel arrived, but we loved it back then and still love it now.

Remaking the very first Yakuza game in the series that initially launched on the PS2 back in 2006 was a genius move by Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. This definitive version of the game that started it all is strengthened by its implementation of the combat systems seen in Yakuza 0 (more on that game later!), a hilariously random sidequest that always puts you in a street clash with the crazed Goro Majima, and new story elements that improve upon the original's always thrilling narrative. Yakuza Kiwami did its job as being the only way you should hop into the first Yakuza game. The constant location backtracking this game focuses on is definitely bothersome, yet everything else comes together so nicely to make that issue less annoying than one might expect.

Kiryu is the only playable character included in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life for a very good reason - his decades-long journey comes to an end here. And for that reason, this game's story consistently hits you right in the feels as major plot points wrap up wonderfully to bring a sense of peace to the Kiryu's problem-filled world. Beating up everyone that makes the mistake of stepping up to Kiryu becomes an even more engrossing activity thanks to the usage of "Extreme Heat Mode," which lent players some of the most excruciatingly painful finishers the series has ever introduced. Even though there's only one fighting style to rely on here, we still got plenty of enjoyment out of using it to hand out deserved beatdowns to Kiryu's many foes. The "Clan Creator" minigame is awesome, by the way (too bad we don't feel the same way about that icky chat room minigame...).

We have yet another remake to mention here and it's the one that improved upon everything we first saw in 2006's Yakuza 2. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a huge favorite among diehard fans (and us, of course!) thanks to its inspired combat structure brought on by the battle mechanics introduced in Yakuza 6. The rest of the new features made specifically for this sequel is another reason why this remake amazed us at the time of release - being able to tackle Majima's own side story, the grand return of the Clan Creator minigame (with New Japan Pro Wrestling starts in the mix!), and newly introduced storyline segments that helped tie up some loose ends from the original game are among those fresh features. Plus Extreme Heat Mode comes back strong here and drops in several more bone-breaking finishers that never get stale during the entirety of our time with this remake.

The severe shift in gameplay style and change in main characters for Yakuza: Like a Dragon had a lot of fans nervous about the future of the series. But to the surprise of the fanbase and everyone else, this turn-based RPG take on the franchise ended up being one of the best Yakuza games ever made. The new cast of wily outcasts led by former Yakuza Ichiban Kasuga quickly grew into some of our favorite series protagonists. And we got a kick out of the hysterical ways in which the character class system and summon attacks play out during turn-based battle sequences. Exploring the newly introduced Yokohama district of "Isezaki Ijincho" also felt like a nice evolution for the series as a whole. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio did a phenomenal job trying something entirely new with the Yakuza games here and freshening things up to keep the series' quality streak intact.

It's so easy to appreciate everything about Yazkua 0. For newcomers to the series as a whole, this prequel serves as the perfect game to start off with to become acclimated to the original misadventures of Kiryu and Majima. Longtime fans of the Yakuza games adore this series installment since it provides more backstory on both characters' backstories and their motivations. On the gameplay front, the multiple fighting styles for both protagonists and the implementation of managing the side hustles for either character results in some of the most gripping segments the Yakuza IP has ever featured. The gripping narrative and late 80s timeline setting come together to present Yakuza 0 as an incredible time capsule that you can actually play. This game also deserves to be acknowledged for making Western gamers more aware of the greatness the Yakuza series was known for from its loyal Japanese audience at the time.