SEGA’S Yakuza games take players into the heart of Japan’s criminal underworld.
Keen to start playing the Yakuza gaming series, but not sure where to begin? Here’s everything you need to know about the popular Japanese franchise.
Yakuza games release order
If you want to play Yakuza in order of release then you may need to dust off your old Playstation 2 – as the first two games in the series were made for this particular console.
However, due to the game’s popularity and the ever changing world of gaming technology – you can play Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 instead on both PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Here’s the eight main games in the Yakuza series in order of release – not including spin-offs or re-releases.
- Yakuza (2006)
- Yakuza 2 (2008)
- Yakuza 3 (2010)
- Yakuza 4 (2011)
- Yakuza 5 (2015)
- Yakuza 0 (2017)
- Yakuza 6 (2018)
- Yakuza: Like A Dragon (2020)
The series of Yakuza games has sold a combined total of 17 million units in physical and digital sales since its debut in 2005
Yakuza timeline order
Each game in this series adds to a narrative focusing on watching primary character Kiryu grow and become a more experienced fighter – whilst learning new styles.
If you are following the series in timeline order – then you’re going to have to branch out and add some of the other Yakuza games to your timeline order.
Judgement and Lost Judgement are spin-offs that fit into the timeline.
If you want to play the Yakuza game with a complete and easy to follow narrative – then here’s how to play to the perfect timeline.
- Yakuza 0- set in 1988
- Yakuza Kiwami – set in 2005
- Yakuza Kiwami 2 – set in 2006
- Yakuza 3 – set in 2009
- Yakuza 4 – set in 2010
- Yakuza 5 – set in 2012
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – set in 2016
- Judgement – set in 2018
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon – set in 2019
- Lost Judgement – set in 2021
What other Yakuza games are there?
Alongside the eight main games in the series, over the years a number of spin-off games, re-releases and compilations have been released.
The first ever franchise spin off to be released was Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! – which was released in Japan and Asia in 2008.
Just a few years later Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō also known as Project K was released in 2010 – later a sequel Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura hen, was released in 2012.
After the success of the first few spin-off games, developers continued to add to the list – here’s the following spin-offs and re-releases in the series.
- Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011/2012)
- Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! (2014)
- Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018)
- Ryu ga Gotoku Online (2018)
- Judgement (2018/2019)
- Streets of Kamurocho (2020)
- Ryū ga Gotoku 1&2 HD for Wii U – (re-release 2013)
- Yakuza Kiwami (re-release 2017/2019/2020)
- Yakuza Kiwami 2 (re-release 2017/2018/2019/2020)
- The Yakuza Remastered Collection (re-release 2019/2021)
