8 Reasons to Play the Yakuza Series

The Yakuza series is a game franchise that has undergone a strange journey. The original Yakuza game originally released in 2005 to some less-than-stellar reactions in the West. Since then, Yakuza games have been released regularly. However, they have typically been regarded as niche titles in the eyes of gamers.

That all changed in 2017 with the Western release of Yakuza 0, a prequel that resulted in a second life for the series. Since then, the entire series has been remastered and even scored some PC ports. The latest release, Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a huge hit in 2020. If you haven’t played the Yakuza series yet, it’s time to talk about why you should give these games a try.

Story

Some people really enjoy stories that feature the less-than-moral actions of interesting characters. The Yakuza games do this really well and could even be compared to the likes of Grand Theft Auto in many ways. However, there’s a certain wholesome charm to be found within these games that can’t be found elsewhere.

Exploring the lives of these characters and the struggles that daily life tosses at them can be quite enthralling. Watching the tension and drama between these characters inevitably give way to over-the-top action is always a good time.

Characters

The Yakuza games feature a large cast of characters who range from intensely lovable to easy to hate. The main protagonists are usually quite interesting and layered, as well. For instance, most of the games are focused on a yakuza named Kazuma Kiryu.

Kiryu is a criminal who does some bad things, but he’s also a very upstanding and nice guy at heart. Seeing these two aspects of him clash can be jarring, but it’s fascinating to get to know him as a character. Plus, he can be really dumb in many cases and that’s highly entertaining.