Konnichiwa!

You probably are here after finishing Yakuza 0, had this referred to you or have stumbled upon this by mere chance. Or maybe you’re as usual wasting your time on the internet.

Well that’s irrelevant! I’m here to help you play the entire Yakuza mainline, as broadly, and with all the information you might want.

Ok so why is this in the Like A Dragon hub and not 0 or X game?
Well, to be fair, most of the new blood, myself included, are more likely to have stumbled with the new ports, beggining with Yakuza 0. Given the fact that game is usually agreed as the best starting point for a curious player, it made the most sense to post this there.
However on further reflection, it's clear SEGA deliberately made Like A Dragon as the definitive newcomer point for a reason, and coupled with the fact it's the lastest entry, it made the most sense for relevancy.

I actually disagree. You shouldn’t begin the series with X game!
There will be a little guidance about this in the next question, don’t worry because I actually sort of can agree.

Right, I played ENTRY and wanted more. What do I do from here?
You have six games to enjoy! All the games have been ported for your enjoyment. I however strongly suggest you pace them out, as you’re going to get exhausted fast if you play back to back. These are ridiculously long games if you start to sink teeth and you absolutely are not going to enjoy them much when tired out.

Okay I did not play anything. I’m blind. Where do I start?
There’s really two ways you can go about this. The canonical order, and release order.

For abbreviation : Y = Yakuza (as in the entry). K = Kiwami (Meaning “extreme”, they are remakes of 1 and 2, originally for the Playstation 2. I’ll get into detail in a bit.

Canonical would be :

• Y0
  
• Y/ YK
  
• Y2/ YK 2
  
• Y3
  
• Y4
  
• Y5
  
• Y6

Release order would be :

• Y1
  
• Y2
  
• Y3
  
• Y4
  
• Y5
  
• Y0
  
• Y6

This skips Kiwami 1 and 2 entirely.
I will explain this further and you can make the judgement call.

Wait but 1 and 2 are not on PC. That means…?
Yep. Sorry, not sorry.

Alright what’s with Kiwami 1 and 2? Why are they infamous?
Oh boy we will get into that.

I have issues with this guide.
Please leave a comment and I will try to reply as soon as possible.


Per game information
We are now moving into each individual game, listed in their canonical order. We first are going to have a quick summary of the game, and I’ll list some external guides for restoration patches which add in cut content, or in some cases have important fixes that can address problems with the port. None of them are “absolutely” essential however.

Bullying children with money.

1989. A murder in the wrong place spirals a tale that changes forever the fate of two men, a promising crime family enforcer, and a loyal soldier robbed of his own freedom.

Yakuza 0 is a prequel that tells an origin tale of two of the most beloved characters in the series, and what made them the men we know now. It was a game intentionally made to have at best callbacks only fans would recognize, but to new players leaving dangling threads to look out for. A game that reignited the series in the west, and the one that got me and who knows how more hooked.

It’s a polished, very well presented ride that had years of experience from the studio to shine.
A reason why it’s debatable to start here is due to how it really tampers expectations going forward, with a bunch of the games having a less polished gameplay and poorer writing or pacing. The game also for better or worse lacks a lot of the series staples and most iconic elements as well. You are also going to miss a lot of nods to the franchise’s history and a few deliberate call backs.

If you can accept this fact, start your journey here. Otherwise leave this for later and refer to the next snippet.

The only patches you could need are music restoration for licenced tracks.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1461732841

Aside from this, there is a robust modding support in Nexus, who add new content, tweak gameplay and do character swapping horror.

Constant swearing.

2005. The aftermath of a patricide that would damn two sworn brothers into enemies, and a girl worth 10 billion yen at the center.

A flawed kick off given by the evolution of the series, but an impressively confident start that defined it’s identity quickly. The main issues with the game are the hilariously awful localization, wonky design issues with combat, and just being quite barren in comparison to even it’s second game. It however shines with an absolute pristine soundtrack, incredibly funny dubbing, the glorious beauty that is Playstation 2 graphics and a moody, somber tone looming around.

It's easy to appreciate the game and forget the frustrations, so while I wouldn't say you need an iron will, it does take a bit of time to settle, so I would encourage giving it a shot later on to see the genesis by yourself. If you do decide to play chronologically, you might have the better payoff in the long run, but you are putting up with a lot of quirks that are natural for a game so radically unique for the time.

The game is only available on PlayStation 2 (and WiiU/PS3 but Japanese only, so good luck with it), which forces our hand to use PCSX2.

Now allow me a second to go into “apologist” territory but no, this is in no way a bad thing but the TOS of Steam won’t allow me being direct so just follow these very specific instructions.

• Yakuza 1 and 2 have a visual “ghosting” issue when upscaled, so enable Advanced HW Hacks and turn on Alpha Stencil, Merge Sprite and set Skipdraw Range to 1. Alternatively play in Native resolution. Game will be a bit of a bummer like this but it is more visually authentic, so it really depends if you want a working game with low resolution or a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ beautifully aged one with some extra work into it.
  
• Set Texture Filtering to anything that isn’t Bilinear Forced to get rid of a weird white line in the middle.
  
• Yakuza 1 but mostly 2 sometimes has a strange glowing line in a corner, which I found that if I’m lazy and just wanna play the damn game, changing video output back and forth seems to fix it for a while. It apparently triggers mostly when going in and out of menus.

There is however, a middle ground here- do you want to play this classic as God intended? Can you still get past the little jank? Then good news my son, Yakuza Restored, by Sylwahan, has you covered.

Utilizing Delta Patcher[github.com], you can download his mod [archive.org] that restores the japanese audio, has a revised, more faithful localization and several more improvements. Highly recommended.

He says it with a straight face, too.

Kiwami is...rough. This remake in 0’s framework improves things that needed improvement, but it introduces a lot of issues by just being itself. If you come from 0 it's hard to not feel a sense of whiplash at it. The combat has seen some adjustments but remains mostly the same, just with a skill tree that mixes 3's system with 0. The real pain in the ass is the Majima Everywhere System.
Essentially, without saying much, prepare for your average exploration being a total nightmare. Not even the item that turns off the random encounters can help you. It’s possible to enjoy these antics and even use it as a way to test skills or just grind some good XP, but you’ll get sick of it, trust me. It’s a great idea needlessly taken too far.

If you played the original it’s hard not to feel the atmosphere just isn’t there, either. The grittier, more somber, darker ambience just doesn’t compare.
There is still plenty to like, such as new cutscenes, a better localization and more gameplay content, some fresh, some neatly redone. I won’t blame you for quitting the final boss however, trust me.

A final note that might come across as mean or condescending- I consider borderline mandatory to mod the original soundtrack. I won't really force your hand, just happens that to me some remixes are good but my god it just does NOT live up to the original, and since you have the option you should consider it. In the end it’s your choice however. I would encourage at least to listen it online and pick your preference.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1660892640
https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1661055181

No amount of health drinks can heal your broken ego.

2006. When a formidable opponent clashes, only one can remain in the top.

Ah yes. Yakuza 2, my beloved.

My favorite, and I’ll defend it as the best one to the grave. It does everything right, it basically is the series at its purest form in a good package with so much to love.

This game is absolutely perfect, the combat is so much better, the new town is a lot of fun to explore, there’s tons of improvements, the soundtrack is a ten and the story is completely and utterly stupid. It’s pretty much everything this series is good at it's best.

Apply the same fixes as Yakuza 1 for any potential issues.


Yakuza 2 Restored, by Sylwahan happened and I was asleep.
Well, like last time, you can now enjoy a translation that is more faithful to the original japanese release, has nicer fonts, and is still absolute kino.

One again, use Delta Patcher[github.com] to patch his mod available on the big library [archive.org]. Play this one. Or don't. See if I care.

This guy is only smart with a gun.

Another remake, but this one is a bit better, (consider to mod the OST) with some nice additions and a few adjustments.
Sadly again the game just doesn’t recapture the atmosphere as well, and there’s a few cutten corners. On top, some technology slips and alike muddles in between, and people who pay attention might be really taken out of the experience if they notice.

Still an overall good time, if also lesser.

Credit to the makers.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1738721877
'Green Filter' removal by OnoMichi0[www.nexusmods.com]
Classic Music Mod by MikominMM[www.nexusmods.com]

Dad game.

2009. Moving on is never easy, and as the life left behind comes back to haunt the new people that mean everything in the world, the only solution is to put them back in their place.

Oh boy this is why I encourage playing the PS2 games.

This one is going to be rough if you don’t know what jank is. The combat doesn’t just allow spamming, and involves sidestepping and counters (sidestepping is broken thanks Sega, very cool, here’s a mod for that).

Regardless, if you are just having too much of a hard time, learn how to parry and use weapons well. For better or worse, the combat does not allow mindless bashing here.
A shame a lot of people get tired off it instead of complaining about the damn kids (just jesting, they are a nice change of pace).
Really, all I’m saying is try not to sour yourself too hard and miss out on the more laid back and feelgood bits. There is plenty to like in this one.

Yakuza 3 was a weird thing for the west when it came out. It was originally a limited localization as they were trying to adjust the game to another culture where it had a following but not as robust. This remaster is however a different story.

It might as well be the ideal version outside of the original Japan release, with many of the old minigames brought back, an improved and more accurate localization (like where names are concerned) and 60 frames per second ass kicking. The only side content still missing is a quiz show thing and two side quests involving “okamas” which they probably just assumed they wouldn’t get away with anymore.

Again, a small patch for changing few things is available, as well as a very useful fix for sidestepping which the re-release botched a bit. Credits to their makers.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2376998909

SideStep Mod Fix by Lambda0Core[www.nexusmods.com]

The lads see a collectible somewhere in the pipes.

2010. Four different strokes of men united by fate, and culmination of a conspiracy falling apart before their very eyes.

Also known as Akiyama 4, this one is a fan favorite for many for having four different unique characters to play as, with all of them newcomers having a fresh POV of Kamurocho and it’s people. The jazz-like OST is great, the combat is super fun, and the highs are some of the highest points.

There is very little in the way of “censorship”, save for a few lines Akiyama makes in his part because it was 2011 and fun was allowed, but it’s a simple patch to undo that if it does bother you. There’s also the intro song but you can find below that fix.

There is however one change that did not involve localization at all.
Tanimura's voice actor was replaced in this re-release.

Long story short, the original one was falsely accused of drug use and the experience had him leave acting as a result. Either to not risk it or his denial of using his face or whatever, SEGA just replaced the voice and face. The new actor is subjectively better or worse depending on you, but if you want the most authentic experience, fear not- mods will fix it.

Credits to their makers.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2383596703
https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2383566645

Remain quiet. Shinada is asleep.

2012. Dreams. Dreams of letting go, dreams of forging your own path, of giving hope to those you care about and those that were shattered beyond your control. DREAMS. Get used to it.

A game with more heart and soul than brain and logic. At points, it’s a trainwreck. At others I’m having the time of my life. It’s a massive disaster and I love it so much.

There is a point of warning needed here. This one, is one long- like REALLY long entry. It’s guaranteed to either burn you out or test your patience at best. Take it with care, don’t overdo it. It has a lot of really good stuff.

Mod-wise the same fix for music, and an Imperial Japan badge that was removed internationally in an unlockable outfit for Saejima. There are also some advertisement stuff cut, likely licence related, but it is likely to not bother anyone.

Credit to the makers as usual.

https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2405045374

How.

2016. A man with a cause to fight for, with nothing to lose.

This is the conclusion to your playtime as Kiryu and they kinda forgot to finish the game.
The Dragon engine being developed absolutely affected the game's development, and to make matters worse, it was clear they didn't really polish up what was there. So combat is a laugh and Kamurocho is barren in general. Maybe by now you'll be glad it's a humbler game, who knows.

At least the story for the most part is pretty nice and Hokkaido is comfy.

Me whenever SEGA blunders up as usual.

2020. Twenty years taken, not a single one aged. A new face, who from the bottom has only up to go.

And we start anew! A new protagonist, a new gameplay system and a fresh start.
This game does do callbacks in the later third but it's a wholly new take and ride, with an already loveable idiot as our lead who goes schizophrenic and beats people in the street.

And yes this is a JRPG now so if that bothers you, I encourage you to give it a try on discount or do the thing and see for yourself. It's a decent first try at it, and hopefully with the next mainline we will see a refined and more polished take on it.

For now that does it! Feel free to ask in the comments for any questions or suggestions and I will happily reply as soon as I can.


Now go my aniki, there's completion lists to fill. Here's a Mahjong guide to reward you for the read.