With Like a Dragon: Gaiden and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth quickly approaching release, players may want to dust up their Yakuza lore knowledge by playing through the past games.
There is no lack of games to play in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series, but not all the games in this universe were released in chronological story order. If you want to piece together the story as you play, then we have an ordered list for you below.
How to play Yakuza and Like a Dragon games in chronological order
It's not too hard to piece together the order of the Yakuza games since, for the most part, they were released in order of the story. However, with some spin-offs and remakes thrown in, it does change up the order a bit. Here's a look at the games listed in release order:
- Yakuza (2005)
- Yakuza 2 (2006)
- Yakuza 3 (2009)
- Yakuza 4 (2010)
- Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)
- Yakuza 5 (2012)
- Yakuza 0 (2015)
- Yakuza Kiwami (2016)
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)
- Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)
- Judgment (2018)
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)
- Lost Judgment (2021)
- Like a Dragon: Ishin! (2023)
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)
Despite the games releasing in this order, if you're big on the lore and story behind all the games intertwined, then we would recommend playing the games in the order listed below.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a spin-off game of the Yakuza series and a bit different than the others. It is meant to be a historical adventure, taking place years earlier than the other titles. However, some players might not recommend playing this first since it does have some hints at lore that only well-versed Yakuza players would understand.
Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0, appropriately named, is set in the 1980s Tokyo and Osaka, where you play the part of the young Goro Majima and Kazuma Kiryu as they find their way in two different lifestyles. Set at this earlier date, the game fits the best as the first initial introduction of the series' regular character, Kiryu, and the first view of iconic locations, such as the Millennium Tower, as they are being built.
Yakuza
The first released Yakuza game, later revised as Yakuza Kiwami, follows Kazuma Kiryu as he is released from prison 10 years after taking the blame for a crime he didn't commit. This game is set in 1995/2005, about 7-17 years after the events in Yakuza 0, fitting perfectly into the third spot of our chronological order list.
Yakuza 2
Yakuza 2, or Yakuza Kiwami 2 when it was remade, continues directly after the events of Yakuza, with Kazuma Kiryu acting as an unexpected caretaker for Haruka, whom we met in the previous Yakuza game, and being dragged back into a brutal clan war.
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3 is another perfect continuation of the Yakuza story, taking place a year after the clan war we saw in Yakuza 2. Again, Kiryu has attempted to put his clan days behind him and go into retirement but is forcefully dragged back in to protect Haruka and the orphanage that he has taken over.
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 4 is positioned after the event of Yakuza 3, as an unexpected incident brings four very different individuals together. This is the first game of the series that allows you to play multiple character perspectives and, of course, continues Kiryu's legendary story.
Yakuza: Dead Souls
Although not actually considered canon to the Yakuza lore, Dead Souls supposedly takes place a year after the event of Yakuza 4. You play as the characters introduced in the previous game—only things take a twist as they begin a battle against a zombie outbreak. Since this could fracture the main story's practicality, you could skip over it and still have a well-pieced-together story.
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 5 continues the story with a similar feel to Yakuza 4, reintroducing the characters we met in the fourth installment and adding one more to the group. Kiryu has gone undercover as a cab driver in the red-light district as he and the others work toward fulfilling their dreams all across Japan.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was meant as a subtle goodbye to the Kiryu saga, with the character now weathered and aged. After another 3-year prison sentence, he returns to find his adopted daughter Haruka has been in a mysterious accident that has rendered her into a coma, and he must piece together what exactly went down in this thrilling outro.
Judgment
Judgment is a very different vibe game in the series, set as a spin-off where you play as a brand new character on the other side of the law. Takayuki Yagami is a detective investigating murders that are happening within Kamurocho’s underground crime network and will find himself in the middle of unexpected twists and plots he didn't see coming.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is technically a spin-off in the Yakuza series but noted as a reboot for the story. You play as a brand new character, Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking grunt in the yakuza, three years after the events of Yakuza 6. His story is similar to Kiryu before him, wrongly accused and betrayed by those closest to him. He will seek vengeance and prove himself in a new RPG-style play.
Lost Judgement
Lost Judgement is another spin-off story following the detective, Takayuki Yagami, investigating the crime networks of Kamurocho and Ijincho. Although it isn't directly connected to the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, it does take place one to two years after those events and would be the next game in chronological order.
Like a Dragon: Gaiden
Like a Dragon: Gaiden is supposed to take place between the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, in which Kiryu makes an unexpected return after faking his death at the end of Yakuza 6. He is now working as an undercover agent but is dragged out of hiding by a mysterious figure.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, set to release in 2024, is the last on our chronological list and will bring together the two legendary main figures, Kiryu and Kasuga, as a sinister plot is uncovered. Taking place in Tokyo and Hawaii, this will play more like Yakuza: Like a Dragon in an RPG style.
While other Sega spin-off games are released with similar storylines, we stuck to the series' main games and spin-offs that really delve into the lore and backstory of the Yakuza and Like Dragon games. There is no order you must play the games, but if you're looking to acquaint yourself with the plot properly, we would recommend giving this order a try.
Should I play the Yakuza games before Like a Dragon Gaiden?
Before starting Like a Dragon Gaiden, you do not need to play the Yakuza games. You'll miss out on much of the story, but some brief bits of flashback and dialogue reveal the important parts leading directly to Like a Dragon Gaiden. Many characters reference Kiryu's past and his legendary status as a Yakuza, which makes more sense if you have played the series.
If you want the full story of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series, you should start with Yakuza 0 and play up to Yakuza 6 before jumping into Like a Dragon Gaiden. That said, you can find summaries of the Yakuza story and read what happened if you do not have time to play through all the games. Like a Dragon Gaiden's story leads into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and will prepare you for that game.
Looking for more Pro Game Guides Yakuza and Like a Dragon content? Check out our guides on Best hairstyles in the Yakuza series or Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review: A wild trip into Yakuza’s past!
Abby Smith is a super nerd and video game fanatic who grew up playing games on a variety of platforms. She likes to spend her free time binge-watching Netflix, reading all genres of novels, and playing all the best new video games. She is currently a full-time Staff Writer for Pro Game Guides, and as an alumni from Full Sail University, also enjoys dabbling in creative writing such as short stories, scripts, and comics on the side.