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The Like a Dragon series — known in the West as Yakuza for most of its life — has been carrying Japanese game history on its back since the original launched on PS2 in 2005. Over 20 years, Sega’s action RPG franchise gave us Kazuma Kiryu, a once-in-a-generation protagonist, and used the fictional red-light district of Kamurocho as a stage for stories about how men live and what they’ll bleed for.
As of 2024, the series has shipped more than 27.7 million copies worldwide. And every single year, without fail, someone asks the same thing: “I’ve never played one — where do I even start?” To answer that, the Spotgeeks editorial team scored all 10 major titles across four separate categories. The result is a ranking that tells a newcomer exactly where to jump in, with no second-guessing.
Our four scoring axes are Story, Side Content, Characters, and Replay Depth, each out of 100 points. What you value most changes which game you should pick — but when you add it all up, the peak of the Like a Dragon series is not remotely in question.
We’ve laid out the four-axis scores plus a clear “who is this for?” call on every title, so use the ranking as a map and find the one game that fits you.
All 10 Like a Dragon Games Scored and Compared
Every game was graded out of 100 points across four lenses. A high “Replay Depth” score means more raw volume and more reason to come back for another run. Don’t just read the totals — pick based on the axis you personally care about.
| Title | Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakuza 0 | 95 | 95 | 98 | 92 |
| Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | 90 | 95 | 92 | 95 |
| Yakuza: Like a Dragon | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 |
| Yakuza 5 | 82 | 90 | 85 | 92 |
| Yakuza Kiwami 2 | 88 | 85 | 90 | 82 |
| Yakuza Kiwami | 85 | 80 | 88 | 78 |
| Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | 82 | 78 | 85 | 80 |
| Judgment | 85 | 80 | 82 | 72 |
| Yakuza 4 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 78 |
| Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | 80 | 72 | 78 | 70 |
On the Characters axis, Yakuza 0 runs away with it at 98 points. The younger Kiryu and Majima double act is still talked about as the finest bit of character work the series has ever produced. Replay Depth, meanwhile, belongs to Infinite Wealth at a class-leading 95 — the sheer amount of stuff crammed into its Hawaiian playground is genuinely overwhelming. Which axis matters most to you is what decides “your” entry point.
No. 1: Yakuza 0 | The Series’ Masterpiece — Start Here
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 95 | 98 | 92 | 380 |
“Which Like a Dragon game should I start with?” There’s only one answer: Yakuza 0. Released in 2015 on PS3 and PS4, it’s a prequel starring a young Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, set in Tokyo and Osaka in 1988 at the absolute height of Japan’s bubble economy. It’s fan service for longtime players and, at the same time, a fully self-contained story designed so a complete newcomer can dive in with zero background knowledge.
The story is the densest in the series, full stop. Kiryu’s and Majima’s arcs braid around each other while spelling out exactly how these two became the men we know. A turf war over a single vacant lot spirals into an enormous conspiracy, and the craftsmanship of that escalation makes it feel less like a game and more like a film. The bubble-era atmosphere hanging over the streets, neon-drenched Kamurocho at night — you can practically feel the heat of that decade on your skin.
The side content is staggering too. Kiryu gets a real estate empire to manage; Majima runs a cabaret club. Both are proper business sims in their own right, not throwaway diversions. Add disco dance battles and Pocket Circuit racing, and the volume and polish on offer sit at the top of the entire franchise. Players who lost 100 hours to the side stuff while the main story gathered dust are a dime a dozen.
- A prequel newcomers can enjoy with zero series knowledge
- Dual protagonists in Kiryu and Majima mean double the story
- Real estate, cabaret management and more — the best minigames in the series
- Available on PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC (Steam). No Switch version as of now
- The side content is so rich you’ll keep pushing the main story back
No. 2: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | The Biggest Entry the Series Has Ever Attempted
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 95 | 92 | 95 | 372 |
Released January 26, 2024. Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu share top billing in a sprawling RPG that relocates the action to Hawaii. It moved over a million copies in its first week and was hailed as the culmination of everything the series had been building toward. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, priced at about US$63 (9,680 yen including tax; converted at roughly 153 yen to the dollar).
Hawaii is the star here. The number of minigames packed into that vast open world is the highest in franchise history, spanning Sujimon (a creature-collecting game where the “monsters” are street thugs), golf, casino gambling and even farming. Just clearing the main story comfortably runs past 50 hours, and if you commit to the side content, 100 hours will vanish without you noticing.
At the heart of the story sits a heavy subject: Kiryu’s illness. For anyone who has followed this series for years, watching Kiryu confront his own mortality hits with a weight nothing else in gaming quite matches. Ichiban’s party is a strong ensemble too, and the fact that it’s built so newcomers can start here and still enjoy it deserves real credit.
- The largest content volume in series history — 100-plus hours is realistic
- Hawaii’s sprawling open world is the most lavish setting the series has built
- Kiryu and Ichiban as dual leads satisfy veterans and newcomers alike
- At about US$63 (9,680 yen including tax), it’s the priciest in the series (Steam sales cut deep, though)
- It’s a direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, so playing that first pays off
#3: Yakuza: Like a Dragon | Ichiban Kasuga’s Explosive Debut
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 356 |
Released January 16, 2020. This is the big pivot point: Kazuma Kiryu, the man who had carried the series for over a decade, steps aside for a brand-new lead in Ichiban Kasuga. The combat system got torn down and rebuilt too, swapping brawler action for turn-based command RPG battles. It’s a legitimate sequel in the Like a Dragon line, and yet it plays like an entirely different game.
Ichiban is one of the most likable protagonists the series has ever produced. The conceit — a guy who adores Dragon Quest and genuinely lives his life as if it were an RPG — clicks perfectly with the command-based battle system. His story, a washed-out ex-yakuza clawing his way back up from the bottom in Yokohama’s Isezaki Ijincho, swings between belly laughs and gut punches, often in the same scene.
The supporting cast is just as strong. An ex-cop, a former homeless man, a hostess from the Philippines — this is the most human, most textured party the series has ever assembled. Add a meaty business management minigame and a mountain of substories, and you get a game I’d recommend without hesitation: if you like command RPGs, go play this right now.
- A brand-new hero in Ichiban Kasuga, so zero prior knowledge required
- The command RPG shift makes it a great fit for RPG fans and newcomers alike
- The best-developed, most distinctive party cast in the entire series
- Turn-based command RPG rather than action, which takes some adjusting to
- The late-game grind for levels can start to drag
#4: Yakuza 5 | Five Protagonists, the Series’ Biggest Ensemble Drama
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 90 | 85 | 92 | 349 |
Originally a PS3 release in 2012, this is the series’ largest ensemble piece, juggling five playable leads: Kiryu, Akiyama, Saejima, Shinada and Haruka. Each one gets their own dedicated minigame — taxi driving, idol training, hunting in the mountains — and no other Like a Dragon game has ever crammed this much variety into a single package.
In terms of sheer volume of side content, it’s right at the top of the series. Haruka’s idol arc is the standout oddity: you literally level up through dance and karaoke routines to battle your rivals. The first time I played it, I remember laughing at how far off the rails it had gone — and then losing hours to it anyway. It’s playable today on PS4 and PC.
- Five protagonists make it the biggest game in the series — 50 to 80 hours to finish
- Wildly varied minigames, from idol performances to taxi racing to hunting
- Available on PS4 and PC, and excellent value for the money
- As a direct sequel to 2 through 4, it spoils a lot of the earlier games
- It’s so big that the back half can feel like a slog for some players
#5: Yakuza Kiwami 2 | The Brutal Showdown With Ryuji Goda
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 85 | 90 | 82 | 345 |
A full remake of Yakuza 2, released for PS4 in 2017. The original’s visuals were rebuilt to PS4 standards, letting you experience one of the finest scripts in the series in full HD. Much of it plays out in Sotenbori, the Osaka district whose grimier, messier human drama stands in sharp contrast to Kamurocho.
The biggest draw here is Ryuji Goda. Written as Kiryu’s true equal, he’s the villain fans point to more than any other in the franchise. That complicated feeling he creates — you’re not supposed to like him, and yet you can’t bring yourself to hate him — is the writing team operating at its absolute peak. Throw in the host club management minigame and Clan Creator, and there’s no shortage of things to do either.
- Built around Ryuji Goda, the best villain the series has ever written
- Runs beautifully on current hardware via PS4 and PC
- Loads of side content, including host club management and Clan Creator
- Best played after Yakuza Kiwami, the remake of the first game
- The bosses hit hard, so the action difficulty runs on the high side
#6: Yakuza Kiwami | Where It All Began, and Where Kiryu Was Born
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 80 | 88 | 78 | 331 |
A remake of the very first game, released for PS4 in 2016. It rebuilds the 2005 PS2 original with modern visuals, letting you watch the origin story of Kazuma Kiryu unfold at today’s production standards. If you want to understand what Like a Dragon actually is, this is one of the purest entry points there is.
Kiryu’s history with Nishikiyama and Saejima, his first meeting with Haruka — these are the load-bearing beams of the entire franchise. Play this immediately after finishing Yakuza 0 and you get to follow the continuity of Kiryu’s life in real time. That golden run of 0 into Kiwami into Kiwami 2 remains the single best onboarding route I can give a newcomer.
- The starting point of Kiryu’s story, and it lands hardest right after Yakuza 0
- A PS2 classic rebuilt to PS4 quality
- Essential viewing if you want the rest of the series to click
- Noticeably lighter on content than Yakuza 0
- The Majima Everywhere training encounters get repetitive fast
#7: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | The Bridge to Kiryu’s Last Stand
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Depth | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 78 | 85 | 80 | 325 |
Released November 9, 2023. This side story slots into the gap between Like a Dragon 7 and 8, and it puts Kazuma Kiryu back in the lead role. His story as “the man who erased his name,” operating in the shadows, moves at a fantastic clip thanks to its action-first combat — and it scratches exactly the itch longtime fans have been nursing: to throw a proper DOAAAH-level beatdown as Kiryu again.
It’s a smaller game than a mainline entry, but the craft is top-tier. The new Agent style, which leans on a suite of spy gadgets in combat, feels genuinely great to use and brings something fresh to a series this long-running. If you plan on tackling Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, I’d push you hard toward playing Gaiden first.
- Compact and easy to get through — figure on 20 to 30 hours
- Action-focused and briskly paced, with Kiryu at his coolest
- Must-see story setup heading into Infinite Wealth
- Hard to follow the story’s context if you haven’t played Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Lighter on side content than other entries
No. 8: Judgment – The Detective Spin-Off Everyone Calls “Kimutaku ga Gotoku”
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 80 | 82 | 72 | 319 |
Released in 2019, Judgment is a spin-off built on the Yakuza engine. You play as Takayuki Yagami, a former defense attorney turned private detective, chasing a serial killer through the streets of Kamurocho. That suspense-driven approach earned the game serious praise as a grown-up crime drama that stands apart from the mainline series.
Tailing suspects, going undercover in disguise, piloting drones – the investigation mechanics give Judgment a flavor all its own. Even players who know the Yakuza combat system inside and out will find this a fresh experience, which is exactly why it’s the first spin-off I push on anyone who loves the series. It’s playable on PS4, PS5, Xbox and Steam.
- Runs on the Yakuza engine, so series fans feel at home immediately
- Detective gameplay makes Kamurocho feel brand new
- A polished, fully self-contained social-issue thriller
- As a spin-off, crossover with mainline characters is limited
- This game and its sequel Lost Judgment must be bought separately
No. 9: Yakuza 4 – Where You Meet a Man Named Shun Akiyama
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 82 | 80 | 78 | 318 |
Launched on PS3 in 2010, Yakuza 4 is an ensemble piece that adds three new protagonists alongside Kiryu: Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima and Masayoshi Tanimura. It was the series’ first stab at the multi-protagonist structure that Yakuza 5 would later expand on, and it’s the game that introduced Akiyama, a character fans have adored ever since.
Akiyama’s setup – a scruffy, man-of-the-people loan shark – is one of the most unusual and memorable character concepts the series has ever produced. The story folds in the land-grabbing and urban redevelopment scandals that dominated headlines at the time, and while it’s very much a product of its era, the argument it makes still lands today. You can play it on PS4 and PC.
- The debut of fan favorites like Shun Akiyama and Taiga Saejima
- Four intersecting viewpoints woven into a genuinely well-built ensemble story
- A deep roster of casino-style minigames, from mahjong to poker
- Knowing games 1 through 3 makes it hit considerably harder
- Each protagonist handoff breaks the story’s momentum
No. 10: Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – Kazuma Kiryu’s Road to the End
| Story | Side Content | Characters | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 72 | 78 | 70 | 300 |
Released on PS4 in 2016, this is the game that carries Kazuma Kiryu’s story to its conclusion, trading the neon for the small coastal city of Onomichi and a very human drama. Watching Kiryu step away from Kamurocho and try, for the first time, to live as an ordinary man gives the whole series a lingering ache.
I placed it last on this list not because it’s bad, but because it comes up short against the rest of the lineup on sheer content volume and overall reception. The substory count is thinner than in previous entries, and the engine overhaul did strip out some systems – those are simply facts. But as the capstone of Kiryu’s arc it’s essential viewing, and for anyone who has played the entire series through, this one is going to wreck you.
- The final destination of Kazuma Kiryu’s story – required reading for series fans
- Onomichi’s small-town atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in the series
- A beautifully constructed human drama built around the theme of family
- One of the smallest side-content offerings in the entire series
- Aimed at players who’ve finished 1 through 5 – not recommended as a starting point
Where Should Beginners Start? A Newcomer’s Guide to the Like a Dragon Series
Let me answer the “I have no idea where to begin” question head-on. The answer is dead simple – start with Yakuza 0.
Zero launched in 2015 for PS3 and PS4, but the Steam version is still readily available for around US$13 (about 2,000 yen), which is absurd value. Because it’s a prequel, it was designed as a complete, self-contained story that requires zero series knowledge – making it that rare game that is both the easiest entry point and the best game in the lineup.
| Play Order | Title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yakuza 0 | No prior knowledge needed, series peak, frequent deep Steam discounts |
| 2 | Yakuza Kiwami | The starting point of Kiryu’s story – and it hits hardest right after 0 |
| 3 | Yakuza Kiwami 2 | Ryuji Goda, the ultimate rival. Top-tier writing for the series |
| 4 onward | 7 → Gaiden → 8 | Ichiban Kasuga’s new saga. The fastest route to Infinite Wealth |
If you’re short on time and want to try exactly one game, it’s 0 and nothing else. If you love RPGs and you’re hunting for a new series to sink into, starting at 7 is equally valid. Whichever door you walk through, Like a Dragon won’t let you down.
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Final Word: The Top 10 Like a Dragon Games – and Why No. 1 Can Only Be “0”
That’s our Top 10 ranking of the Like a Dragon series. First place goes to Yakuza 0 (total score 380), second to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (372), and third to Yakuza: Like a Dragon (356). All information current as of May 2026.
Start with 0, and if it clicks, roll straight into Kiwami and Kiwami 2 – that’s the SpotGeeks editorial team’s final verdict. The 27.7 million copies this series has sold are proof enough of how good it is, and once it sinks its teeth in, there’s no getting free. So: ready to throw yourself into the Kamurocho night this weekend?
Yakuza 0’s 380-point total is a runaway win, but only 8 points separate it from Infinite Wealth in second. If you want the best-looking, most content-stuffed entry on current-gen hardware, take 8. If you want to touch the very origin of the series, take 0. Either way, there is always going to be “one more game” waiting on the other side of that choice. That’s the terrifying part about Like a Dragon.
Go search Steam for “Yakuza 0” right now. Kiryu’s journey starts there.
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