At the time, critics praised Yakuza for its authentic depiction of Japanese culture within its setting. It takes place in a fictionalized version of Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, known in-game as Kamurocho. The story that unfolds is gripping, emotional, and exciting, setting the stage for the franchise’s decades-spanning crime saga.Īs expected, the first game laid the early groundwork for what makes the series’s gameplay so memorable and iconic now.
Yakuza debuted on the PlayStation 2 and introduced us to the longest-running protagonist of the series, Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza lieutenant that makes it his mission to protect an orphan targeted by a criminal organization called the Tojo Clan. Join us as we highlight each game and how it evolved the series. With multiple games in the series coming to PlayStation Plus*, now is the best time to become a Yakuza fan. Years later, thanks to continued localization from Sega, the help of memes, and the love of its established cult audience, Yakuza has earned popularity and become one of Sega’s most successful IPs. While the series has long garnered a cult following, it achieved Western success in 2017 with Yakuza 0, an inviting new prequel set at the beginning of the series’ timeline. While the project struggled to be greenlit due to a perceived limited appeal, it eventually got a 2005 release on the PlayStation 2 with its debut entry. Yakuza comes from the mind of Toshihiro Nagoshi, who wanted to create a game telling a story based on Japanese crime syndicates. However, each game betrays this first impression, weaving a masterful blend of beat ‘em up combat, intriguing stories full of twists, memorable characters, absurdist humor, and a living world to explore.
The series is unassuming at first, mostly seeming like a straightforward action-crime drama. Sega’s Yakuza is one of the most distinct and charming story-driven action-adventure franchises out there.
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