Let’s be real. For the longest time, if you played a game from the Like a Dragon Yakuza series, you were basically part of a secret club. You’d try to explain it to your friends and end up sounding like a lunatic. "It’s a gritty crime drama about the Japanese underworld," you’d say, "but also you can manage a confectionery shop, fight a literal giant Roomba, and spend three hours playing virtual crane games." It’s a weird sell. Or it was.
Something changed.
The shift started around 2017 with Yakuza 0, but it exploded when the series underwent its massive identity crisis—a good one—switching the name from Yakuza to Like a Dragon and ditching brawler combat for turn-based RPG mechanics. Suddenly, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG) wasn't just making games for a dedicated cult following in Japan. They were making global juggernauts.
The Name Change Drama That Actually Made Sense
If you’re confused about the name, join the club. In Japan, the series has always been Ryu Ga Gotoku, which translates literally to "Like a Dragon." The West got stuck with "Yakuza" for nearly two decades because Sega probably thought we wouldn't buy a game unless it sounded like a Scorsese movie.
But here’s the thing: the games stopped being just about the Yakuza a long time ago.
By the time we got to Yakuza: Like a Dragon (the seventh main entry), the protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, was a guy who loved Dragon Quest more than he loved organized crime. The rebranding to Like a Dragon Yakuza as a transitional phrase—and eventually just Like a Dragon—aligned the global brand. It also signaled a departure from the stoic, lone-wolf energy of Kazuma Kiryu toward something messier and more "human."
It’s about the spirit of the characters. Not just their criminal record.
Kazuma Kiryu vs. Ichiban Kasuga: The Heart of the Evolution
Kiryu is a legend. He’s the "Dragon of Dojima," a man who can take a pipe to the head and not blink, yet he’ll spend an entire afternoon helping a shy kid buy a dirty magazine from a vending machine. He is the anchor. But let’s be honest, after six or seven games, how many times can one man "retire" only to be pulled back in by a conspiracy involving the Tojo Clan?
Then came Ichiban.
Ichiban Kasuga is the opposite of Kiryu. He’s loud. He’s got that wild perm. He wears his heart on his sleeve and, most importantly, he sees the world through the lens of an RPG. This isn't just a quirky character trait; it’s the literal engine of the game. When Ichiban gets into a fight, he imagines his enemies transforming into literal monsters. A drunk guy becomes a "Shifty Student" or a "Tequila Monster."
This transition saved the franchise.
It allowed RGG Studio to lean into the absurdity without breaking the emotional weight of the story. You can cry during a cutscene about homelessness and systemic corruption in Yokohama, and five minutes later, you’re summoning a crawfish to pinch your enemies. It shouldn't work. It really shouldn't. But the Like a Dragon Yakuza DNA is built on that specific contrast.
Why the Combat Switch-Up Split the Fanbase (At First)
Going from real-time beat-'em-up to turn-based was a massive gamble. Some old-school fans hated it. They missed the "Tiger Drop" and the visceral feeling of slamming a bicycle onto a thug’s head in real-time.
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But RGG didn't just make a generic turn-based system. They made it chaotic.
Characters move around the battlefield on their own. If you’re standing near a traffic cone, Ichiban will pick it up and use it automatically. If a car is driving by, you can knock an enemy into traffic. It kept the "street brawl" energy while allowing for a much deeper level of strategy and party management. Plus, it opened the door for Infinite Wealth, which took the series to Hawaii—a first for the franchise—and refined the movement so much that the "turn-based" complaints mostly evaporated.
The "Tourist" Appeal of Kamurocho and Beyond
One of the biggest draws of the Like a Dragon Yakuza series is the sense of place. Kamurocho, the fictionalized version of Tokyo’s Kabukicho, is practically a main character.
You learn those streets.
You know where the Don Quijote is (or was). You know which alleyway has the best ramen shop. When the series moved to Isezaki Ijincho in Yokohama, and then to Honolulu in Infinite Wealth, it felt like going on a weirdly violent vacation. The attention to detail is staggering. RGG Studio uses real-world brands—Suntory whiskey, Gigo arcades, various beer labels—which grounds the insanity in a reality we recognize.
It’s digital tourism.
Honestly, during the pandemic, a lot of people started playing these games just to feel like they were walking through a city again. The "sub-stories" are the lifeblood here. You might be on your way to stop a massive political conspiracy, but then you meet a guy who’s accidentally wearing only diapers, and suddenly you’re helping him find his dignity. Or you’re training a chicken to be a real estate manager.
The Serious Side: Tackling Japan’s Social Issues
Don't let the chicken-racing fool you. These games are deeply political.
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Like a Dragon Yakuza consistently tackles topics that other big-budget games won't touch. We’re talking about:
- The "Grey Zones" of Japanese society.
- The treatment of undocumented immigrants.
- The "3-man-limit" and the decline of the Yakuza in the face of stricter laws.
- The struggle of ex-convicts trying to find honest work in a society that won't forgive them.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth took this even further by looking at the "VTuber" culture and how online misinformation can destroy lives in seconds. It’s biting satire masked as a melodrama. The series doesn't just show the flashy side of Japan; it shows the parts the government would rather you didn't see. The homeless camps under the bridge, the crumbling brothels, and the desperate people caught in the gears of corporate greed.
Getting Started: Where Do You Actually Begin?
This is the question that kills most newcomers. There are now over ten games if you count the spin-offs.
If you want the "classic" experience, you start with Yakuza 0. It’s an 80s prequel. It’s perfection. It shows the origin of Kiryu and the "Mad Dog" Goro Majima. If you want the modern, turn-based RPG experience, you start with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. You don't need to know anything about the previous games to enjoy Ichiban’s story, though the payoffs later on are better if you do.
Then there’s the Judgment series. These are detective thrillers set in the same world but with a totally different vibe and real-time combat. It’s a lot.
But here is the secret: you can't really go wrong. Each game is designed to catch you up, even if you’re jumping in mid-stream.
The Future of the Dragon
With the recent success of the live-action Prime Video series and Infinite Wealth breaking sales records, Like a Dragon Yakuza isn't a niche Japanese curiosity anymore. It’s a pillar of modern gaming.
RGG Studio has proven they can do historical dramas (Like a Dragon: Ishin!), detective noir (Judgment), and even pirate adventures (Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii). They’ve built a sandbox that can hold any genre as long as it has that specific blend of "extremely serious" and "completely ridiculous."
Actionable Next Steps for New Players
If you’re looking to dive in right now, do these three things:
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- Check Game Pass or PlayStation Plus: Most of the series is usually available on these services. Don't buy them all at once; they are massive 50-100 hour time sinks.
- Pick Your Style: Do you want to mash buttons and feel like a god? Start with Yakuza 0. Do you like Persona or Dragon Quest? Start with Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
- Don't Rush the Main Story: The biggest mistake people make is "beeline-ing" the plot. The magic is in the side content. If a weird guy approaches you on the street with a quest, say yes. That’s where the soul of the game lives.
The series is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time. Explore the arcades. Hit the karaoke bar. Learn how to play Mahjong (or just click buttons until you lose). The world of Like a Dragon Yakuza is one of the most rewarding environments in all of media, provided you're willing to let things get a little weird.