Not many video games have seen the success and longevity of the Yakuza or Like a Dragon franchise. According to data from October 2024, the series has sold a cumulative 27.70 million units since its debut in 2005. The franchise also has multiple games for the main series, spin-offs, compilations, and re-releases. The games have become beloved among the gaming community for compelling characters, captivating narratives, immersive combat systems, intricate game design, and more.
Players are also largely free to play the game at their own pace and try out various activities or quests, as the games combine a mix of storytelling, exploration, and combat. They can get into fights, play sub-stories that complement the main one, or enjoy a wide range of fun mini-games, all while getting a look at Yakuza culture in Japan. Aside from the main narrative, these elements have helped make the Yakuza games so charming and captivating to players. Here’s a look at the unique gameplay and games players can explore in the Yakuza series:
Poker
Gambling culture has been long intertwined with the real-life Yakuza, so it makes sense to include it in the Yakuza games for a touch of realism. Poker made an early appearance in the franchise, first becoming playable in Yakuza 3 and has since been featured in almost every main-series game and some of the spin-offs. It closely resembles American online poker, from the game varieties such as Texas Hold ’em, Pineapple Hold ’em, and Omaha Hold ’em to the gameplay interface. Yakuza takes inspiration from ACR Poker, the leading US poker site, which has a huge tournament schedule and events that appeal to players of all skill levels. In a similar fashion, Yakuza allows for low-stakes, high-stakes, and ultra-high/VIP stakes for poker, which can make the experience easier or more challenging, depending on the player’s style and skill. While the winner of the game takes the pot, there are also opportunities for the pot to be distributed. In the event of a tie in Yakuza, the pot is split between the winners. ACR Poker offers a similar mechanic, and features like Deal Making enable players to divide the winnings upon mutual agreement. While poker in Yakuza still has a video game flair, it’s also quite realistic and can feel just as exciting as a real-life or online poker game.
Karaoke
Karaoke has long been a popular pastime in Japan, and Yakuza offers players a chance to enjoy it in the karaoke mini-game. It’s a rhythm-based game—another popular type of game popularized by Japan—where players must press the right button in time with the music, and if a high enough score is reached, it unlocks a cinematic scene revolving around the character. The songs were made for the games, but sound just like any other popular ballad or hit that would be a regular pick at real karaoke rooms. The karaoke mini-game is a great way to break up some of the game’s pacing, provide a closer look at the character’s story, and enjoy something more light-hearted and humorous than the rest of the game. It also created one of the game’s most iconic memes, which comes from the character Kiryu singing “Bakamitai.” It became a popular tune even beyond the game’s player base, spawning thousands of videos using the song, and it encouraged more people to check out the game.
Pets
The Yazuka games are always trying something new to bring variety to the series, including mini-games and optional content. In the spin-off Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, the latest instalment in the whole series, a new pet system was introduced. You can feed animals to bond with them, and they’ll reward you with rare items or collectables. Higher quality food also increases the variety of the ingredients. You can also recruit animal companions to join you in the open world, including a tiger cub and a chicken. During fights, they may even be able to assist once their friendliness level is high. It’s not too far off from other pet care games, such as Nintendogs, which saw popularity in the early 2000s. Like in Pirate Yakuza, you take care of your pet companions and enjoy a variety of activities with them. It’s a simple yet novel system that adds a bit of fluff to the game while offering rewards and benefits.
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