Yakuza / Like a Dragon
Officially Ryū ga Gotoku (龍が如く, 'Like a Dragon')
JAPANESE ACTION-RPG VIDEO GAME SERIES (2005+) by SEGA'S RYU GA GOTOKU STUDIO. Set in fictional Kamurocho + other Japanese cities. Blends CINEMATIC ORGANIZED-CRIME DRAMA with SILLY SIDE ACTIVITIES (karaoke, batting cages, hostess clubs, retro game arcades). Original protagonist KIRYU KAZUMA (Yakuza 0-6 + Kiwami 1/2 + Judgment spin-offs); new protagonist ICHIBAN KASUGA (Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2020+). Series has evolved from BEAT-EM-UP (2005) to TURN-BASED JRPG (2020+). 20M+ copies sold; huge Japan cultural touchstone, cult Western favorite.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~3600 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇯🇵 Japan
Estimated origin
2005 first release (PS2); 20-title series through 2026 across PlayStation, Xbox, PC, cloud
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Vary by title: revenge, redemption, family, business, exposing corruption within Japanese underworld.
Rules
Basic rules
3D urban open-world exploration of Kamurocho + other Japanese districts
Signature setting.
Combat: beat-em-up (Yakuza 0-6) or turn-based RPG (Yakuza 7+)
Major genre shift 2020.
Dozens of side activities: karaoke, hostess clubs, arcades, batting cages, mahjong, poker
Cultural pastiche.
Deep story with cinematic cutscenes + memorable villains
Series identity.
Substories: hundreds of small side quests with unique + often absurd humor
Signature charm.
Scoring
Not competitive; measured by main-story completion + substory completion + mini-game high scores.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Main story completion | Requires 30-60 hours |
| 100% completion (all substories) | 100-200 hours |
| New Game+ + Legend difficulty | Additional 20-40 hours |
Win condition · Complete main story arc.
Equipment
PS2/3/4/5, Xbox One/Series, PC, Nintendo Switch (some titles)
Multi-platform
Controller (PS/Xbox) or M/KB
Both supported
Terminology
- Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku
- 'Japanese organized crime' / 'Like a dragon' — series name.
- Kamurocho
- Fictional Tokyo district based on Kabukicho; primary setting.
- Kiryu Kazuma
- Original protagonist (Y0-6, Kiwami).
- Ichiban Kasuga
- New protagonist (Y7+, RPG era).
- Substories
- Small side-quests filled with humor + Japanese culture.
- Sega RGG Studio
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio — Sega's in-house developer for the series.
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Sega (publisher)
Founded 1960 · Tokyo, Japan
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (developer)
Founded 2011 · Tokyo, Japan
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Toshihiro Nagoshi (creator + original director, left Sega 2021)
- Ryosuke Horii (successor director, Yakuza 7+)
- Kazuhiro Nakaya (composer, Y0-6 soundtracks)
Frequently asked
Yakuza 0 is best entry point?+
YES — consensus recommendation among fans + critics. YAKUZA 0 (2015 JP / 2017 EN) is a PREQUEL set in 1988; introduces Kiryu + Majima before series events; standalone story; classic beat-em-up combat. It's INEXPENSIVE + on Game Pass + widely regarded as one of the series' best titles. Newer players can then continue with KIWAMI 1/2 (remakes of Y1/Y2) or jump directly to YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON if they prefer turn-based RPG combat over beat-em-up.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Like a Dragon— Wikipedia