Though often referred to as a Japan-set take on the Grand Theft Auto series, the Yakuza games are a blend of a lot of unique elements. They're a mix of clashing tones, genres, and playstyles that shouldn't work together, but do, creating a truly different experience with each trip back to the intriguing and ever-changing city of Kamurocho. Yakuza games offer third-person beat 'em up action, open-world exploration, a variety of interesting stories and substories (dealing with everything from political conspiracies to murder mysteries), and so much more.
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One major point of variety and excitement in the Yakuza series is its combat. Over the years, Ryu Ga Gotoku and Sega have heavily experimented with the various combat systems offered to players while filling the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu (or the handful of additional Yakuza protagonists). From Yakuza in 2005 to the latest mainline entry Yakuza 7/Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), there's nothing quite like the journey Yakuza's combat has taken.
10 Yakuza 1: Humble, But Clunky Beginnings
The series had to start somewhere! The fighting mechanics aren't necessarily bad in the first Yakuza outing, but, as it was the original, it naturally shows its age the most in terms of combat, as well as presentation.
The powerful Dragon of Dojima controls better than expected for a game that was released back in 2005, but he's certainly rough around the edges. Punches and kicks are far less impactful than they would become later in the series, not to mention clunkier and less varied. Players would get an improved Kiryu as the series moved forward with new ideas and improved technology.
9 Yakuza 2: A Modest Improvement Over The Debut
Nearly identical to the combat system of Yakuza, the fighting in Yakuza 2 mainly offers a handful of quality of life improvements. There was no great advance or overhaul of the formula. It's still much more satisfying, though.
The controls are tighter, the movements are more fluid, and the heat actions offer more variety. It was clear that the team was striving to get more creative with items and weapons. Additionally, the visual improvements over the original ensured that the action simply looked much better this time around, lending a satisfying sense of realism (for the time).
8 Yakuza 3: A Whole New Era Of Enemies Constantly Blocking
Yakuza 3 was the first Yakuza game made for the PS3 generation and has since been made available for PS4 and Xbox One owners to play (along with Yakuza 4 and 5) as part of the excellent Yakuza Remastered Collection. There's a lot to like about the combat of Yakuza 3, but it's also plagued with problems.
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The jump from the PS2 to the PS3 helps to improve the look and feel of combat, with far more dynamic movement and finishers and much better-looking models. The biggest problem with the combat of Yakuza 3 isn't the fighting style of Kiryu, but that of his enemies. They are either complete pushovers or they turtle up by blocking, meaning it takes forever to chip away at their health to win. This is an even bigger problem with bosses, making a potentially very fun step up in Yakuza combat often feel frustrating and repetitive.
7 Yakuza 4: More Characters, More Fun, More Problems
Yakuza 4 was the first of the series to include multiple playable characters, for better and for worse. The addition of new fighters offered a greater variety of combat styles, but not all of them were winners. Akiyama is flashy and fun (surely an inspiration for Yakuza 0's Majima), and Tanimura's technical moves are very inventive and interesting after a bit of a learning curve. However, the 'tank' of the four protagonists is a disappointment.
Saejima controls very slowly, making it very difficult to land hits on opponents, and he can easily get caught up in enemy combos that knock him to the ground again and again. This makes the prison escape stage, a dramatic one that should've been a stand-out sequence, into a lackluster experience.
6 Yakuza 6: The Song of Life: The Dragon Reborn
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was the first Yakuza game to feature the tricky Dragon Engine combat system. This would later be featured and improved on in Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Judgment. This new combat system keeps combat much more fast-paced and fluid, really showing the overwhelming power and might of Kiryu, but it also had its issues.
Some players felt it was too simplistic after the character variety the previous two games offered (and the multiple combat systems of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami). While a good foundation, the Dragon Engine's combat would be upgraded and tweaked for future installments.
5 Yakuza Kiwami: A Brand-New Beginning
The combat of Yakuza Kiwami, the remake of the first Yakuza, is more or less identical to the combat system of Yakuza 0, though now only featuring Kiryu. Players have a choice between the four play styles of 'Brawler', 'Rush', 'Beast', and 'Dragon,' offering a different approach to consider depending on the enemy type, the number of enemies, and the environment.
It still works well, just as in Yakuza 0, but loses some points due to the prominent absence of 0's playable Goro "The Mad Dog" Majima. Variety is key, and this title just lacked it a bit in comparison.
4 Yakuza 7/Yakuza: Like A Dragon - Surprising RPG Action
Yakuza 7/Yakuza: Like a Dragon doesn't reinvent the wheel, it just throws it in the trash. This Yakuza entry features turn-based RPG combat, inspired by new main character Ichiban Kasuga's love of Dragon Quest. This change was originally only meant as an April Fool's joke in 2019, but so many fans were excited about the idea that the Ryu Ga Gotoku team went ahead with it!
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Naturally, the player's mileage will vary here, more than with any other Yakuza game. Some actions aren't as visceral and satisfying in a turn-based system, but it still retains the over-the-top wackiness of Yakuza. Offering an inventive RPG setup that is easy-to-use for newcomers while offering enough depth for experts was a truly surprising move. If nothing else, it was a brave new idea for the series that aimed to shake things up, and it certainly did that.
3 Yakuza 5: More Characters, Less Problems This Time
Yakuza 5 takes the shortcomings of Yakuza 4 and fixes nearly all of them. Saejima still has issues controlling exactly how players want him to, but every other character has a pitch-perfect and unique fighting style and personality.
The return of the flashy Akiyama, the hyper pop dance-offs of Haruka (a playable character for the first time), and the often underrated Shinada, with his sports-influenced moves, was very well recieved. It also helps that Yakuza 5 boasts two of the greatest combat setpieces in the series: the one-man army fight and the game's surprise final boss.
2 Yakuza Kiwami 2: A Near-Perfect Fighting Experience
The Dragon Engine combat system returns in Yakuza Kiwami 2, fixing most of the issues that people had with it in Yakuza 6. There are more heat actions, it's harder for enemies to interrupt combos, and Extreme Heat Mode is harder to activate (which makes it feel more like a reward than a cheap power up).
Additionally, fun new combat features include convenience stores and shops that can be used as new fighting locations. Not to mention townspeople that can assist in unique and hilarious heat action fishing moves.
1 Yakuza 0: Mayhem And Variety Pushed To The Max
Yakuza 0 does its best to incorporate all of the positives of the franchise's various combat systems and experiments over the years. One of the big problems with games like Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5 was that, after just getting used to the combat of one character, players were switched to another. They were never given the chance to return to previous characters.
Yakuza 0 puts the player in the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, each with multiple play styles. the mighty Majima in particular is a delight, with his 'Slugger' and 'Breaker' stances. The game gives players the best of both worlds, bouncing back and forth between its leads and giving players a new change of pace when needed. The focus on two characters gives players more familiarity with Kiryu and Majima, helping them perfect their moves and abilities throughout the entire course of the story.