Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Yakuza Ishin Localization Only Stalled By “Over-Saturation”

 Video games  4 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Aug 312020
 

The Yakuza series has been surging in popularity in the west ever since Yakuza 0, which is when a lot of players (including me) were first introduced to it.

Now we’ve got the entire main series up through Yakuza 6 readily available, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon set for later this year.

Yet there are a handful of Yakuza spin-offs that never made it outside of Japan, with the historical spin-offs Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin being the two fans request the most often.

Lately things have seemed more promising for Kenzan and Ishin localizations. Last June, Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato said in an interview that a potential Kenzan remake as Kenzan Kiwami would make an English release possible. Then at Gamescom 2019, Sato said Ishin localization was under consideration, but they weren’t sure people would be able to enjoy it without knowing the history of samurai.

Well, now we have another update. In a new interview, Yakuza localization producer Scott Strichart says, “We absolutely recognize that there are some holes in the backlog, that we want to do, that Japan wants us to do. It’s really just a matter of finding the space for them on the slate.”

He goes on to explain, “There’s definitely an issue there with not wanting to over-saturate the market,” and finishes by saying, “As much as we all want to do it, we need to find the time and space.”

Some fans have interpreted this answer negatively, since they’re essentially saying, “Sorry, this is why that’s not happening.”

This answer can also be interpreted in a much more positive way, however. First, localizing Kenzan/Ishin is not only something the localization team would like them to see, but something “Japan wants [them] to do.” Last year’s concerns that the west wouldn’t enjoy the games might be gone.

Next, the primary issue blocking those games from being localized has now been explained as over-saturation. They don’t want an Ishin localization interfering with the release of other Yakuza titles. Essentially we can’t have Ishin yet because we’re getting so many other Yakuza games, which can only be seen as a good thing.

But let’s take a look at why over-saturation of Yakuza games was a potential concern in recent years. Here are the English Yakuza (and spin-off) releases since Yakuza 0:

  • January 2017 – Yakuza 0
  • August 2017 – Yakuza Kiwami
  • April 2018 – Yakuza 6
  • August 2018 – Yakuza Kiwami 2
  • October 2018 – Fist of the North Star
  • June 2019 – Judgment
  • August 2019 – Yakuza 3 remaster
  • October 2019 – Yakuza 4 remaster
  • February 2020 – Yakuza 5 remaster
  • November 2020 – Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Yeah, the series has been pretty busy lately. Looking at these dates, it seems as though they believe 2-3 Yakuza releases in a year are possible without over-saturating the market. But what caused there to be this many in the first place? The remakes and remasters.

There’s no reason the schedule of upcoming Yakuza games should be quite this full. We’re all caught up on the main series now. If Yakuza 3-5 didn’t need to be remastered, 2019 and 2020 would have only had a single game each, one spin-off and one main title. Even if they’re developing a new spin-off and Yakuza 8, that’s only two new games compared to the five released in 2019-2020.

So I’m interpreting this interview in a positive light. If over-saturation is the issue, I think we’re finally approaching a point where there’s enough space in the schedule for games like Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin to finally be localized.

What do you think? Will we see Yakuza Ishin and the other unlocalized Yakuza titles in the west?

Order to Play Yakuza Games

 Video games  4 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Aug 142020
 

Questions about the order to play the Yakuza series come up routinely in Yakuza discussions, especially from new fans wondering which Yakuza game to start with.

Yakuza, or Ryu ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon) as it’s known in Japan, is a long-running brawler/action RPG series featuring intense crime drama storylines, wacky side quests, and a ton of fun mini-games.

There are currently 9 games in the main series, 6 localized spin-offs, and 4 spin-offs exclusive to Japan.

The series has now been rebranded to Like a Dragon in the west to match the Japanese title, and future games will use the Like a Dragon title.

In this post, I’ll be answering popular questions like “Which Yakuza game should I start with?”, “Can I start with Yakuza 7?”, “When should I play Dead Souls?”, “Where is Yakuza 8?” and “Is Yakuza Ishin ever going to be localized?” (the answer is YES).

The Yakuza game order is actually pretty straightforward, so let’s take a look.

Main Series Order

The original Yakuza and Yakuza 2 for the PS2 have been remade as Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2. Meanwhile, Yakuza 3-5 were remastered and bundled together as the Yakuza Remastered Collection.

Currently, all of these games are available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a PS5 version available as well.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the western title for Yakuza 7, and it is the first game in the series to move away from brawler action RPG combat in favor of turn-based combat.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the next mainline title, despite not using the “Yakuza” title in the west. Yes, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is Yakuza 8. Like its predecessor, it will be a turn-based JRPG. It will be out in 2024 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

There is also a live-action movie called Like a Dragon, which is an adaptation of the first game in the series due to that being the actual translation of the series title. The movie is not based on the game Yakuza: Like a Dragon or the upcoming Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth.

So, which Yakuza game should you start with?

Ideally you should play Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami first. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the entire series, while Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the first game. I suggest you start with Yakuza 0, since Kiwami added content that references it, but either is fine.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a soft reboot for the series and stars a new protagonist, which means you should be able to start there if you want. However, it still follows the events of the seven games that precede it and contains some spoilers for earlier Yakuza games.

Now, can you skip any Yakuza games? Each game has its own standalone story, but they’re all connected and the characters grow and change over time. You can skip games if you must, but it’s not recommended.

To summarize: start with Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami and then play the rest of the games in numerical order.

Yakuza Spin-Offs

Now, let’s talk about the spin-offs. There are six localized Yakuza spin-offs:

Perhaps the most important of these to discuss is the newly-announced Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. This is a shorter game for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC that follows Kiryu, set after Yakuza 6. Until Infinite Wealth comes out, it is difficult to know how important Gaiden will be to the overall story.

(If it turns out that you need to play Gaiden before Infinite Wealth, or if Gaiden’s story is especially important to Infinite Wealth, I may move it up to be classified with the main series titles.)

However, if you do intend to play them all, Gaiden should be played after Yakuza: Like A Dragon. It contains major spoilers for both Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Moving on, Yakuza: Dead Souls is a non-canon spin-off for the PS3 set during a zombie outbreak in Kamurocho. Since it’s not canon, you might think there’s no particular time when you should play Dead Souls, but it draws on content from up through Yakuza 4. For the best experience, save Dead Souls until you’ve finished Yakuza 4.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise on the PS4 is the spin-off most fully removed from the Yakuza series, since it is a Fist of the North Star game that uses the Yakuza gameplay formula. It has no relation to the main series and can be played anytime.

Judgment is a detective spin-off set in Kamurocho, the same city where most of the series takes place. Judgment is canon and set after the events of Yakuza 6, but is a separate story and requires no knowledge of the Yakuza series. It will show changes in Kamurocho from later in the series, but you can play Judgment anytime.

Lost Judgment is the sequel to Judgment and takes place after the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While it technically stands on its own, it builds on the events of Judgment and also spoils a significant event from Like a Dragon. If you intend to play both, you should play Like a Dragon before Lost Judgment.

Both Judgment games are now available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. (Yes, Judgment is on PC now!) Lost Judgment is also on the Xbox One.

Finally, I never thought the day would come when I’d get to move Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin out of the unlocalized list. Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin, a historical spin-off set in the Bakumatsu period, was previously only available in Japan, but now it has been remade and released worldwide as Like a Dragon: Ishin for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Then there are five Yakuza spin-offs currently available only in Japan:

  • Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan (Yakuza Kenzan)
  • Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho (Yakuza: Black Panther)
  • Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Ashura Hen (Yakuza: Black Panther 2)
  • Ryu ga Gotoku Online

Kenzan is the earlier historical take on the Yakuza series, set in the Edo period. While the long-requested Yakuza Ishin localization is finally happening, there are currently no known plans for a Kenzan localization. In a 2019 interview, Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato suggested a hypothetical Yakuza Kenzan Kiwami would be our best chance of getting Yakuza Kenzan in English. If Ishin is successful, that should greatly improve our chances of getting Kenzan as well.

Moving on, the Black Panther games are PSP spin-offs about a young street punk who runs into trouble with the Tojo Clan.

Finally, Ryu ga Gotoku Online is a free-to-play gacha game for mobile/PC that ties into Yakuza 7/Like a Dragon. It isn’t canon, although the character backstories/context it gives is.

To summarize: It doesn’t matter when you play Judgment, Fist of the North Star, or Ishin. Judgment’s sequel Lost Judgment should be played after Like a Dragon, Dead Souls is ideally played anytime after Yakuza 4, and Like a Dragon Gaiden should be played after Yakuza 6. The other spin-offs aren’t available in English.

Conclusion

And there you have it! If you’re getting into the Yakuza series and aren’t sure where to begin, I hope you’ve found this Yakuza order guide helpful. Let me know if anything could be improved, and feel free to ask any remaining questions you have about the order to play the Yakuza games.

Yakuza 7 Might Be Coming to Steam

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
May 042020
 

Yakuza: Like A Dragon (or Yakuza 7, as it’s called in Japan and which most people refer to it as anyway) is already out in Japan and expected to release in the west later this year.

Now it appears as though it could get a PC release in addition to the PS4 version.

A listing for Yakuza: Like A Dragon has appeared on SteamDB, which tracks everything in Steam’s database.

So far, Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2 have been brought to Steam. It feels a little strange to jump straight to Yakuza 7 next without bringing 3-6 to Steam as well. However, since this is just a database entry, we have no idea what the release date of this theoretical PC version might be. They could bring additional Yakuza games to Steam before then.

It’s not even a guarantee that Yakuza 7 is coming to Steam, since it’s just a SteamDB entry. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Sega will have presentations in early June as part of the E3 replacement events we’ve discussed. Here’s hoping their announcements will include more Yakuza PC ports and a western release date for Yakuza 7!

(Speaking of which, EA announced its digital event for June today, so I’ve updated the post accordingly.)

Are you planning to play Yakuza: Like A Dragon? Do you think it’s really coming to Steam, and if so, do you expect them to release the other games on Steam ahead of it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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