Dragon's Choice: The Top 5 Yakuza Games

Hello, and welcome back to Silver Linings where I find the best of the maligned, forgotten, and, in this case, niche.

Gangster games have been a big thing since the early 2000s, ever since Grand Theft Auto 3 made waves on the Playstation 2. While I do enjoy the GTA games, I've actually become a bigger fan of Sega's distinctly Japanese take on the genre, the Yakuza franchise. These games, focusing on Kazuma Kiryu, the totally bad-ass Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan, are just straight-up fun; mostly because they just get totally insane. Moods change in record time. You can go from a tense battle with a traitor to the clan to playing OutRun at the nearest Club Sega in seconds flat.

Fortunately, thanks to the Playstation 4 installments, the franchise is starting to gain more attention in the West. So, as a guide to newcomers, here are my picks for the five best games in the franchise. Now, I'm only considering the games that got American releases. There are a few entries that never left Japan. Also, I must stress that, while there are characters from and references to earlier games in the series, the games can be enjoyed in any order, as each one has its own plot(s). Time to kick ass with the Dragon of Dojima!

#5 - 'Yakuza Kiwami'

The latest entry, which released in the U.S. only three months ago is essential playing. I did a review of this game already; you can click here for more details. Long story short, this is a modern remake of the first game in the franchise that expands the scope in every way imaginable. More layers got added to the plot (which was already fantastic), more activities got added, the game got the refinements from later entries, and it sold for only $30 brand new. Take note, developers; this is how you do a remake.

#4 - 'Yakuza: Dead Souls'

This one is a semi-guilty pleasure. Critics attacked this one when it released on the Playstation 3 in March 2012. However, I have a blast with it. Yeah, sure, zombies were getting thrown into every major franchise at that point and it looks, on the surface, like Yakuza was just jumping on the bandwagon. The thing is, the zombies freed Sega. While the other entries had to balance serious mob plots with the silly extras, this one goes completely insane and I love it! Kamurocho got transformed by the zombie apocalypse in ways that make sense (for the franchise, anyway). Sure, the gunplay could be a little tighter, but it's still fun, especially when the Heat-based environmental attacks join in. This is one of my favorite zombie games; check it out!

#3 - 'Yakuza 3'

The first Playstation 3 entry, released in March 2010, was the first sign of how great the series would become with the newest technological advances. Kamurocho became fully realized with exploration actively encouraged. Side stories became more involved and delightfully silly. All this is wrapped around a fantastic plot where Kiryu, attempting to enjoy retirement from the Yakuza running an orphanage in Okinawa with his adopted daughter Haruka, gets pulled back into clan business by real estate wars that threaten his new life. You really feel for Kiryu in this one. Though I enjoyed the first two games on the Playstation 2, this was the one that made me a die-hard fan.

#2 - 'Yakuza 5'

It's a shame that this one was missed by many Playstation 3 owners, as it didn't get a physical release; it's a download-only release from December 2015. People were already focused on Playstation 4 at that point and missed out on one of the best games of the year. While Yakuza 4 experimented with multiple protagonists, the fifth game absolutely nailed it. All five characters have great plots attached to them, from Kiryu's taxi service turning into a front to Haruka's attempts to become a J-Pop idol. Yakuza 5 is also overflowing with side activities from karaoke (played like PaRappa the Rapper) to taxi races. Hell, I spent hours just fishing! If you still have a Playstation 3, download this one today!

#1 - 'Yakuza 0'

This is another one I had previously reviewed; check it out here. This one released on the Playstation 4 this past January is not only my pick for the best game in the Yakuza franchise, but it's also earned a place as one of my favorite games of all time. This one has it all: a fantastic plot, two awesome protagonists (I absolutely loved the always crazy Goro Majima here), the best fighting mechanics in the franchise, and more goofy side stories and crazy extra activities than you will ever have time to do. It even pushes the envelope with betting on cat fights between hot women in bikinis and watching soft-core porn (NO, I'M NOT KIDDING!). This is just about the perfect Yakuza game. It's no wonder this is the one that broke the series into the mainstream.

Anyone else as excited for Yakuza 6 as I am? Let me know, and game on!