Yakuza opens the Sega saga in a thrilling, neon-soaked Kabukichou. Brutal street fights, a dense crime story and varied minigames. The start of an essential dynasty.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
A Sega and Ryu ga Gotoku Studio action-adventure released in 2006, the first Yakuza franchise entry signed Toshihiro Nagoshi. Former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu, leaving prison after 10 years, returns to the Kamurochou district (transposition of Tokyo's Kabukicho) to find a mysterious young girl. Brutal third-person street combat, semi-open world with mini-games (karaoke, batting, sushi), signature mature narrative. Birth of a major franchise.
Yakuza review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
An ex-yakuza who took the fall for a crime he didn't commit, a man of honour plunges back into Tokyo's underworld to protect a child. Blending melodrama, a code of honour and urban violence, the tale paints the underworld with unexpected humanity. This Japanese crime drama, at once grave and flamboyant, founded a beloved saga.
Diving into the nightlife of a Japanese district plays like grand melodrama, all manly friendships and codes of honor, except that solving most problems runs through methodically thrashing dozens of men out in the street. You buy wholesale into this big-hearted underworld, where a street brawl readily disguises itself as an act of loyalty.
Is Yakuza still worth playing in 2026?
An action adventure from Sega, Yakuza plunges ex-yakuza Kazuma Kiryu into a Tokyo district recreated with obsessive care, blending bare knuckle street brawls, a mature underworld plot and a myriad of side activities. The depth of the narrative, the urban immersion and the contrast between brawling and mini-games win over fans of Japanese adventure. The period production and loading times weigh on it. A founding title for fans of Japanese underworld drama and the curious about the Yakuza saga's origins.
