The best Yakuza games ranked from bruised to brilliant

Our list of the Yakuza games ranked from worst to best breaks down what works in each of RGG Studio’s action games and which aren’t so hot

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Putting together a Yakuza games ranked list is tougher than ranking other games. More than most games, what you get out of Yakuza depends on what you want. If you want an innovative action game, you’d probably appreciate Like A Dragon Gaiden or Yakuza 0 more than others. If life-sims and mini-games are your thing, then Ishin, Yakuza 5, or, again, Yakuza 0 are the best ones for you. While RGG Studio’s melodramatic series seems unchanging in a lot of ways, there’s a quiet thread of experimentation in every game, whether it’s trying to introduce new perspectives, adding different combat mechanics, or, sometimes, throwing zombies in the mix just because you can.