Another great game. Playing as Goro for the first time since *Yakuza 0* was fascinating, and even though I had spoiled the objective of his journey for myself, the experience was still highly rewarding. The game boasts a great story and combat system (a return to the brawler style)—in short, the elements most crucial to the series are top-notch. The only downside was the naval battles, which were mediocre; I viewed them merely as a means to an end rather than an engaging mini-game.
And now, a few words about the series as a whole:
I’ve just finished Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which means I’ve officially completed the 14 games available on PC.
Those 14 games are: Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, Kiwami 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, Judgment, Like a Dragon, Lost Judgment, Ishin, Gaiden, Infinite Wealth, and Pirate Yakuza.
I played through these games in 2026, having never touched them before that. I learned that the whole series was worth playing from my brother, who had already done so.
I’ve played a lot of games in my life and finished many amazing series (The Witcher, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout, etc.), but I would rank Yakuza above them all. Kiryu has become my all-time favorite video game character, and I really want RGG to give him a peaceful retirement—he’s earned it.
Combat systems aren't usually what draw me to games, but the Yakuza titles—being so heavily story-driven—were perfect for me, even with the specific combat systems they featured.
If I had to pick my top 3 out of these 14 games, the ones that stirred the most emotion in me were Kiwami 2, Yakuza 6, and Gaiden.
I want to emphasize that this series stirred up incredible emotions in me; I’ll remember scenes like the one with Kiryu’s tablet in Gaiden or Substory #32 from Like a Dragon ("Forget Me Not" with Kaede Tono)—and many, many others—for the rest of my life. While those scenes stand out in particular, the overall storytelling, characters, and dialogue were of such an amazing caliber—that was the highlight of these games for me.
I look for a good story in games, which is why this series resonated with me so strongly.
I don't usually play games a second time, but this series deserves it. Even though playing through 14 games takes a huge amount of time, I want to do it in the future—specifically once Kiwami 5 is released—because there is one specific thing I have to mention: an issue that almost stopped me from finishing Yakuza 5 and makes me reluctant to play it again for now. Near the end of the game, there's a section in the sewers featuring a QTE where, if you fail, you have to reload your save. Up until that point, failing a QTE just meant losing some HP, but here, failure meant a "Game Over." I couldn't get past it; I tried over 20 times. I even disconnected my gamepad and tried using the keyboard—nothing worked. I Googled for tips and found suggestions to use a pen or a spoon. I tried using a pen, but that didn't help. I searched for mods on Nexus, but couldn't find one that removes QTEs. In the end, I asked someone else to help me with it, and they managed it on their third try; I was only able to finish the game thanks to that help.
