Fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio‘s Yakuza series have come to expect a certain formula from each entry in this long and celebrated franchise. The formula usually includes a sprawling open world, wild mini-games, frenzied beat ’em up combat, and an intricate tableau of different storylines.
And while Yakuza: Like a Dragon may have switched up the combat system, it delivered on pretty much every other part of the deal. So to any players who loved this blend of open-world, goofy, criminal, JRPG elements: here are ten other games that should deliver some of that same satisfaction.
10 Shenmue 3
It’s true, Shenmue 3 is a rather odd game. Players go around beating up foes in hand to hand battles, and listening to the insane amount of recorded dialogue that each NPC has in store. But Shenmue 3 is also an intricate and engrossing story told through many characters, extravagant cutscenes, and more than a few quick-time events.
Ryo Hazuki has never had such a fleshed out world to explore, and while the combat system is admittedly kind of ridiculous, it is also weirdly fun and addicting. Shenmue has never been as compelling as it is in it’s third iteration, and if players want some open world weirdness, this is a great place to look.
9 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Japanese crime organizations and Viking invaders may not have a lot in common at a cursory glance. But when one really looks into the heart of the matter, they’ll find that they are actually pretty much the same. Both use crazy weapons to wage constant warfare. Both are territorially minded. And both make perfect protagonists in open world games.
Like many other titles on this list, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a sprawling open world game with a lot of the same RPG elements of Yakuza. The story weaves and a personal and political tale involving many tribes converging on England, and it’s easy to get lost in the glee of raiding churches and strongholds. If combats, chaos, and exploration is what players seek, here they shall find.
8 Mafia 3
Mafia 3 is Hangar 13‘s Yakuza, which is to say that this video game version of Godfather fan fiction and the Japanese crime syndicate series have a lot inn common. Organized crime? Check. Open worlds ready to be torn apart by under worldly dealings? Check. Mystery maps and a mysterious backstory that points to cancelled projects? Triple check.
This is a truly fun crime simulator, and it’s perfect for anyone who wished that the Yakuza titles had more old-fashioned automatic weapons sprinkled into the turn based combat.
7 Watch Dogs: Legions
This recent release set a pack of anarchist hackers into a bursting open world, and the result is nothing short of good rowdy fun. Watch Dogs: Legion follows a small crew of rebels as they fight to take down a futuristic fascist regime, and it is the first game to allow players to recruit any random NPC in the game into their ranks.
If players want third person stealth, action, pedestrian smashing, hacking, and driving gameplay, then this is the server they should splice their way into. Plus, the British accents are both “kotch” and “piff.”
6 The Warriors
The Warriors is a golden oldie that is more reminiscent of Yakuza’s past. Players bounce from brawl to brawl, wreaking havoc with their fists and struggling to bring justice to cold and unforgiving mean streets. The combat is classic beat ’em up fare where angry button mashing and strategic timing are both valid, and the product is old-fashioned carnage in the most brutally simple way. If the turn based combat in Like a Dragon was a disappointment, players will find sweet reprieve in the action mayhem of this title.
5 Red Dead Redemption 2
As Rockstar‘s formative foray into the wild west, and one of the greatest achievements in gaming to date, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game most players reading this list have probably played. However, to anyone who hasn’t ridden along with Dutch and the gang: this game is a must-play.
If wild west themed open-world chaos isn’t appealing, then living the life of a desperado extraordinaire probably is. And if the life of crime feels too sordid for some folks, then becoming a paragon of western virtue and a master bear hunter is also an acceptable pastime. And at the risk of being redundant: if any player reading this list hasn’t played this game yet, they absolutely should.
4 Judgment
Another title from the studio that brought the world Yakuza, Judgment follows a private detective as he punches his way through Kamurocho trying to catch a serial killer. Its international release was marred by a bizarre drug scandal, but that doesn’t mean that this game isn’t awesome.
It’s true that Judgment basically feels like a Yakuza title in a new skin, but that’s exactly why this title made the list, darn it! It’s full of fist fights, energy drinks, explosive side missions, zany open world antics, and a classic question of a protagonist just out to redeem himself. Which is an awesome formula for a game. And it might sound exactly the Yakuza titles, because…well…
3 Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream have created quite a niche for themselves in gaming. Some accuse them of creating video game movies by spamming the quicktime event button. Others believe them to be the true pioneers in video game narrative building. But no one has ever put any of their titles on a list populated by open world games, mainly due to the shocking linearity of Detroit: Become Human and its sister games. But hey, there’s a first time for everything.
Detroit may not allow players to wreak havoc in well-lit Japanese townships, but it does tell a haunting story that puts the utmost emphasis on player decisions. And yes, there are tons and tons of quicktime events. But there is also an android uprising and a shocking amount of horror gameplay wrapped up in this epic saga. So it’s definitely worth a scan.
2 GTA V
Another Rockstar open world extravaganza, GTA V is everything an open world game is supposed to be. It’s fun, it’s zany, it’s unhinged, and it’s incredibly effective at eating up players’ time. Plus, it has some of the best driving tunes ever featured in a video game’s soundtrack.
Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2, this is is a game most people reading this have probably tried. And while this list has already featured a lot of superlatives, “best … evers,” and “must-plays,” here’s another for good measure: if somehow, players haven’t played this game, they owe it to themselves to at least give it a spin.
1 Cyberpunk 2077
Okay, sure. It’s cheating to put a game that hasn’t come out yet on a list like this. But in the specific circumstance, this writer didn’t have much of a choice. Cyberpunk 2077 looks to have everything a game needs to be compared to a Yakuza title. Crime? Check. Underground criminal organizations taking part in lavish excess and territorial wars? Check. Samurai swords? Check out the image above.
If players want a crazy open world to do wild, futuristic, and adult things in, then this title should be their jam.
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