Like a Dragon franchise from SEGA Sega incorporates elements of action-adventure, beat ’em up, and role-playing genres. The games are set in various locations mostly in Japan, mainly in the fictional district of Kamurocho, which is based on the real-life Kabukicho in Tokyo. The games follow the stories of different characters, mostly involving the yakuza, and the Japanese organized crime syndicates.
Below is a summary of the main games in the series, in chronological order of the story:
- Like a Dragon 0: This is a prequel to the first game, set in 1988. It introduces the two main protagonists of the series, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, who are both low-ranking yakuza members. They get involved in a power struggle over a piece of land called the Empty Lot, which is the key to controlling Kamurocho. The game also features other characters who will appear in later games, such as Nishikiyama, Kuze, Makoto, and Lee.
- Like a Dragon Kiwami: This is a remake of the first game, set in 2005. It follows Kiryu, who takes the blame for the murder of his boss, Sohei Dojima, and spends 10 years in prison. He is released to find that his childhood friend, Nishikiyama, has become his rival and the leader of his own family. Kiryu also learns that his former love interest, Yumi, has gone missing, and that she is somehow connected to a mysterious girl named Haruka, who is being hunted by various factions. Kiryu decides to protect Haruka and find out the truth behind the events that led to his imprisonment.
- Like a Dragon Kiwami 2: This is a remake of the second game, set in 2006. It follows Kiryu, who has retired from the yakuza and is living peacefully with Haruka. However, he is dragged back into the underworld when the fifth chairman of the Tojo Clan, Yukio Terada, is assassinated by a sniper. Kiryu travels to Osaka to prevent a war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance, the largest yakuza organization in Japan. He also meets Kaoru Sayama, a police officer who is assigned to watch over him, and Ryuji Goda, the son of the Omi Alliance’s chairman and Kiryu’s main rival. The game also features a side story where Majima, who has left the yakuza and runs a construction company, tries to stop a plot to destroy Kamurocho.
- Like a Dragon 3: This is the third game, set in 2009. It follows Kiryu, who has moved to Okinawa and runs an orphanage with Haruka and eight other children. He is contacted by Daigo Dojima, the sixth chairman of the Tojo Clan, who asks him to return to Tokyo to help deal with a crisis. Kiryu agrees, but soon finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving the CIA, the Japanese government, and a mysterious organization called Black Monday. Kiryu also faces a new enemy, Mine, the leader of the Hakuho Clan, who has a personal grudge against him.
- Like a Dragon 4: This is the fourth game, set in 2010. It follows four different protagonists, each with their own storylines that eventually converge. They are: Kiryu, who is accused of shooting someone in Kamurocho and goes into hiding; Akiyama, a former homeless man who runs a loan shark business and helps a woman named Lily; Saejima, a death row inmate who escapes from prison and seeks revenge for his brother’s death; and Tanimura, a corrupt cop who investigates a human trafficking ring. The game also introduces a new villain, Kido, who is behind the shooting incident and the mastermind of a plan to destroy Kamurocho.
- Like a Dragon 5: This is the fifth game, set in 2012. It follows five different protagonists, each with their own storylines that take place in different cities. They are: Kiryu, who has left the orphanage and works as a taxi driver in Fukuoka; Saejima, who is back in prison and participates in a fighting tournament; Akiyama, who travels to Osaka and helps a pop idol group; Shinada, a former baseball player who is framed for a scandal and becomes a journalist; and Haruka, who pursues her dream of becoming a singer and joins the same idol group as Akiyama’s client. The game also features a new antagonist, Aizawa, who is the son of the Omi Alliance’s chairman and has a vendetta against Kiryu.
- Like a Dragon 6: This is the sixth and final game of Kiryu’s saga, set in 2016. It follows Kiryu, who returns to Kamurocho after spending three years in prison for his previous actions. He reunites with Haruka, who has retired from her idol career and is raising a baby boy named Haruto. However, their happiness is short-lived, as Haruka is hit by a car and falls into a coma, and Haruto is kidnapped by a mysterious group. Kiryu travels to Hiroshima, where he learns that Haruto is the son of Yuta Usami, the heir of the Saio Triad, a Chinese mafia organization. Kiryu also meets Nagumo, the leader of a local yakuza family, and Someya, a Tojo Clan executive who is secretly working with the Saio Triad. Kiryu must protect Haruto and uncover the truth behind his birth and the car accident.
- Like a Dragon: This is the seventh game and the first one to feature a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, set in 2019. It follows Kasuga, who is a low-ranking member of the Arakawa Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan. He is loyal to his boss, Masumi Arakawa, who he considers his father figure. He agrees to take the blame for a murder committed by another yakuza and spends 18 years in prison. He is released to find that the Tojo Clan has been wiped out by the Omi Alliance, and that Arakawa has betrayed him and joined the enemy. Kasuga is shot by Arakawa and left for dead, but he survives and wakes up in Yokohama, where he meets a group of misfits who become his allies. Kasuga decides to find out why Arakawa betrayed him and what is his connection to the Ijin Three, a coalition of three rival factions that control Yokohama: the Seiryu Clan, a yakuza group; the Liumang, a Chinese gang; and the Geomijul, a Korean organization.
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: This is the eighth game in the franchise and was launched in 2024. It follows Ichiban Kasuga, who has become the leader of the Ichiban Confectionery, a company that he founded with his friends in Yokohama. He is contacted by Daigo Dojima, the former chairman of the Tojo Clan, who asks him to help rebuild the clan and restore its glory. Ichiban Kasuga agrees but soon finds himself in a conflict with the Infinite Wealth Group, a mysterious corporation that has amassed a fortune through illegal means and has ties to the Omi Alliance. Ichiban Kasuga also meets new allies and enemies, such as Kaito, a former detective who runs a private security agency; Nanba, a former nurse who is now a hacker; and Kume, a former Omi Alliance member who is now the leader of the Bleach Japan, a radical political party that opposes the yakuza.
I hope this summary helps you understand the history of the Like a Dragon franchise. If you want to play the games, I recommend starting with Like a Dragon 0, as it is the best introduction to the series and its characters. You can also play the games in the order of release, but you might miss some references and connections between the games. The games are available on various platforms, such as PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Stadia. Have fun!
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