With the recent addition of Yakuza: Like A Dragon to Microsoft’s Game Pass service every game in the Yakuza series is available concurrently for subscribers. This is a great opportunity for gamers to catch up on all eight games in the series, and it also reflects well on the future for Xbox, as a substantial example of the ongoing efforts to add more Japanese games and franchises to the Xbox library. Yakuza started out as a PlayStation exclusive series that was synonymous with the Sony console line, up until recently. The Xbox One and Series X/S release of Yakuza: Like A Dragon and the ports of every prior Yakuza game from Yakuza 0 to Yakuza 6 are a milestone for fans of Japanese games who play on Xbox consoles, and show a positive shift from the period where Xbox fell short when it came to Japanese titles.

The Yakuza games are among the most quintessentially Japanese games ever made. Each entry features a complex gangster narrative centered around the distinctly honor and tradition-bound world of Japan's organized crime, and the majority were voiced solely in Japanese with no English dub. They portray open worlds in primarily fictionalized Japanese cities and districts and contain countless cultural references that are aimed at Japanese audiences. Many gamers in English-speaking territories have nonetheless grown to love the series, including both the seven action-oriented titles focused on Kazama Kiryu and the recent turn-based RPG Like A Dragon, with new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga.

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The prequel game Yakuza 0 was released after Yakuza 5 originally. With the entire series available simultaneously on Xbox and Game Pass, fans can play the Yakuza games in either chronological or release order if they choose. Without having to make any investment beyond the Game Pass subscription that many Xbox gamers already have access to, they can now experience the entirety of Kiryu’s saga from beginning to end before tackling the turn-based adventures of Ichiban. On the surface, those unfamiliar with the franchise might see Yakuza games as comparable to Grand Theft Auto, Sleeping Dogs, and other open-world games with crime-related narratives. After spending some time with the franchise, it becomes more apparent that Yakuza games feature a unique brand of bizarre humor, often convoluted but fascinating plotlines, and a distinctly different storytelling sensibility from other, similar titles. This adds up to a series that is approachable for a wide group of gamers, despite being clearly aimed at the Japanese market.

Yakuza May Foreshadow More Xbox Japanese Game Releases

The Entire Yakuza Series On Game Pass Bodes Well For Xbox Future - Yakuza Octopath Game Pass Image

This is a notable acquisition for Xbox, as the movement to add Japanese games to the Xbox library had waned for some time. The early days of the Xbox 360 featured some earnest efforts with exclusive JRPG titles like Mistwalker’s Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, and the initially Xbox 360 exclusive Star Ocean: The Last Hope and Tales of Vesperia, among others. Octopath Traveler is a rare case where a major JRPG is available on Xbox consoles, PC, and the Nintendo Switch, but not presently on PlayStation, though the Xbox One saw a general slowdown in western releases of Japanese games. High-profile Japanese titles like Final Fantasy 15, Monster Hunter World, and Kingdom Hearts 3 did release at the same time as the PlayStation 4, but other landmark games like Nier: Automata and Dragon Quest 11 received Xbox ports after their release on other formats.

The Yakuza series is certainly more niche than Final Fantasy, but has a strong fan following. The Yakuza spinoff Judgment is also available on Xbox consoles now (though not currently featured on Game Pass). This bodes well for Xbox’s future, as one of Sega’s flagship series shifting from being PlayStation console exclusive to having the full series available on Microsoft’s consoles suggests that more might follow. The main entries being part of Game Pass, a service almost synonymous with Xbox gaming at present, will give a new group of gamers the chance to become fans.

There are still some significant gaps in the Xbox’s library of Japan’s recent hits, including the Persona series from Atlus, Nihon Falcom’s Trails of Cold Steel series, and the Ni No Kuni games from Level 5. While there is no guarantee any of these games will receive Xbox ports, if games like Yakuza can succeed in the Xbox ecosystem, it is more likely other Japanese third-party developers will consider Xbox releases going forward. In the short term, Yakuza's presence is noteworthy for Xbox gamers and Game Pass subscribers, and hopefully, it may also herald a future uptick in Japanese game releases for the Xbox. And easier access to more games can only be a good thing for Xbox as a platform.

Next: 31 New Xbox Games Are Coming To Game Pass Day One