Yakuza (video game)

Yakuza is a 2005 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. It was released in December 2005 in Japan and in September 2006 internationally. The story follows Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza who spent ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After being released, he learns that the criminal underworld is searching for 10 billion yen that has been stolen from the Tojo clan. The game takes place in Kamurochō, a realistic recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho district.

Yakuza takes place in an open world and makes use of role-playing elements. The player gains experience from combat which is used to improve Kiryu's fighting capabilities. In order to finance the game's expensive production, Sega contracted a tie-in campaign with famous Japanese companies. A sequel, Yakuza 2 was released in Japan in 2006. The game, along with its sequel, received an HD remaster, released in Japan in 2012. A remake titled Yakuza Kiwami was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in 2016, and later ported to Windows, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Critical reception was generally positive; its presentation and story were praised while its controls and mechanics were criticized. Yakuza was a commercial success and sold over one million units on PS2. Its success led to an ongoing franchise, now renamed Like a Dragon internationally.