How Long Is Each Yakuza Game Playtime

How Long is Each Yakuza Game?

So, you’re diving into the world of Yakuza, huh? That’s awesome! You’re in for a treat with all the action, drama, and karaoke. But maybe you’re wondering, “Just how much time am I gonna spend in Kamurocho?” It’s a fair question. Each Yakuza game is like a big, delicious meal – some are quicker snacks, while others are full-course feasts. Let’s break down how much time you can expect to spend with each game, from main stories to all the cool side stuff.

The Main Story: A Core Time Investment

When we talk about how long a Yakuza game is, we usually start with the main story. This is the heart of the game, where you follow the adventures of Kiryu Kazuma or Ichiban Kasuga, depending on the title. The length of the main story can vary quite a bit between games. Some have a focused narrative that you can zoom through in a reasonable amount of time, while others have sprawling stories that will keep you hooked for a long, long time. We’re talking about tens of hours just for the main plot.

Factors Affecting Main Story Length

Several things can make a main story seem longer or shorter:

• Cutscenes: The Yakuza games are known for their long, movie-like cutscenes. These are great for telling the story, but they do add to your playtime. Some games have more of these than others.
• Difficulty: Playing on a harder difficulty can slow you down, as you’ll need to fight more carefully and may have to retry sections. Lowering the difficulty can mean you cruise through the story faster.
• Your Playstyle: If you tend to skip dialogue or rush through areas, you can get through the main story much more quickly. If you like to take your time, explore every corner, and read everything, the main story will last a bit longer.

So, keep these things in mind. Even if we give average times, your own experience might be different.

Beyond the Main Path: Side Quests and Activities

Here’s where things get really interesting. The Yakuza games aren’t just about the main story. The real magic lies in the side quests and activities that fill the world. These are things like:

• Substories: These are like mini-adventures that you find on the streets of Kamurocho (or other cities). They involve meeting all sorts of quirky people and helping them with their problems. These stories can be funny, sad, or just plain weird.
• Mini-games: There are so many mini-games! From karaoke to baseball, to managing a cabaret club or building a clan, the list goes on. These are fun ways to pass time, and some even have their own little stories.
• Exploration: The cities in Yakuza are packed with things to find. You can shop at stores, eat at restaurants, and meet new characters just by walking around.

The side stuff can easily double or even triple your playtime if you decide to engage with them. It’s where a lot of the fun and personality of the games come from.

Individual Game Time Estimates

Okay, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Here are some estimates for how long you can expect to spend with each Yakuza game. These are just averages, so remember that your time might vary.

Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 is a popular place to start and a fan favorite. You are introduced to Kiryu and Majima, setting the stage for future entries. Expect a playtime of roughly:

• Main Story: 30-35 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 60-80 hours
• Completionist Run: 100+ hours

The cabaret club management mini-game here is particularly time consuming, if you get invested.

Yakuza Kiwami

Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the first Yakuza game. It’s a good way to experience the beginning of Kiryu’s story. It’s usually shorter than the other entries, due to it being the first game in the series, however the remake does add more content.

• Main Story: 15-20 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 30-40 hours
• Completionist Run: 50+ hours

The “Majima Everywhere” system, where Majima will pop out of nowhere to fight you, can add a fair amount of time if you want to see all of its content.

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a remake of the second game. It continues Kiryu’s story and expands the Dragon Engine’s usage for the series. Expect a slightly longer playtime than Kiwami 1:

• Main Story: 20-25 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 40-50 hours
• Completionist Run: 60+ hours

The clan creator mini-game here can also take quite some time.

Yakuza 3

Yakuza 3 is the first one on the PS3 and sees Kiryu raising orphans in Okinawa, this can be a game that you either really like or not so much depending on your taste. It has more of the old style of gameplay, but still an interesting story.

• Main Story: 25-30 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 50-60 hours
• Completionist Run: 70+ hours

Yakuza 4

Yakuza 4 is a game where you take control of multiple different characters other than Kiryu. The story gets more complicated, but this also adds to the value of the game.

• Main Story: 25-30 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 50-60 hours
• Completionist Run: 70+ hours

Yakuza 5

Yakuza 5 has an incredibly long story, and is a huge game in terms of content and length. It’s also a game that uses multiple characters, and all of them have their own stories and places to go.

• Main Story: 35-40 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 70-90 hours
• Completionist Run: 120+ hours

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6 serves as Kiryu’s final chapter, and introduces a new version of the Dragon Engine. It has a good story, but does feel a bit more restricted due to being a more contained story.

• Main Story: 20-25 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 40-50 hours
• Completionist Run: 60+ hours

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a turn based RPG game, and a new beginning of the series with protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. It’s also a very big game with a big story and new mechanics.

• Main Story: 40-45 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 70-90 hours
• Completionist Run: 100+ hours

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Gaiden returns the series to action based gameplay and follows the story of Kiryu after the events of Yakuza 6 and before the events of Like a Dragon. It has a smaller map, but a compact experience.

• Main Story: 15-20 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 30-40 hours
• Completionist Run: 50+ hours

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Infinite Wealth continues the story of Ichiban and brings back Kiryu in a big and crazy way. This is a very big game with lots of things to do.

• Main Story: 40-50 hours
• Main Story + Side Quests: 80-100 hours
• Completionist Run: 120+ hours

Playing Through the Series

Now, if you’re thinking about playing all the Yakuza games, you’re in for a long, but very exciting ride. The total playtime to experience all the mainline games, main stories alone, easily surpasses 250-300 hours. If you want to do everything these games have to offer? Expect to easily surpass 600-700+ hours in total. This is quite a time investment, but the journey is well worth it if you are a fan of long RPG games.

Are They Worth It?

Absolutely! The Yakuza games offer a unique blend of intense drama, silly side stories, and engaging gameplay. While each game requires a lot of time, you get your money’s worth with the amount of content available. The characters are memorable, the stories are captivating, and the worlds feel alive. If you love action adventures with lots to see and do, then these are absolutely for you.

So, as you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how long each Yakuza game is. It really depends on what you want out of your experience. Dive in, explore, and enjoy the ride. You’ve got a lot of gaming to do!