For the next few days, you can grab one of the best sagas in video games for cheap on PC. Yakuza Complete Series, a bundle that includes the first seven games in beat-’em-up adventure series, is on sale for only $33.59 (was $112) until 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET on Friday, May 24. The seven-game collection includes almost the entire story of original series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu before the franchise was renamed Like a Dragon in the West.
The reason why we say “almost,” is because Kiryu is one of two playable characters in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the most recent mainline entry in the series, which released earlier this year. And Kiryu also starred in the spin-off game, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which launched late last year and takes place after Yakuza 6, during the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)–the first mainline entry in the series starring Ichiban Kasuga.
As for what you do get: This collection includes every mainline game in Kiryu’s storyline, starting from Yakuza 0 and ending with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. In case you never played them, Yakuza games are essentially a mix of sandbox beat-’em-up action with melodramatic storytelling. Sure, they’re cheesy, but they’re the good kind of cheesy as Kazuma finds himself regularly embroiled in all manner of government conspiracies, underground gang wars, and at least one instance of running the best hostess club in Japan.
Narratively, these games also have an episodic structure and are broken up into chapters that makes for a digestible experience that can be enjoyed over a few weeks, if you take your time. On the gameplay side, Kazuma flexes his muscles as the legendary Dragon of Dojima and can crush skulls like a pro. Each game puts a new spin on his combat arts, and by the time you’ve mastered them, you’ll be able to perform moves that wouldn’t look out of place in a WWE ring.
It’s worth noting that two of the games in this collection are the Kiwami remakes. These are Yakuza 1 and Yakuza 2, which were remade in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and include more modernized gameplay, enhancements, and new story elements that make it more in line with Yakuza 0. Yakuza 3-5 are HD remasters, and Yakuza 6 was localized in 2018.
As a whole, the collection is an essential purchase for anyone who’s a fan of long-term storytelling and solid action.
