First Step into SEGA’s Yakuza Series

Growing up, I was always fascinated by how yakuza are depicted in stories. Their tattoos that seem alive, their iconic slang, and most notably, their unwavering loyalty to their sworn family. While real life and gaming are entirely two separate worlds, it was enough to catch my attention and last year, I decided to peek into SEGA’s Yakuza universe by checking out a video on YouTube for Yakuza 0. This video wasn’t a 10 minute funny-moments video nor was it an summary or overview. It was a 20-hour long video of the main story line and I ended up abandoning all weekend plans to sit through this amazing story as it played out. I was amazed by the story, about how it injects wholesome life lessons in laugh-your-pants-off comedic moments in a game that is about brutalizing every thug you see. Watching Ryu’s and Majima’s backstories was simply breathtaking. Now… I get to do it myself, with my first game as Yakuza Kiwami. Let’s go, Ryu. Show me the way of the dragon.