Perhaps the most popular tier of PlayStation Plus is that of PS Plus Extra, which offers the monthly games and discounts of the standard membership alongside almost 400 PlayStation titles that can be freely downloaded and played. This library includes several installments from the same franchises, and the Yakuza franchise in particular has a slew of games that can be played and enjoyed via the PS Plus Extra service.
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Yakuza 0
The critically acclaimed Yakuza 0 is one of the many franchise titles available with PS Plus Extra, and fittingly so considering that it is the earliest-set game on the series timeline. Taking place in the late 1980s, Yakuza 0 is a prequel that released in 2015, telling the origin stories of franchise-favorite characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima as young men looking to write their own legends within the criminal underworld of Japan.
Given the deeply important nature of Yakuza 0’s narrative in relation to the wider series of games, as well as the rewarding and addictive beat-em-up gameplay of the title, Yakuza 0 is regarded by many as one of the best games to come from the longstanding franchise. Yakuza 0 is the perfect place for new fans of the IP to start their journey.
Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2
The next games chronologically after Yakuza 0, both Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are also available via PS Plus Extra. These two titles are both remakes of the original Yakuza and Yakuza 2, updating the games with greatly improved graphics and core gameplay.
Both these titles use the impressive Dragon Engine, which was created by franchise developer Ryu Ga Gotoku in 2016 to revitalize the IP. Forming the foundation of the franchise narrative, Kiwami 1 and 2 are great additions to the PS Plus Extra catalog.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 are only available to play through the PS Plus Premium package thanks to their nature as PS3 titles, meaning the next franchise installment available to play through PS Plus Extra is Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Released in 2016, Yakuza 6 is the last mainline title to feature Kazuma Kiryu as a sole protagonist, effectively ending the main narrative focus of the IP of Kiryu as the pivotal figure.
Yakuza 6 was the title to debut the Dragon Engine, with the combat and exploration of the title subsequently being greatly improved from the likes of Yakuza 0. Due to the game’s important effect on Kazuma Kiryu’s journey, Yakuza 6 is a pivotal title in the wider franchise that is deserving of its spot in the PS Plus Extra catalog.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The last Yakuza title available via PS Plus Extra is Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the franchise’s most recent mainline installment that released in 2020. Crucially, this title introduced the new face of the franchise, Ichiban Kasuga, as well as several huge changes to gameplay that turned the series’ identity on its head.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon boldly dropped the franchise’s beat-em-up gameplay in favor of turn-based combat, acting more like a JRPG than any other installment to the series. Despite the huge difference in gameplay that this fostered, fans received Like a Dragon very well, with the game and its new protagonist embodying a welcome new direction for the franchise. With all these titles available via PS Plus Extra, there is more than enough Yakuza content for fans of the subscription service to enjoy.
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