ThePlayStation Plusservice has been recently exploding in popularity, and it is clear to see why. As a monthly subscription, the many tiers offered via the service provide differing levels of benefits, allowing the player to dictate their level of financial commitment to the platform.
Perhaps the most popular tier ofPlayStation Plusis 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 theYakuzafranchise 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 acclaimedYakuza 0is 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 0is 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 ofYakuza 0’snarrativein relation to the wider series of games, as well as the rewarding and addictive beat-em-up gameplay of the title,Yakuza 0is regarded by many as one of the best games to come from the longstanding franchise.Yakuza 0is the perfect place for new fans of the IP to start their journey.
Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2
The next games chronologically afterYakuza 0, bothYakuza Kiwami 1andYakuzaKiwami 2are also available via PS Plus Extra. These two titles are both remakes of the originalYakuzaandYakuza 2, updating the games with greatly improved graphics and core gameplay.
Both these titles use the impressive Dragon Engine, which was created byfranchise developer Ryu Ga Gotokuin 2016 to revitalize the IP. Forming the foundation of the franchise narrative,Kiwami 1and2are great additions to the PS Plus Extra catalog.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 3, 4,and5are 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 isYakuza 6: The Song of Life. Released in 2016,Yakuza 6is the last mainline title to featureKazuma Kiryuas a sole protagonist, effectively ending the main narrative focus of the IP of Kiryu as the pivotal figure.
Yakuza 6was the title to debut the Dragon Engine, with the combat and exploration of the title subsequently being greatly improved from the likes ofYakuza 0. Due to the game’s important effect on Kazuma Kiryu’s journey,Yakuza 6is a pivotal title in the wider franchise that is deserving of its spot in the PS Plus Extra catalog.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The lastYakuzatitle available via PS Plus Extra isYakuza: 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 Dragonboldly dropped the franchise’s beat-em-up gameplayin 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 receivedLike a Dragonvery well, with the game and its new protagonist embodying a welcome new direction for the franchise. With all these titles available viaPS Plus Extra,there is more than enoughYakuzacontent for fans of the subscription service to enjoy.
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