Series chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto explained RGG Studio wished to "create clear starting points" for the series for newcomers as the brand expands to new mediums. He continues: "I hope offering these series starter packs at a value will create many new fans who play each series as we envisioned, from the beginning and in release order."
With access to Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 at once, new players will be able to experience the origins of main character Kazuma Kiryu, with remasters of the first PS2 entries on PS4. However, given that Yakuza 0 takes places before both of them and serves as the perfect entry point for the entire franchise, it's surprising to not see it included in a Yakuza Series Starter Pack. At least the Like a Dragon counterpart will fully document Ichiban Kasuga's story up until now, with both of the titles that focus on him included.
If you want to buy absolutely every Yakuza game, from Yakuza 0 through to Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, then a third new bundle can also be found on the PS Store: the Yakuza Complete Series bundle, costing £94.99 / $109.99. We have our own Yakuza starter guide built into our Best Yakuza / Like a Dragon Games Ranked page, which you can check out via the link.
As for the Amazon Prime live-action TV adaptation, Like a Dragon: Yakuza loosely follows the events of the first game and will be available from 25th October 2024. Are you interested in the show, and will you be buying either of these starter packs? Let us know in the comments below.