10 Video Game Sequels That Made The Original Even Better

There's a good reason Sega released the smash hit prequel Yakuza 0 and a full from-the-ground-up remake of the first game before Yakuza 6, because it really has all been leading up to this.

Though as shown through the recent trailer for Yakuza 8, 6 is not the end of Kazuma Kiryu's journey, it is the end of a decade-spanning era for him.

The story of Yakuza/Like A Dragon has pretty much been the same in every game after the first: Kiryu wants to leave the Yakuza because he is a good man, and because he is a good man, he fails. Even in the best ending of each game, there's always a catch; always a price, because Kiryu did the right thing, and the right thing often hurts.

One would think 6, intended and marketed as the true ending, would cut him a break, but Yakuza sticks to its guns all the way through. The finale of Yakuza 6 elevates every game that came before it, ending on the perfect thematic note as Kiryu disappears into anonymity, leaving all his friends and family behind, summing up his entire journey.

Doing the right thing can seem impossible, hurts like hell, and will often take more than it gives, but the right thing still needs to be done.*

--

*At least... before more Kiryu sequels were announced in 2022.