If you’re a PlayStation player with a hankering for some of the best RPG games out there right now, you need to brush off your PS Plus membership and get to playing the Yakuza games before the Like A Dragon Gaiden release date rolls around – and, well, the middle of next month. If you want to play some of the best PS5 RPG games available on PlayStation’s subscription service, you don’t have long before a handful of the best Yakuza PS Plus games are removed from the service.
Yeah, that’s right. As sad as it is to see, PS Plus really is losing some of its best games next month. With August finally upon us, we all get to look forward to a handful of great-looking PS Plus August 2023 games joining the fantastically-valued subscription service. However, that doesn’t mean PlayStation’s PS Plus service is going to offer an ever-expanding catalog of games for you to enjoy – as nice as that would be. No, it means a handful of games are on the chopping block, and these truly fantastic RPGs are among them.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are all leaving PlayStation’s PS Plus service on August 15. All three were originally released on the PS4 console, but PS5 players can enjoy them thanks to the platform’s backwards compatibility features.
Despite being the sixth Yakuza game to release, 2014’s Yakuza 0 is actually the first game in the series if you’re playing it chronologically. So, you really should jump on the chance to play this game for free if you want to know what you’re getting into when it comes to the Yakuza series ahead of the Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth release date, for example.
Yakuza 0 follows the story of a young Kazuma Kiryu as he’s dealing with being framed for murder and Goro Majima as he’s embroiled in a gang conflict revolving around a piece of land known as the “Empty Lot”. Set in fictional Tokyo districts in the late 1980s, this game is known for its refreshing narrative, accessible combat gameplay, and impressive cast. You can check out a trailer below if you want to know what you’re in for:
Beyond this, as mentioned above, PS Plus is also losing Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 – alongside other games like Borderlands 3 and The Crew 2. Released in 2016 and 2018 respectively, these two games are full remakes of the original two Yakuza games – and they’re also both well worth playing.
Yakuza Kiwami follows Kazume Kiryu’s story from Yakuza 0 and all the fallout from the events of that prequel game. We won’t go into too much detail, but you can expect even more intrigue, dramatic action, and humor, from this game. It also expands on the story of Goro Majima, so don’t worry if you find yourself preferring this character from the prequel. You can check out a trailer for this one below:
Where the gameplay of Yakuza Kiwami is similar to Yakuza 0, the gameplay of Yakuza Kiwami 2 is somewhat similar to Yakuza 6 – but, that’s not a bad thing. This entry in the series continues to follow Kazuma Kiryu’s journey alongside a new scenario focused on Goro Majima’s tale. It’s another excellent RPG and something you should try and carve the time out to play if you can, before it’s removed from PS Plus.
If you want to know what you’re getting into here, you can check out a trailer below:
We know it’s a shame to see some of the best PS5 games out there leave PlayStation’s PS Plus service, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be back in the future. We wouldn’t be surprised to see all three of these games in the next PS Store sale, too. So, don’t fret if you start playing it for free and then it gets removed from PS Plus; there’s other ways to get your hands on these – and you’ll seriously want to.