Awesome Music / Like a Dragon

aka: Judgment

We're breaking the law / Breaking the world / Destroy it! (Breaking the world) / Tear apart the tenderness

This is a video game series by Sega that's about running through the mean streets of Japan beating up any punks that get in your way, so of course it's going to have awesome music tracks! And don't be too surprised if you find yourself getting hooked on karaoke, too.

Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami

• Let's start with the opening for the first game, "Receive You", introducing gamers to the franchise. Gets a remix in the HD Edition. And "Receive You [Reborn]" is a perfect song to commemorate the series' anniversary and go back to its roots.
• The start menu theme, "Roar of the Dragon", is quite soothing.
• When Kazuma Kiryu is about to continue with the story, sometimes "Unrest" plays as you move him towards the objective. Fittingly named because first time players now know what they're going to face. The song returned in Yakuza 0 as "Unrestful" during certain sections, and once again in Kiwami as "Renewed Unrest" which goes for a far darker and ominous tone.
• "Funk Goes On" plays during random encounters. You just can't help dancing with the beat as you put the beatdown to the thugs who challenge Kiryu. While quite different from the original, the Kiwami remix is good in its own right. This theme is just one of two remixes in Project × Zone 2. The original iteration makes its grand return in Infinite Wealth, serving as Kiryu's encounter theme in Kamurocho. Bookends, you love to see it.
• "Son of a Gun" is a rocking battle theme that plays when you fight Yuya and other bosses who aren't yakuza, and it's one of the best tracks to get your blood pumping for a fight. The Kiwami remix ups the intensity and energy to new heights, and stands as one of the best remixes in the whole game.
• Certain enemy factions get their own theme song: "Scarlet Scar" for the Shimano Clan, and "Intelligence for Violence" for Akira Nishikiyama's Clan. Both remixes from Kiwami are actually quite good, with "Scarlet Scar by Fierce Tiger" being given a harder and more energetic edge, and the funky and jazzy "Ideal for Violence" (which is sadly only heard during one brief fight).
• "id" is a battle theme that plays during certain battles against numerous mobs. The Kiwami version is once again pretty much a different song, now titled "Get Over It". It has a tense mood and becomes really catchy towards the end.
• Futoshi Shimano's boss theme, "Pray Me", is as hard as the man himself. What brings the salt on the chips is the Background Music intensifies to an even more epic tune when you deplete his first strip of health. It returns for his first fight in Kiwami as "Pray Me -Revive-".
• Goro Majima aka the Mad Dog of Shimano gets a remix of the opening song, titled "Receive You the Prototype", that's so good it becomes his Leitmotif for the entire time you face him in future games. This particular variation plays as his boss theme in the first two games. In Kiwami, Majima receives two versions of the theme; "Receive You the madtype" plays during the storyline battles, while the original plays during the final "Majima Everywhere" event.
• Kazuto Arase was one of the few bosses who isn't a major antagonist but still has his own theme music, and it's called "Turning Point". The remix in Kiwami, titled "Vertical Point", gets two variations, one that's played during the install screen, and one during the boss fight (the difference is heard at 1:16). The track on the OST attempts to combine them.
• The Final Boss theme, "For Who's Sake", plays when Kazuma Kiryu faces Akira Nishikiyama, setting the tone for the fight. The sadness of the song emphasizes the grief both men feel as they face one another. Arguably the most anticipated song to be heard in Kiwami, the new remix is a majestic piece worthy of a final confrontation between two friends and does not disappoint.
• In Kiwami, certain characters have remixes of their Leitmotifs from earlier games. Komaki is now introduced with "TAKUMI 2016", Lau Ka Long gets "Ogre Has Reborn", a remix of his song from Yakuza 3, and Jo Amon gets a trance/techno remix appropriately titled "Lunatic Warrior".
• One of the new songs available in Kiwami is a tender and heartfelt track, "Tonight". Kiryu's singing and the clip show of him reminiscing about the good times with Nishiki is more than enough to let a tear run down your face.
• In Kiwami, Kyohei Jingu gets a new theme called "The Wicked", an atmospheric track that depicts Kazuma's desperate fight against Jingu and his organisation. Boy, is it desperate.
• The ending credits for both the original and Kiwami have the late Eri Kawai's cover of "Amazing Grace", which is bound to put people to tears.

Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2

• The opening theme, "As a Man, As a Brother", adds some drums with heavy metal beat.
• The random encounter themes may change in every game, but they're still fantastic. This game gives us "Push Me Under Water" for Kamurocho and the jazzy "Outlaw's Lullaby" for Sotenbori. The remakes of these songs in Kiwami 2 also deserve mention. The new version of "Push Me Under Water" has a bit of a cinematic Yakuza 6 vibe, while "Outlaw's Lullaby" has an added guitar and slightly different piano piece, but to the delight of many fans, the song remains untouched otherwise. In fact, the latter song is so good that it returns untouched from its Kiwami 2 iteration in Yakuza: Like a Dragon as Sotenbori's battle theme!
• Daigo Dojima is the first boss you fight, and "Hit & Kill" plays as Kiryu beats some sense into the boy.
• Ryuji Goda's theme which is heard against two of his fights, "Bad Fortune Flower", a rocking theme fitting of a big shot yakuza boss, and one worthy of being the true rival of the Dragon of Dojima. The song returns in Kiwami 2 as "Bad Fortune, Not Bad" which packs a heavier guitar and an edgier feel, showing that Ryuji is dead serious about taking the title of Japan's Dragon.
• Hiroshi Hayashi returns with a vengeance, and fights Kiryu to "Evil Itself", a song fitting of his bitter rage from his loss a year before.
• Kazuma Kiryu fights through Toranosuke Sengoku's hidden castle with "Edges" blaring in the background. And when he unleashes two tigers against Kiryu, "Beast Itself" plays as their boss theme. Kiryu beats them with his bare hands.
• When Kiryu and Shindo face off, "The Grudge" is played, a loud, hard hitting theme suitable for the leaders of the Japanese criminal underworld, which could be mistaken for a final boss theme. Fittingly, it can be heard again in the fight against Jo Amon. A different song takes is place in Kiwami 2, "Break Off", an energetic and guitar driven theme that will pump you up to kick his ass all over again and, like before, can be mistaken for a theme reserved for final bosses.
• After the mastermind behind the game's events is revealed, the appropriately titled "Wirepuller" is played in the ensuing boss fight, befitting an old friend turned traitor. Although the song doesn't return for Kiwami 2, "The Omerta" takes its place, a suspenseful song hiding a glimmer of hope within.
• This song that plays during the cutscene before the final battle, where both wounded dragons bid their farewells to Kaoru before their final battle. Thankfully, the song is retained in Kiwami 2.
• "A Scattered Moment" plays for the final boss battle against Ryuji Goda, a piano-driven emotional song that demonstrates the immense respect both men have for one another as they duke it out in what could be the last fight of their lives. Thankfully, the song makes a faithful return in Kiwami 2 as "A Scattered Eternal Moment". More instruments are added, giving it just a slight edge while ramping up the emotion as Kiryu and Ryuji fight one last time for the title of Japan's dragon.
• Among the few licensed songs to make it outside Japan, the original game features "Kuroi Kizuato No Blues" and "17th December" by Crazy Ken Band. The first plays after an emotional scene where our hero is left pondering and smoking in the rain, and the second plays during the ending during another moment between Kiryu and Kaoru.
• First heard against the fight against Daigo, the rocking and energetic "Rebellious Phase" is played during many boss fights in Kiwami 2.
• Also from Kiwami 2, "Unity of Metal", a gritty rock/techno track with a rap behind it, which plays in battles against the foreign Jingweon Mafia.
• This song from Kiwami 2, a techno track that seems more at home in Tekken than a minigame about managing a cabaret club, plays during the Cabaret Grand Prix.
• Although "The Grudge" is no longer heard in the fight against Jo Amon in Kiwami 2, he's given another remix of "Fiercest Warrior". As opposed to being loud and energetic, the song is more emotional and atmospheric by comparison, perhaps reflecting that this will be the last time players face Jo Amon in the whole series (or at least as Kiryu).
• In the final Pandemonium fight, once the Amons appear, the track changes to "A" from the band "SiM" - an intense track perfectly fitting the extreme challenge the fight poses.
• Finally, who can ever forget "Update with Gunfire", Majima's final battle theme with Ibuchi in the Majima story DLC? That thing rocked while also displaying Ibuchi and Majima's willpower to succeed. It is undoubetedly one of the best Kiwami 2 songs.

Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!

• Sega introduces the franchise to the PS3 with this spinoff, and it opens with "Bushido" by Zeebra.
• This game gives us two remixes, "Blood Maker" for Funk Goes On, and "TSU-N-DE Receive You" for... Receive You. Too bad the latter is short.
• "Sneaking Drive" acts as Majima's theme in Kenzan, a high energy theme on par with later remixes of Receive You.
• "Swordplay", an intense and climactic theme, plays when you fight against Seijurou.
• "baile con la mariposa", a track that sounds fitting for this game with a heavy Spanish influence, serves as the background music during the fight against Ito.
• Kenzan introduced the soundtrack "Takumi", which would become the signature Leitmotif for Komaki.

Yakuza 3

• The English version may have "Fly" as the opening, but the Japanese version instead opens with "Loser" by Eikichi Yazawa.
• If you think Goro Majima is annoying to fight, the Secret Recurring Boss Jo Amon (and his brothers in 2 & 4) will get on your nerves. Previous games doesn't give him his own theme until 3 gives him "Hear This in the Game".
• Speaking of recurring bosses, Goro Majima is back again! During both fights, "Receive and Stab You" plays out.
• The third boss Hasebe, a member of the Nishikiyama Clan, gives us a nice Call-Back to the first game, where the song that plays in his fight is a remix of "Intelligence for Violence", titled "Independence for Violence". The song starts with the original song playing before being replaced by the remix.
• "Illtreatment", which plays when chasing Kanda through the love hotel, is as urgent as it is badass, with its wailing guitars, rhythmic synths, and distorted rap vocals.
• "Skirmish", with its throbbing guitar crunches and watery techno synths, is more than befitting for the tournament battles it plays in.
• "Sounds Storm" is the theme of the enigmatic Man in Black, and sounds suitably menacing.
• Kazuto Arase returns as the final boss for the Hitman Substory missions, and his original theme is remixed as "End Point".
• Joji's boss theme, "Lyricism Without Tears", will give you all sorts of emotions as you fight him. The fact that he's Shintaro Kazama/Fuma's twin brother—Kiryu's adoptive father—makes the battle even more dramatic.
• You don't know what true anger sounds like until you've heard the aptly named "Pure Malice", which plays during Kiryu's final encounter with the Tamashiro Family after they've kidnapped Saki.
• The final Long Battle of the game is set to "Clay Doll On The Cradle", a very frenetic and fast-paced track that oozes desperation as Kiryu, being the One-Man Army that he is, storms the Toto Hospital to stop Mine from killing Daigo, kicking the shit out of Andre Richardson along the way. As an aside, it's also Hidenori Shoji's (the composer of the track, and a longtime composer for the LAD series since the start) favorite track that he's ever composed (of which there are many, including on this very page).
• Yoshitaka Mine of the Hakuho Clan is the Final Boss, and his theme is the rearrangement of "Fly". The cutscene that plays as the music starts makes this final battle more epic.
• The ever addictive Karaoke debuts in this game. While the song debuted in Yakuza 2 as part of a substory, Kiryu takes his turn to sing the enka song "Kamurocho Lullaby".
• When in a chase, "Dead Run" plays; a fast song that'll make you want to start running yourself.

Yakuza 4

• This game is probably the first and only PS3 game (before future entries of this series) that has a song play in its installation screen, and it goes by the name "For Faith".
• "For Faith" is also the opening for the English version, but the Japanese version opens with "Butterfly City" by Zeebra, who also played the opening for Kenzan.
• This game gave us four Player Characters, and each has their own songs for their Random Encounters. Shun Akiyama has the smooth but intense "Speed Star", Taiga Saejima has the hard-hitting rock number "Massive Fire", Masayoshi Tanimura has the low-key but threatening "Infinite Handcuffs", and Kazuma Kiryu has a fitting number called "The Myth".
• "Whiskey & Rhapsody" is a wonderfully atmospheric acid jazz piece that plays during some parts in the overworld.
• "Nervousness" is a wonderfully jazzy piece, but is unfortunately heard once in the entire game in Akiyama's chapter.
• During chase scenes, we're treated to the loud and jazzy "Fang Marked Viper".
• Several boss fights are accompanied by the unapologetically noirish "Rebellions". It's heard again in Dead Souls against a particular Optional Boss.
• Many long mob fights play the song "Material Delights", which is just begging you to beat on some dudes.
• Shortly after escaping prison, Saejima has to fight Kazuma Kiryu, while "Smile Venomously" plays in the background. The track also plays when Kiryu encounters Tanimura and Akiyama in the sewers leading to Purgatory.
• Goro Majima returns, bringing "Receive and Bite You" as you fight him as Taiga Saejima.
• The final boss fight of Tanimura's story, Junji Sugiuchi, is backed up by the track "Teufel Mit Liebe", a pulse-pounding, almost cop show-esque orchestral number burning with rage on both sides, from Tanimura who's eager to get answers about his father's death, and Sugiuchi who wants that punk out of his sight yesterday.
• For this game, we get four final bosses for our four protagonist, and the songs that play are remixes of "For Faith". Akiyama vs Hiroaki Arai has "Four Face", Saejima vs Takeshi Kido gets "Four Faith", Kiryu vs Daigo Dojima uses the solemn "For Face", and finally, Tanimura vs Seishiro Munakata and his SWAT Team gets the instrumental version simply titled "For Faith". Here's a video with all four variations playing.
• Aya Hirano voices Akiyama's assistant Hana, and Sega wasn't going to waste the opportunity to use her vocal talents for some karaoke! The two can perform the duet "Pure Love in Kamurocho".
• Kiryu gets another song to sing in karaoke, the rocking and energetic love song "MachineGun Kiss".

Kurohyō

Even as a handheld spin-off that differs radically in its combat mechanics compared to the games up until then, Kurohyō still has a few great tracks.

• "Muppet" by RIZE is the main theme for the first Kurohyō. The uplifting guitar combined with the pumping (if nonsensical) lyrics will push you to pummel your opponents, with an instrumental version serving as the soundtrack for the final boss, Shinjou Reiji.
• One of the first combat themes in the game is "Die Anyway", a hard-hitting punkish theme that perfectly fits the tone for Kurohyou's combat system and Tatsuya's character.
• When you fight against Yuki Masumi, "So Unusual" by Skankfunk plays. It has a catchy tune with catchier lyrics that create a very unique atmosphere for a fight.
• The soundtrack for Aramaki Tsuyoshi, "Lonely Mercenary", sounds very dark and menacing, which is fitting for fighting against a heavily-built man called "The Ultimate Soldier".
• "Born To Be Wild", Kurohyō 2's main theme, by Shonan no Kaze, the same guys who made Bubble and Ichibanka. Its lyrics mirror Tatsuya's journey throughout both games, and how he believed the professional scene would tame him, but didn't. It also serves as the final boss, Nozaki Ryo's theme.
• For as creepy and disturbing as Tanaka Ichiro is, his boss theme is strangely badass, with a slow pace that builds to a powerful and rocking chorus.
• "Majima no Majirock", a karaoke song available in Kurohyō 2, and within pre-orders of the game. Its genre and lyrics fit their namesakes, and it's backed up by the whole thing being sung by the Mad Dog himself, meaning this is the first real-life time he's shown to sing. And it's genuinely good! It shows up again in Kiwami, sadly lacking Majima's vocals, as a background track for Pocket Circuit.

Yakuza: Dead Souls

• The new tradition of awesome installation screens continues with "Start of THE END". It was given an exclusive remix by Hyd Lunch for the opening cinematic and another by 83key for the credits in the overseas versions. Hyd's version could originally be downloaded from Sega's blog, but sadly the original download is down.
• "Long Battle" plays during The War Sequence as the two dragons head to the penthouse for the final confrontation.
• "Cry...", an emotional track which is heard during the fight against Tetsuo Nikaido, who helped put the events of the game into motion and has now become one of the undead.
• "Return to Nothingness", which is heard in Kiryu's fight against the Oikazuchi Omega, a gigantic beast who serves as the final boss of the game.
• Majima's version of "GET TO THE TOP!" If you ever wanted to lose your breath from laughing, this is the perfect song to do it with, and a prime example of Majima being the insane goof we love.

Yakuza 5

• In true Yakuza fashion, the game's theme, "The Battle for the Dream", is absolutely amazing, especially during the final boss fight. In the original Japanese, similar to "For Faith", it serves as the theme for the installation screen, while the original opening has "Bloody Moon" by GOSPELS OF JUDAS.
• The title screen music, "The Hearts of Theirs", welcomes players back to the franchise with a soothing tune.
• The battle themes for each of the characters. Kiryu has "Isolated Fight", which sets the mood for kicking ass in public with spectators cheering you on. Saejima is treated with "Hailstorm" when he tosses around thugs on the mean streets. Akiyama has some fun with "Affected Fight", and Shinada gets "What a FUNKASTIC Hit" when he can't get a break on the streets.
• The fast and rocking song that plays when you fight Victory Road contestants on the streets.
• The heavy-hitting boss battle theme, "Extermination". During some battles, "Fullscale Offensive" is also heard.
• "A Desperate Run", a funky and jazzy tune that is played during chase sequences.
• "VENDOR POP" by skankfunk (Hideki Naganuma), which is played during the fight in the hilarious "Shinada's Interview" substory.
• Near the end of Shinada's part, Shinada fights Daigo Dojima. In the Japanese version, "Wild Romance" by Kyosuke Himuro plays. When Yakuza 5 was translated into English, it came with a remix of "What a FUNKASTIC Hit".
• Both songs heard during Kiryu's taxi racing missions, "Battle of Pride" and "The Pursuit of Speed", which is heard against the more skilled racers, give the racing segments some heavy electronic dance vibes. Players can also purchase songs from earlier Sega games in their place, such as "Let's Go Away" from Daytona USA, "Magical Sound Shower" from OutRun, and "Remember R-001" from Sega Rally 2006.
• "Endless Fight" is played during Long Battles, often accompanied by "Nuisances" when our friendly neighborhood badasses are surrounded by mooks waiting for a beating.
• Baba's theme, "I Believe In You", first heard during an emotional fight that accompanies his conflicted nature.
• During the game's climax, Kiryu and Saejima race toward the top of (the completed) Kamurocho Hills where the appropriate "Christmas Night Raid" plays. As they approach the top, "36Strings Nocturne" is heard.
• Once again, Majima gets a beast of a theme with "Receive and Slash You".
• "The Mutual Fists", another emotional track which is heard when Baba is fought as Shinada's Final Boss.
• "Collisions of Our Souls", an amazingly epic boss battle song in the Finale's fourth part where Kiryu and Saejima fight Masaru Watase and Naoki Katsuya respectively on top of Kamurocho Hills which makes the atmosphere even more impressive. After this, Kiryu and Saejima fight each other while "The maximum ill luck" plays in the background.
• The songs that play when you're in a training fight against the respective 'mentors' for each character:
  • As Kiryu, "The COOL GUY SOSUKE" plays when you fight the man himself, reflecting his arrogance.
  • As Saejima, "The Hermit of the Frozen North" plays when you fight Tendo, which reflects the absurdity of the fight.
  • As Shinada, "Leo the Aristocrat" plays as you fight... Leo the Aristocrat.
• Some of the songs that play during Haruka's street battles are absolute bops, particularly the delightfully cheesy rap number "Comin' at Ya, My Girl", the unfathomably funky "Be the Star!!", and the utterly gorgeous house tune "Joy to the Dance".
• The three songs that Haruka sings for the Princess League, whose voice has been provided by the talented Rie Kugimiya since the very first game: The lively pop song "So Much More!", the energetic dance number "Loneliness Loop" and the soft ballad "Because I Have You". T-Set's versions of each song are no slouch either, as they're voiced by the equally talented Ryōko Shiraishi and Ai Nonaka.
• Naturally, the girls aren't the only ones whose voices get to shine in the game when karaoke enters the picture. Yakuza 5 introduces "Bakamitai", a slow ballad that demonstrates the vocal talents of Kiryu, Akiyama, and yes, even Saejima, and damn can they sing. Kiwami brings the song back, but because the game is a remake of Yakuza 1, it gets remixed into Bakamitai -Sorrow-, a Dark Reprise that reflects Kiryu's mindset after the tragedy 10 years ago that changed his life forever. The remake of Ishin! adds in another remix, called Bakamitai (Ishin Spec Edition), which rearranges the song into an enka ballad.
• Not to be left out, Shinada gets his shot at singing "MachineGun Kiss".
• If you ever wondered what would happen if all the protagonists were in a karaoke room... well, this happens.
• Even the more ambient songs in the game don't let up. "highway" in particular stands out as a chill, breezy jazz number with some killer electric piano and bass solos, befitting for the bars it plays in.
• Another great ambience song is Club Futo Moto's theme, a techno-heavy theme that absolutely fits the tone and atmosphere of the club, and honestly wouldn't feel too out of place in the Cabaret Minigames.

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

• Once again, the installation screen gives us an epic music score. The soundtrack named this tune as 維新ノ詩, or "Ishin no Uta"/"Song of Restoration".
• The game's intro theme, Clock Strikes by One OK Rock. An epic, dramatic piece of J-Rock to start off a samurai-flavored adventure? Hell yeah!
• Never has a song about the life of a "humble, working peasant" sounded more epic (and manly) than "Ijizakura". You're gonna want to experience what it feels like to be in Ryoma's shoes yourself by the time he's done singing.
• The random encounter theme, "Unrest of the Four Flowers", is pretty sweet, and depending on your current fighting style, one of the four variations will be playing.
• Do you like Machine Gun Kiss? Then you will love "A Cupful of Kisses", a jidaigeki reimagining of the iconic rock song used for the udon stall minigame!
• The song that plays during sword training, "Willow's Riff", is very hype.
• Not one to be outdone, the Gunman style's training theme, "Lost Lewisite", goes in very hard for what is, again, supposed to be a training theme. With how epic the track is, you'd think it'd be scoring a Boss encounter or even a Long Battle, but nope.
• The first fight against Saigo Kichinosuke (Ryuji Goda) takes place in a bath house, where he and Ryoma Sakamoto (Kiryu) fight entirely in the nude. You might feel awkward at first, until you realize this remix of Yakuza 2's opening is playing and turns the fight into Rated M for Manly.
• Okada Izo (Akira Nishikiyama) is fought as a Recurring Boss throughout this game, and his usual theme is a remix of "Intelligence for Violence", "Innocence for Violence", but the final fight against him has a remix of a familiar theme playing in the background: "For My Sake".
• As always, Majima Goro—as Okita Souji for this game—is accompanied by his theme tune, a remix of "Receive You". This time, we get two; "Receive You The Archetype" and "Receive and Doubt You".
• The regular boss theme, "Before the Sasanqua Falls", translates the tension Ryoma feels during the battle into a musical form. While it's been mostly replaced by different tracks in the remake, it still plays during some intense battles with Harada and false Ryoma.
• Amon's energetic new theme, "Fiercest Warrior". So good that it becomes Amon's Leitmotif in later games.
• Tokugawa Yoshinobu (Daigo Dojima) has an awesome remix from Kenzan!, "La Muerte Del Gobierno", as his battle theme.
• The final boss, Hanpeita Takechi, has probably the most epic theme song in the franchise. "Assassination of Bodhisattva" is its name. The music is divided into three different parts depending on how much health Takechi has. In this continuity, Ryoma and Takechi are blood brothers, similar to Kiryu and Nishikiyama in the original games, so the song conveys both of their emotions very well.
• The remake gives several characters who did not have their own remixed themes in the original brand new ones.
  • Soar, a Japanese-styled djent remix of Mine's Final Boss theme "Fly" from 3, now plays for Hijikata Toshizo.
  • Collisions of Our Swords, a Japanese-style remix of Watase's theme "Collision of Our Souls" from 5, now plays for Sasaki Tadasaburo.
  • Pseudo Fight, a trap remix of Akiyama's theme "Unaffected Fight" from 5, now plays for Niibori Matsusuke.
  • Eternal Fire, a more low-key Japanese style remix of Saejima's theme "Massive Fire" from 4, now plays for Nagakura Shinpachi.

Yakuza 0

• The game's opening theme, "bubble" by Shonan no Kaze, sums up the game's atmosphere as the two young Yakuza take on the Kamurocho district. The opening used in the English version is just as good.
• "Reign", played during the installation screen, also plays when Majima gets his revenge on the Dojima family after what they did to Makoto with a different variation playing as you kick their asses.
• Kiryu's battle themes are really some of the best tracks in the game.
  • The Brawler Style theme, "Force Addiction", is an awesome techno remix of "Isolated Fight".
  • His Rush Style theme, "Parry Addiction", gets you pumped with its fast pace, being a remix of "Push Me Under Water".
  • The Beast Style theme, "Crash Addiction", a remix of "Crush and Strike", makes you feel unstoppable as Kiryu wrecks everything in his way.
  • "Receive You ~Tech Trance Arrange~" is a remix of the classic theme, used as the theme of Kiryu's Dragon of Dojima style.
• "Customer Creed", a wild big-band song, plays during Majima's tutorial.
• Majima's battle themes.
  • "One Eyed Assassin" serves as the Thug style theme, giving off a slightly menacing feel.
  • The Slugger style theme, "One Eyed Slugger", is a perfect representation of Majima's intimidation factor.
  • The Breaker style theme, "One Eyed Dancer", has a funky techno beat that fits the unpredictable nature of this style.
  • No game is complete without Majima's version of "Receive You", so "Receive You The Subtype" delivers more than enough, being used as the Mad Dog style theme.
• Most long battles are accompanied by "t u s k", a hard rocking song that depicts Kiryu and Majima single-handedly tearing through legions of yakuza.
• "Make You Free", a rock-driven theme that serves as a lesser boss battle, once against Awano's men, and often against the Five Billionaires and whichever Five Stars are fought.
• "Misery Comes On Beat", a dark, ominous and gritty track that's heard during most boss battles. Particularly chilling when facing off against Nishitani and younger versions of characters who have passed on.
• It should be no surprise that Pre-Face–Heel Turn Akira Nishiki is back, and brought a remix with him, "For Buddy".
• "Pledge Of Demon", the boss theme of Daisaku Kuze, is widely considered to be the best song in the whole game, and it's easy to see why: it brings the hype to unprecedented levels. "Oath Of Enma" is a remix of the former used for the final battle between Kiryu and Kuze. Still hype, but with a more melancholy tone to it that depicts both Kuze and Kiryu's readiness to do what's necessary of them.
• Hiroki Awano's boss theme, "With Vengeance, is one of the most inspiring tracks in the game, pumping you up for the climactic encounter.
• Majima faces off against Lao Gui, an assassin that has been causing all sorts of mess throughout the game. His theme song, "Archnemesis", perfectly describes how dangerous he is and how pissed off Majima is.
• "Firelight", which is heard during The War Sequence as Kiryu and Nishiki raid the Nikkyo Consortium's ship to stop and face Shibusawa. The song comes in two parts, during battle and a calmer section that plays during cutscenes.
• Kiryu's final boss theme, "Two Dragons", depicts his final struggle before receiving his title as "The Dragon of Dojima", as he engages in a brutal fight with the original Dragon, Keiji Shibusawa. Like its predecessor in Ishin, the song has three different phases, all corresponding to how much health the boss has.
• "Fiercest Warrior ver. 0" is played in the fight against Amon, which is an awesome remix from Ishin!
• Kiryu's training music. "La Di Da" plays when training with Bacchus, while "Debt Cleanup" plays when doing Miss Tatsu's training.
• Majima's training music. "TAKUMI 1988" plays when training with Komeki (who isn't Komaki at all), "Breaking Showcase", a hard-hitting dance track, plays during dance training with Areshi and his brothers, while Fei Hu's weapon training is accompanied by "Tiger Flute", a glorious tribute to the 70 and 80's martial arts flick music.
• The side business stories get some unique battle tunes as well. "Trouble Shooting Star" can be heard during certain battles in Real Estate Royale, while "Interplanetary Spark" plays when Majima has to fight some competition goons in Cabaret Club Czar.
• "As You Like", the surprisingly catchy song while playing dress up with your Platinum hostesses.
• Both Kiryu and Nishiki get to show their vocal talents with a new karaoke song, "Judgement", and each one gets their turn as the lead singer.
• Majima gets a surprisingly tender song, "24 Hour Cinderella", which is especially surprising considering his later attempts at karaoke.
• Yuki's version of "X3 Shine", showcasing the girl's hidden vocal talent. Poor girl doesn't get enough credit.
• "Get Them", the theme for the Mr. Shakedown fights, is an intense piece that fits with the toughness of the enemy you face.
• "Rocket Nuts Groove", a catchy and upbeat song that'll have your head moving during certain substory battles.
• "Growling Hound", which plays during the Escort Missions with Makoto as Majima tries to get her through Sotenbori undetected. A quiet but tense track fitting a Stealth-Based Mission, but if they're caught, "Wounded Hound" plays, a dark but energetic dance track that highlights the danger poor Makoto is in, while Majima fends off her attackers.
• "Interspace Garden", which plays after you start the PS Vita Companion app.
• "I'm Gonna Make You Mine", due to the catchy lyrics and fans note that it almost sounds like Michael Jackson's "Bad". Someone made a one hour version of it.
• Home alone on a "Friday Night"? Don't worry, you've always got someone to dance with. As long as you remember these Yakuza, and this sweet jam!
• As maddeningly frustrating as the catfights can be, at least you have the consolation of getting to listen to "Red Radical Rage" during them, a highly energetic rock track that clicks very nicely indeed with the spectacle of the catfights.
• The telephone club minigame already has strong Danganronpa vibes due to the concept of shooting at words, and the music that plays during the third set of questions sounds like it would be right at home in that series.

Yakuza 6

• "Sobo" by Tatsuro Yamashita serves as the game's theme song. It's a somber, heartfelt and emotional song preparing players for the end of Kazuma Kiryu's journey. Like most licensed songs, it didn't make the cut in the localized versions.
• The guitar-driven "KAMURO again" serves as the main battle theme for Kamurocho, a city that never sleeps and is still filled with shady characters and activities after all these years. "Town Bully" is more fast-paced and upbeat, fitting the bright town of Onomichi.
• Certain battles against the Ruthless Foreign Gangsters in Kamurocho get "Bishop-Violet Velveteen", an intense song that perfectly highlights the dangers of the criminal underworld and the spirit of our dragon fighting against it. A different version of the song was also present on the first Japanese demo as the main battle theme. It returns in Infinite Wealth, now as the theme that plays whenever Kiryu goes ham with Dragon's Resurgence.
• The suspenseful and jazzy "Chaos Madness" plays in the background during certain story segments. Someone's in danger but you won't be rushing to their rescue with this song playing. Fans of Yakuza 4 might find it reminiscent of "Whiskey and Rhapsody" and "Nervousness".
• "Through" is an intense, driven track that feels more suited to a ruthless foe like Lao Gui than Kiryu's desperate throwdown with Akiyama, encapsulating the lengths Kiryu is willing to go to in order to protect Haruto.
• "Fist Law" is full of energetic emotion, just like the fight between Kiryu and Yuta Usami.
• "Standoff", used for several mob fights, is full of unapologetic rock. But when Kiryu and friends are ready to get down to business, "Rushin'" plays to bring the hype even higher.
• "Brother, Brother" is the Leitmotif for Kiryu's many scraps with the persistent punk Nagumo. Bombastic and funky with a rockabilly heart, it's a perfect theme for the town tough guy. Things take a dark turn with the chilling and intense "LoyaltyOath", the reprise that plays in Nagumo's fourth and final fight. Where the other fights were for hometown pride and an unrequited crush, the stakes in this duel are the honor of Nagumo's boss and family. This is a much stronger and more serious Nagumo.
• "Qui garde un secret" is full of foreboding tension, both highlighting the tragedy within the fight and just how threatening Hirose is.
• The final rush up the Millennium Tower through the whole Tojo Clan to get to Iwami is scored by "Lots of Lights", a funky but intense track with notable similarities to music from the Streets of Rage series.
• Both of Someya's battles themes are standouts. "Bloodstained Philsophy" reeks of awesome intensity, while "DESTINY" captures both the tragedy of Someya's fate and the determination in his final battle.
• "Body and Soul", which plays for the second-to-last boss, is all-rock with powerful guitar riffs, hyping you up to beat Koshimizu into the ground.
• As big a letdown as some found the final boss Tsuneo Iwami to be compared to what came before them, their theme, "The Way of Life", did not disappoint.
• The Techno "Theory of Beauty" serves as another energetic track which stands out in comparison to the more melancholic tracks that make up most of the game's soundtrack, as well as serving as the boss theme for Joon-Gi Han.
• The intense "Bug's Warrior" is heard during the final battle between Kiryu and Jo Amon, adding a cinematic touch to the assassin's Leitmotif.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise / Hokuto ga Gotoku

• It wouldn't be a Yakuza spinoff without its own remix of "Receive You", and this game does not disappoint. Behold the magnificence that is "Receive You ~North Star~": 5 minutes of pure, 80s-style metal that combines the melody of "Receive You" with the tone of "Ai wo Torimodose!!".
• Jagi's boss theme is a frenetic, dramatic, terrifying power metal jam. Perfect for one of manga's most notorious scumbags.

Judge Eyes/Judgment

• The game's theme song, "Arpeggio" by [ALEXANDROS], can keep you rocking.
• "Door", a bone-chilling track that gives off a sense of mystery, is the main menu theme for the game.
• You'll hear the aptly named "Judgment" a few times throughout both games, with its main motif coming into play whenever Yagami steps ever closer to the truth.
• With the return of having multiple fighting styles returns Yakuza 0's feature of every fighting style having its own battle theme.
  • The theme for Crane style, "Random Fire", starts off with an intense bass guitar, but gives way to a beautiful piano that conveys Yagami's skill.
  • The theme for Tiger style, "Drumfire", is a catchy and almost jazz-like tune.
• "My Own Style" is used in story battles, and continues the tradition of rap-style lyrics in a Yakuza game. The energy of the soundtrack combined with the lyrics is the perfect backdrop for mowing through Mooks.
• Despite the odd name, "Hyenas Wheezing" is a very intense and foreboding track that signifies Yagami isn't one to be taken lightly.
• "The Flower of Chivalry" is a climactic and somewhat tragic-sounding theme that encompasses Toru Higashi's Conflicting Loyalty when he's forced to kill Yagami and Kaito.
• "The Laff Riot", Satoshi Shioya's boss theme. A quick and dirty rock piece for an equally quick and dirty fight against the Kyorei's second-in-command.
• "Threads of Sins" plays during the game's Long Battles. Whether you're protecting Mafuyu or kicking Kyorei ass, you can never go wrong with a bombastic techno/rock piece like this one.
• "Rake Your Inside", Kyohei Hamura's boss theme, is a pulsing and foreboding techno track that underscores just how dangerous the man is underneath all his sleaziness.
• "Λ" is similarly bone-chilling, a ominous track that segues into Orchestral Bombing mixed with Ominous Latin Chanting in its later stages. A little dissonant, given that it's the theme of Akira Murase, who's little more than a minor character. However, it's reused later on, scoring the first encounter with the Cane Man, an assassin who uses weaponry disguised as, well, canes.
• "Faster than Lightning" is the standard chase theme, an adrenaline-filled track that reflects the scenes it scores.
• "It's Show Time!!", a bombastic, jazzy piece straight out of the likes of Cuphead that plays during the more lighthearted chases.
• "Penumbra" exudes ruthlessness. Fitting, as it's the personal theme of Mitsuru Kuroiwa, who is also the Final Boss and the serial killer who sparked off the game's events.
• "Open The Drone League", the incredibly catchy and energizing techno track that scores what is arguably one of the most fun (and surprisingly real) side activities in the game - Drone Racing. And in case that wasn't enough, you also have "BUZZY", an Avicii-esque piece which plays during the later, more difficult, Drone Racing leagues.
• Need a catchy and futuristic TRON-like theme tune to make the grind for money much more fun? "Welcome to VR World" has you covered in that front!
• What's a great track to hear as you're raising virtual hell and beating the shit out of digital tigers? "Dive In", of course!
• "The Last Assassin XIV: Symphony of The Judgment" starts with an orchestral opening, only for the music to die three seconds in and a more fast-paced beat to take its place. A good way to introduce Shin Amon; his theatrics are short-lived, but once the fight starts, you're in for a tough time. As the track (and the fight) progresses, the fast-paced beat fades away to be replaced by the classical music - this time accompanied by slow, almost mournful singing, before eventually returning to the quick beat from before.

Ryu Ga Gotoku 7: The Whereabouts of Light and Darkness/Yakuza: Like a Dragon

• Ichiban has his own theme, simply titled "Ichibanka" ("Ichiban's Song"), made by Shonan no Kaze as a collab piece with Yasutaka Nakata. It's a very upbeat song from the get go with chiptunes throughout, befitting the more informal RPG fanboy that is its eponymous character, while its lyrics reflect his honest journey from rock bottom despite the tragedies he faces.
• "Ascension Point", Kamurocho's battle theme, is a very catchy and frantic track that not only does a good job of introducing the new gameplay mechanics, but also helps make a wonderful first impression to the new protagonist himself, Ichiban.
• "Pellagra" is the recurring theme for boss battles taking place in the main story. Taking cues from both Judgement's "Random Fire" and Yakuza 0's "Misery Comes on Beat", this track puts you in the mood to dole out some serious ass-whooping.
• "Yokohama Crackhouse" is a dubstep/hard rock piece that screams "It's whoopass time!" And considering how you'll be hearing this for a good majority of the game, this is quite the piece to barbecue some mooks with whenever you're not throwing them into traffic.
• "Backscratcher of Coins" is an EDM track that plays during certain substory battles. It's also notable for being a remix of Dragon Quest V's battle theme, with elements of "Aria of the Soul" mixed in. Fanon seems to agree that Ichiban is so much of an RPG nerd that this is actually playing in his head while he's fighting.
• Need something that is catchy as all divine? Then try the "tranquillo" and "appassionato", the themes for Omi Alliance HQ. An electronic/trance track that puts you in the mood to kick some serious ass and maybe bust a move with the Breaker class! Bonus points for it also playing in the Sotenbori Battle Arena, too!
• "Enter the Tiger", the Qing Jin battle theme, is very different from the rest of the soundtrack, but equally as great, being a bombastic and catchy Chinese-inspired track that would sound right at home in a kung-fu movie.
• "Asphodelos", which plays during story-related encounters and mini-boss battles, is an intensely catchy theme that properly pumps you up for those fights.
• You know you will be in for an epically brutal time whenever "Monken's Beeper", Reiji Ishioda's theme, comes on; with its unapologetically dark buildups to some brutal bass hits and the backing beat syncopating with a Boss Warning Siren, it proves that the Heroes of Tomorrow's constant wars with Ishioda and company will not be easy ones for them to overcome.
• "War Maker", Akira Mabuchi's theme, became quite popular and referred to as a "certified Liumang classic" for its beat.
• "Receive You" returns with a vengeance in this entry with two remixes, both used in battles against the old guard of the series. The first, "Receive You The Hyperactive", is heard during the fight against Majima and Saejima. It's high-octane and chaotic, with a trace of metal, befitting two blood brothers with wildly varying personalities. For increased nostalgia value, it is specifically a remix of "Receive and Bite You", Majima's boss them from Yakuza 4, when Saejima and Majima finally reunite after so many years apart. It's only fitting that it should play again when they join forces to take on Ichiban's crew. The other one, "Rolling Eyes Fall Down The Dragon Wall", is used during the boss battle against Kiryu, overwhelming and powerful like the Dragon of Dojima.
• One of the highest points of the game's climactic boss themes comes in with "Brutality", used by Jo Sawashiro. The fusion of orchestral rock and Drill'n'bass here creates a violent outburst of emotions, which is fitting considering Ichiban and Sawashiro's constant personal conflicts throughout the whole of the story reaching its boiling point in this battle.
• "Reiwa Labyrinth" is very fitting for The Very Definitely Final Dungeon of the game, the Millennium Tower. An electronic piece with elements from Yakuza 4's "Solitude", this is what you'll be hearing and what will motivate you throughout the tower as you climb your way to the top.
• "Triplet After Triplet", the boss theme for Yosuke Tendo, the secondary antagonist and Climax Boss of the game, is a powerful mixture of dubstep and strings that provides the fight with tension and emotion. With Tendo being the ruthless powerhouse that he is, it serves as the perfect companion to one of the game's toughest encounters.
• "ism" is an inspired, melancholic piece that reflects on the bitterness of Ichiban and Masato facing each other. It gradually evolves to include a more ominous and tragic tone. No surprise that it has similar motifs to the original game's "For Whose Sake" given Ichiban shares a voice actor with Kiryu's old friend-turned-enemy, Nishiki.
• "Wailing Warrior" is Shin Amon's newest theme and his own version of his family's "Fiercest Warrior", playing as he appears at the end of the Millennium Tower dungeon. The song stands out from his predecessors and his previous theme by being foreboding and menacing, going for consistent and ominous hard rock backed up by the well known One-Woman Wail. Overall it matches the Dragon of Rock Bottom's first encounter with a member of the Dragon of Dojima's sworn rivals.
• Even Dragon Kart gets excellent tracks, such as the Time Attack race theme "Speedrun", which combines the game's traditional rock/eletronic style with an upbeat tune that would fit right at home in Mario Kart.
• The karaoke tracks in this game are as good as you can get by Yakuza standards:
  • "MachineGun Kiss" returns, this time sung by Adachi, and he GOES for it, especially right at the end. The English version, while not quite the same as the original Japanese version, still deserves props for the translation being on point on top of maintaining the same rhythm.
  • "Baka Mitai/I've Been a Fool" also makes its return since its last appearance in Yakuza 0, this time sung by Namba. And yes, it's every bit as great as you'd expect. And here's the English version version that Greg Chun pulls off just as well with his smooth vocals! And props to the localization team for being able to make the English lyrics work just as well, too!
  • "Harukaze/Spring Breeze", as performed by Saeko. It's quite a wholesome track whose Imagine Spot showcases Saeko's friendship with Ichiban, Namba, and Adachi quite nicely, which is complemented by Saeko's amazing vocals throughout. The English version performed by Elizabeth Maxwell is just as delightful to listen to!
  • "Shape of Dream/The Future I Dreamed Of", performed by Ichiban. Like with Harukaze, this is a very wholesome and uplifting track that sums up Ichiban's strong will very nicely despite the circumstances that he grew up in. Kaiji Tang shows off some pretty good vocal range with the English version, using a noticeably softer voice than normal.
  • "Devil's Hell Pot/Hell Stew", performed either by Ichiban or Zhao. A big power metal anthem whose Imagine Spot is quite the shout-out to both KISS and "Judgement ~Shinpan~" from Yakuza 0. Sadly, there are no tracks that Han can perform, but he does appear in the Imagine Spot for Devil's Hell Pot with his own band outfit if it's any consolation. Robbie Daymond gives off the same energy as the original version as Zhao with the English version while also channeling his inner Akechi!

Lost Judgment

• The opening for this game, "Rasen", is done by the duo known as jon-YAKITORY alongside collaborator Ado, and is an utterly emotionally charged musical version of a Despair Event Horizon, suiting the murkier tones of the story.
• The main menu theme, the aptly titled, "Lost in the Rain", takes some cues from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided for its soothing and atmospheric effect, while also giving emphasis on the more personal and somber undertone to the game.
• As with the previous game and Yakuza 0, this game has three distinct and equally badass battle themes for each of its three fighting styles.
  • First up, "Ferocious Red", for the Tiger style. Blow enemies across the room using Flux Fissure with this amazing tune that complements the sheer ferocity of the Tiger style!
  • Then there's "Blue Stompin'" for the Crane style. Taking a page out of "Speed Star" from Yakuza 4, you'll be dancing in the sky as you casually make short work of any unfortunate mooks that dare cross your path.
  • And finally, new to this game is "Green Vibes", for the Snake style. Make the crowd quiver in fear with this very catchy and slippery EDM tune as you disarm and force any hapless enemies within your vicinity to surrender.
  • Available as optional DLC, the Boxer style also comes with a battle theme of its own, "Tough Cuss". It's a very heavy rock anthem that has you rocking out as much as Yagami's cracking skulls with some well-placed hooks.
• Succeeding "My Own Style" from the previous game, we have "Hydra", a very intense, fast-paced electronic track that is very well-suited for beating on some unsavory characters throughout the story… or for being interrupted at the worst possible time by Sugiura and Tsukumo.
• Trading in intensity and a frenetic pace for something a little more upbeat and catchy, there's "In The Groove", a very jazzy drum & bass tune that plays throughout the chase battles in this game.
• Alternatively, if you want something a little more goofier and light-hearted that's on the level of "Yakety Sax", you can't go wrong with "In The Rhythm", whether you're chasing a walking body model in school at night or using it for your next meme compilation.
• If you can get past the, well… interesting name, then "Vorarephilia" (yes, that's the actual name of the song) is the standard boss theme you'll love for put some unruly brats in their place.
• Not to be confused with the track of the same name from Persona 4, "Fog" is an epic Long Battle theme that takes notes from "Rake Your Inside", Hamura's theme, but much more intense to better suit the circumstances of Yagami fighting his way out of Sawa's apartment complex after having been ambushed by RK, while also giving Kuwana a chance to escape.
• Need the perfect tune to beat on some RK punks that simply don't know when to quit? Look no further than "1811", a hard-hitting electronic tune that is a good demonstration of the threat that RK poses to anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.
• As a darker contrast to the bombastic "War Maker" from Like a Dragon, Tesso's first encounter is scored to the very intense and ominous "Liumang's Chant", highlighting just how dangerous the Liumang really are even to a Badass Normal like Yagami.
• "K.O.G", Daimu Akutsu's theme, is a very intense and dark EDM tune that highlights how dangerous and homicidal Akutsu truly is, and how RK is a considerably more dangerous threat than even the Tojo Clan that came before it.
• "Viper", Kazuki Soma's boss theme, is unlike any other track in the game or perhaps the entire series, and with very good reason. It's an incredibly ominous and creepy song that feels like a mixture between a cold winter-themed song and a horror movie Slasher villain theme, with it's good use of both "Psycho" Strings and Scare Chords to add to the tension. Very fitting for the cold, calculating and ruthless killer that is Soma.
• "Destination" from Judgment returns as "Final Destination", and is just as awesome, if not even more so than its previous appearance with the added instrumentation.
• "Dig In Your Heels, for Kuwana's 2nd fight in Chapter 10, is an epic fast-paced banger which wouldn't sound out of place in Tekken, and sounds perfect for the match and its atmosphere.
• "Unwavering Belief" all but screams conflict and tragedy throughout. Fitting, as it plays while Jin Kuwana and Yagami duke it out for the last time over all the pain and suffering Kuwana's well-intentioned but horribly misguided journey has caused over the years.
• While the thought of a guy like Takayuki Yagami busting a move might sound hilarious as hell, the actual songs that he dances to are very much worthy hits in themselves.
  • The aptly named "Let's Dance" is a lovely EDM/Dubstep tune that serves as a nice introduction to the Seiryo Rabbits' School Story.
  • The very funky and upbeat "Long Drill on the Beach" features Yagami and the Rabbits dancing in some very nice suits all while they air guitar their hearts out.
  • Just when you think Yagami couldn't get any more "How do you do fellow kids?", there's the very fast-paced and catchy "ESMERALDA", which also sees Yagami - a 38-year-old chain smoking man who up until this point hasn't really danced in his life^note  Despite being portrayed by one of Japan's most prolific dancers in Takuya Kimura, mind you. - doing the Scoop of all things!
  • And finally, notable for being the only dance track with vocals, there's "GIRLS". Get that energy going as Yagami and the Seiryo Rabbits dance the night away and into the regional finals! Sounds like something Haruka would very much dance to.
• "Lineage Of Clan", Juzo Amon's theme. An unapologetically intense and hard-hitting rock track that captures the anger and determination of the Amon Clan. It borrows quite a few motifs from "Hear This In The Game", only heavier and more intense.
• Like Yagami, Kaito has some very funky tunes to cave some faces in with during The Kaito Files:
  • First up is "Raid", for the Bruiser style. An incredibly hard-hitting industrial rock piece that evokes the Brawler style from Yakuza 0 (which is pretty much what the Bruiser style is with some minor differences) as well as some bits of "The Myth" from Yakuza 4.
  • Then there's "Steel Plate" for the Tank style. A somewhat dissonant but no less hard-hitting EDM piece that can work very well for when Kaito feeds an entire moped to the poor sap who tried to pick a fight with him. Or when it's his time to shine as Mikiko's bodyguard.
• If you thought Akutsu's theme in the base game hits hard, Kenmochi says hello with "Bottled Spirit", a very heavy dubstep tune that highlights how much of a vicious brute he is (or so we're led to believe), especially in his days as an arena fighter.
• "Behind the Scheme", Kyoya's theme. A very dark, sinister, and foreboding track that highlights the monster within the man behind everything during The Kaito Files.
• An inverted example of Sad Battle Music, there's the very uplifting and heartwarming "Duel", which serves as the theme for Shirakaba, the DLC's Final Boss. Considering everything that Kaito, Jun, and Mikiko went through for much of the DLC, hearing this track gives the assurance that Kaito has finally Earned His Happy Ending.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

• Like any game barring Kiwami that has multiple fighting styles, each one has its own motif to go with it:
  • For the Agent style, we're treated to "Obedience", a fast-paced track with a familiar motif that calls to mind "Push Me Under Water" from Y2, which places emphasis on the swift precision of the Agent style. Can't go wrong with this one as you blast a crowd of mooks away with the Firefly or just charge right through them with the Serpent.
  • And for the Yakuza style, our ears are blessed with "Bring It On". Hard-hitting, vicious, and violent, this track slaps as hard as Kiryu's iconic Bitch Slap from Yakuza 2 and Kenzan. That it borrows some motifs from "Receive You The Subtype" (and just "Receive You" as a whole, to a lesser extent) is an added bonus.
• Nishitani III's theme, "Psycho's Anthem", is a very fast-paced, chaotic, and frenetic electronic track that encapsulates what he's all about. The motifs calling back to Joon-gi Han's theme from 6, "Theory of Beauty", make it all the more meaningful when you take into account his true origins. Sure enough, a mix of the two has been made.
• "appassionato" from 7 gets an incredible Musical Nod in the form of ZENTA's remix - "Un altro appassionato". Every bit as catchy as its original counterpart, this track will keep you head-banging as you bash some Omi skulls in during their final feast in the game's closing hours.
• "Cold Fire", the theme that plays for Substory encounters, has no business going as hard as it does with its seamless blend of strings and acoustic guitar, but like "Random Fire" (itself just a normal encounter theme) it's incredible for those tougher encounters. Also helps that it plays in both encounters against Kaito.
• "Hellish Octagon" plays during standard tournament matches, and it mixes guitars with violins to make an incredibly intense, emotional battle theme.
• For the final battle of the game, we have "Deadly Struggle". A cornered, desperate and furious Shishido, fighting for his way of life of the Yakuza, vs Kiryu, fighting to finally free himself at long last by destroying it altogether. The immensely heavy and angry-sounding guitar here perfectly expresses the feeling of the two men as they duke it out with everything they have. A much angrier song compared to Aizawa's "Battle for the Dream", which was chasing a glorious goal, whereas here it's fighting to save or destroy the cinders that remain of the Yakuza. During the final phase of the battle as Shishido and Kiryu's duel takes them up to the overhang of the building, the immensely somber "HAKANAKI YUME/Fleeting Dream" plays as their fight, and the Yakuza itself begins to draw to a close.
• The credits theme "I'm Fading Away" is a similarly melancholy rock ballad that shares a Leitmotif with "Fleeting Dream", its lyrics being symbolic of the life Kiryu's had to leave behind and the regrets of giving up his life and name to ensure his family's future rather than sharing the present with them.
  In my head, therе's only regrets
  Should've been alive together instead

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

• Much like the playable characters of Yakuza 4 and 5, Ichiban and Kiryu each get different battle themes as Party Leaders in Yokohama and Kamurocho. For the Kamurocho themes in particular, see "Ascension Point" in Like A Dragon for Ichiban, and "Funk Goes On" from the first Yakuza game (and that's the original version, not the Kiwami remix, by the way) for Kiryu.
  • Ichiban gets the very upbeat and catchy "Knavish", a track that in itself could be some Foreshadowing to his later adventures in Hawaii, as this kind of track wouldn't be too out of place if a fight broke out in a beach.
  • Kiryu has the brutal and hard-hitting "Stigma", a track that is very evocative of "Crash Addiction" and "Get Them", both from Yakuza 0, but faster-paced.
• Regardless of who's party leader in Hawaii, "Waikiki Down Beat" scores the normal encounters in Honolulu. A genre mashup of dubstep and surf music, this is the perfect track to listen to as you're having the ultimate luau of an adventure in Honolulu. Even better, then, that the track includes a musical Shout-Out to Hawaii Five-0 at the halfway point.
• "Daymare", scoring the games' Story/Scenario Battles, is an industrial rock/techno track that puts you in a serious mood to bust some assholes' heads.
• For regular Boss encounters, expect to be greeted with "Sanctions", an upbeat techno track that wouldn't be out of place in an old-school beat-'em-up like Final Fight or SEGA's own Streets of Rage.
• The Yamai Syndicate's encounters bless our ears with "Slugfest", an industrial track that incorporates traditional Japanese instrumentation to reflect their patriach's origin. A track that definitely wouldn't be out of place in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, to say the least.
• Ichiban, Kiryu, Tomi, and Chitose infiltrating District 5 and fighting a bunch of gangster runway models wouldn't be complete without "Defiant Charm", a banging EDM track that combines the elegance of the Barracudas' counterfeit fashion show and an undertone of menace from the fact that their raid is now actively being brutally challenged by the Barracudas. One gets the feeling that the DJ and MC of the whole show was even playing the track during the fight to keep the ambiance going.
• The Barracudas' self-titled motif (not to be confused with the song of the same name by Heart) is a viciously oppressive electronic track with wubs a plenty. If the poor pickpocket's Cruel and Unusual Death wasn't a reminder not to cross these guys, then this song will surely do the trick.
• "Palekanian Dance" is an etheral track that quickly smacks you out of nowhere with the hard-hitting electronic beats, much like all of the Palekana Zealots that constantly hound you throughout Honolulu during the latter half of the game.
• In case it couldn't be more obvious as to who Dwight's Ink-Suit Actor is, his main motif, "Twin Machetes", will set the record straight on just who you're dealing with. Really, the track explains itself just by the title alone.
• Wong Tou's leitmotif, "Giftiger Fullhalter"^note  "Poisonous Fountain Pen" in German , is a fast-paced EDM track with a pronounced erhu (aka, a Chinese violin) playing throughout. A strong show of power for the Gangzhe commander himself, and is essentially this game's answer to "War Maker" from Like A Dragon (same composer, too).
• Yamai's motif, "Kooky", takes everything that was already great about "Asphodelos" from Like A Dragon and gives it an Ishin!-inspired twist with some added shamisen samples for good measure.
• Oh, you thought you saw the last of Sawashiro in the last game? Nope. 'Cause he's back with an even better remix of his motif from LAD in "Brutality -Rebuild-", rearranged by 83key himself.
• It's the final bout between the mythic Dragon of Dojima against the three pillars of the Tojo Clan - Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima - and we're given the epic and conclusive "Impregnable Triangle" as Kiryu, with the help of some newfound allies, fights to bring them to their senses one last time to truly close the book on the yakuza once and for all.
• Kiryu's final visit to the Millennium Tower itself kicks off with an awesome rendition of the series' Signature Song, "Receive You", as "Receive and Believe You". If the Dragon of Dojima really is going out, then he's not gonna go kind at all, and it shows with this remix.
• Just when it seems like Kiryu is on his last legs, in come Daigo, Majima, and Saejima for one last bout alongside their ex-Tojo comrade, set to the definitive and somber "The Four". Invoking some bits of "36-strings Nocturne" from Yakuza 5, the curtain falls on Kazuma Kiryu as he sets to put a stop to Ebina's plans and help put the final nail in the yakuza's coffin once and for all.
• Ichiban's final battle against Bryce is "Impersonation". A slow, grand theme that fits the Messianic figure that Ichiban faces, along with all of the faith that goes with it in the form of the Elite Palekana followers. The choir hits right as Ichiban's dynamic intro punch is blocked, as if divine intervention was stopping him, only to pull back and reveal it was the followers holding him. The theme plays off the style of fighting against a divine figure with endless goons ready to die for him,^note Some literally do it, too. but the tone of the song makes it clear this is someone evil, and fitting given Bryce is arguably one of the most evil villains in the series.
• For Kiryu's final battle. we have "The End of Denial". A highly emotional track as Kiryu faces the embodiment of all of the pain the Yakuza world has commited on innocent people, Masataka Ebina, a man whose life was thrown into pain from birth because of the politics surrounding his and Ichiban's conception by Arakawa. The song reflects Kiryu, with his body battered and pushed to its absolute limit from his condition to the point he is relying on his friends, fighting desperately against someone he understands the pain of and feels guilt for not trying to amend the world that hurt him through no fault of his own, all to just apologize and beg for forgiveness for him and all the Yakuza he failed. With its sad and powerful tone, it reflects the pain of the two. Toward the end, the song picks up as Kiryu pulls all of his remaining strength to put Ebina down, running alongside the long QTE.
• The Tyrant of the Tides and Blessed Leviathan may be surprise bosses with very little foreshadowing, but they bring a fantastic boss theme along with them: "Tyrant of the Ocean", which forgoes the series' classic rock and electronic beats for a pounding, frantic orchestral score that emphasizes just how dangerous and terrifying these enormous beasts are to Ichiban and company
• While it only plays during the fight against Sojimaru Flying Beta Max^note though it also plays during the Poundmate summon, "Sad Mechanism" is a surprisingly emotional piece that remixes Sojimaru's theme tune and adds an orchestral accompaniment.

---