Japanese video game series have shaped almost every major genre we play today. From role-playing games and survival horror to action titles and experimental open worlds, Japanese studios have spent decades creating ideas that were later adopted by developers around the world.
But “Japanese games” is an incredibly broad label. A crime drama set in Tokyo has very little in common with a survival horror game or a fantasy RPG, even when all three come from Japanese developers. Rather than simply listing the biggest franchises ever made, these four series represent very different sides of Japanese game design — and each is an excellent place to start.
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1. Like a Dragon
Few video game series are as closely connected to contemporary Japan as Like a Dragon, formerly known in the West as Yakuza. Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the franchise mixes crime drama, RPG mechanics, absurd comedy and remarkably detailed recreations of Japanese entertainment districts.
Its most famous location, Kamurocho, is fictional, but its inspiration is unmistakable: Tokyo’s Kabukicho district in Shinjuku. Neon signs, narrow alleys, convenience stores, arcades, karaoke bars and tiny restaurants make these relatively compact environments feel unusually dense. Instead of simply moving from one mission marker to another, you are constantly encouraged to stop and interact with the city.
That is one of the things Like a Dragon does better than almost any conventional open-world game. Its maps are rarely enormous, but after spending enough time in them you begin to recognize individual streets, shops and shortcuts. Returning to Kamurocho across multiple games can genuinely feel like revisiting a neighborhood you already know.
The tonal contrast is equally distinctive. One moment you may be caught in a serious story about organized crime, loyalty and betrayal; ten minutes later you could be singing karaoke, playing old Sega arcade games or helping a stranger through an absurd side story. Somehow, those extremes coexist without destroying the identity of the series.
For newcomers, Yakuza 0 remains one of the easiest places to begin. Set during Japan’s bubble economy in the late 1980s, it introduces Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima without requiring much previous knowledge. Players who prefer turn-based RPG combat can instead begin with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which introduces a new protagonist and a largely new cast.
If your main reason for playing Japanese games is an interest in Japan itself, this is probably the series I would recommend first.
2. Persona
Persona combines traditional Japanese RPG systems with something far more ordinary: everyday life. You attend school, take trains, study for exams, visit restaurants, work part-time jobs and build relationships with other characters, while also exploring supernatural worlds filled with creatures drawn from mythology and religion.
That contrast between ordinary life and the supernatural is central to the series. In Persona 5, for example, stylized recreations of Tokyo coexist with surreal alternate spaces and elaborate dungeon environments. Shibuya, Shinjuku and other recognizable areas are not merely backgrounds; commuting, school schedules and the rhythm of city life become part of the game’s structure.
Time itself is treated almost like a resource. Spending an afternoon studying means you cannot spend that same time strengthening a friendship or exploring a dungeon, so even mundane decisions become part of character progression. It gives Persona a pace that feels very different from a traditional RPG built around continuous exploration.
The series is also a fascinating entry point into mythology. Personas include figures taken from Japanese folklore alongside characters from Greek, Norse, Hindu and many other traditions. Oni, Nekomata, Yatagarasu and Izanagi are not simply creatures invented for the games; they originate in much older stories and religious traditions.
For most newcomers, Persona 5 Royal is probably the most accessible starting point. Persona 3 Reload offers a darker atmosphere while preserving the mixture of social simulation, dungeon exploration and turn-based combat that defines modern Persona.
If Like a Dragon lets you explore the streets of Japan, Persona is more interested in what everyday Japanese life feels like before turning that reality into something supernatural.
3. Resident Evil
Resident Evil might seem like an unusual choice for an article about Japanese games. Its mansions, zombie outbreaks and European villages draw heavily from Western horror, yet the series is one of the best examples of Japanese developers taking outside influences and transforming them into something that would eventually influence Western games in return.
Created by Capcom, Resident Evil helped define survival horror during the 1990s. Limited ammunition, restricted inventory space, puzzles and carefully designed environments made the player constantly decide whether fighting an enemy was worth the resources it would cost.
That tension remains more important to the identity of Resident Evil than zombies themselves. The best entries are built around control: how much ammunition you have, how much space remains in your inventory, which route through an environment is safest and whether an enemy should be confronted or avoided.
The franchise has also repeatedly reinvented itself. Resident Evil 4 radically changed its approach to combat and became hugely influential on third-person action games, while later entries moved back toward stronger horror before combining those ideas again with more action-oriented design.
This constant willingness to change is one reason Resident Evil has survived for so long. It rarely remains comfortable with one formula for too many entries, yet certain design principles — resource management, tension and carefully structured environments — keep the series recognizable.
The modern remake of Resident Evil 2 is an excellent introduction if you want survival horror, while Resident Evil 4 is the natural choice for players more interested in action. Either demonstrates how a Japanese studio took cinematic horror influences and translated them into systems that work specifically because they are interactive.
4. Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is built around one of the simplest loops in gaming: hunt a monster, collect materials, craft better equipment and use that equipment to hunt something even more dangerous. Capcom has spent more than twenty years refining that idea without ever losing sight of what makes it satisfying.
The important part is that progression does not come only from better statistics. Monsters have recognizable behaviors, weaknesses and attack patterns, while each weapon requires a different rhythm and level of understanding. A Great Sword, Bow or Hunting Horn can make the same encounter feel like an entirely different fight.
That means the player improves alongside the character. Better armor helps, but so does knowing when a monster is vulnerable, when an attack is coming and when greed will get you knocked across the map. Few series make mechanical mastery feel as central to progression.
Monster Hunter also has a strong social history in Japan. Portable entries became enormously popular partly because groups of players could gather locally and hunt together, turning a relatively demanding action game into a communal experience. Modern entries are far more global and heavily online, but cooperation remains embedded in the identity of the series.
For newcomers, the modern games are considerably more approachable than the earliest entries. The basic appeal, however, has hardly changed: preparation, observation and repetition gradually transform intimidating monsters into familiar opponents.
If you enjoy games where learning the systems is more rewarding than simply increasing a level number, Monster Hunter is one of the clearest examples of that philosophy.
What Does “Japanese Game” Actually Mean?
A Japanese game does not necessarily have to be set in Japan. Resident Evil is unmistakably a product of Japanese game development despite borrowing heavily from Western horror, while a game can be set entirely in Japan without being made by a Japanese studio.
What connects the series above is their development lineage. Studios such as Capcom, Sega, Atlus, Nintendo, Square Enix and FromSoftware have spent decades developing distinctive approaches to combat, progression, level design and storytelling, and many of those ideas have since travelled far beyond Japan.
The line between “Japanese” and “Western” game design is also far less rigid than it once seemed. Developers on both sides constantly borrow from one another, which makes the cultural exchange behind games almost as interesting as the games themselves.
Which Series Should You Play First?
If you are primarily interested in Japan and its cities, start with Like a Dragon. Persona is the better choice if you want Japanese daily life mixed with JRPG systems and mythology, while Resident Evil is essential for anyone interested in horror and the history of game design. Monster Hunter is the strongest pick for players who enjoy deep combat systems and long-term mechanical mastery.
There are obviously many other Japanese franchises that could belong here — Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Zelda, Pokémon, Metal Gear and the games of FromSoftware among them. But that is precisely the point: there is no single style that defines Japanese video games.
Their variety is one of the reasons Japan has remained such an important creative force in the medium for decades.
