Alright Era, it's finally time to get into the Yakuza series. Where do I start?

Lant_War · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza is a series that I've always wanted to play but very ashamedly so never did because there was always something I prioritized over it. Anyways, this is my situation:

- My only console (or at least console that has Yakuza games available) is the PS4
- I already have Kiwami from PS+ but never got around playing it
- I have 0 PS3s, therefore no Yakuza 3-5 for me.

Now, online wherever you look people always say that starting with 0 is the best but the thing is I already have Kiwami and I'd rather not buy another game if it's avoidable. Also, right now there's a 3 game gap between Kiwami 2 and 6, can I jump right into 6 after finishing Kiwami 2 or will I miss something important?

Deleted member 10629 · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0 is the best entry point. You can start with Kiwami but I'd still suggest you start with 0, and then view Kiwami as DLC.

And I wouldnt jump from 2 to 6, but you can play Judgment and FOTNS in the meantime :p

selo · Jul 4, 2019

Zero of course. Sadly, seems to be the better one so it'll kind of be downhill in a way from there. (only played zero and kiwami though on pc :p )

TheInfinityGauntlet · Jul 4, 2019

0, buy it

Deleted member 54320 · Jul 4, 2019

Start with Zero.

That's what I did and then I moved onto Kiwami. Still trying to finish it.

Deleted member 2791 · Jul 4, 2019

You really should start with Yakuza 0 though.

JehutyRunner · Jul 4, 2019

Technically, you can get 4 and 5 via PlayStation Now if you're willing to play them through the cloud?

DeckardWintermute · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0, definitely start there.

ASaiyan · Jul 4, 2019

You can start with Kiwami if you want, but 0 is great and fairly cheap these days.

Don't jump from Kiwami 2 to 6. 3, 4 & 5 have all been remastered on PS4 and should probably come West soon.

RochHoch · Jul 4, 2019

Unpopular Opinion: DONT start with Zero.

It's the best Yakuza game by far, and it makes all of the other games seem really disappointing in comparison.

Daggoth · Jul 4, 2019

I can't believe no one has said Zero yet :(

There's a few references and characters to some of the later games in there, but aside from 4 (and maybe the original PS2, not played that), it's definitely the best place to start.

WarpSpeedMolasses · Jul 4, 2019

selo said:
Zero of course. Sadly, seems to be the better one so it'll kind of be downhill in a way from there. (only played zero and kiwami though on pc :p )

Everyone says this. I'm on chapter 16 of Zero and will start Kiwami soon. What is it about post Zero titles that apparently makes them not as good?

Eumi · Jul 4, 2019

0.

It's weird how often this question is asked. 0 is designed as a jumping on point in every where, up to and including the title.

Bernkastel · Jul 4, 2019

0>Kiwami>Kiwami 2>3>4>5>6

Lant_War · Jul 4, 2019

JehutyRunner said:
Technically, you can get 4 and 5 via PlayStation Now if you're willing to play them through the cloud?

PS Now is not available in my country

NarohDethan said:
Yakuza 0 is the best entry point. You can start with Kiwami but I'd still suggest you start with 0, and then view Kiwami as DLC.

And I wouldnt jump from 2 to 6, but you can play Judgment and FOTNS in the meantime :p

I actually wanted to buy Judgment but realized it's a $60 title :S. It seems much more interesting than Yakuza to me so I'll grab it on a sale soon though.

Rhiwion · Jul 4, 2019

ERA really doesn't like this approach, because it takes an ounce of effort on your part, but start with the first one on PS2 (or emulate it on your PC) if you have the means and work your way up in release order. Play 0 after 5, maybe throw in a run of Kiwami 1 and 2 as a new take on the original two for good measure.If you're not in a rush to play through the series, you can also hold out until the PS4 versions of Y3/4/5 get localized, removing the PS3 requirement.

Also, please don't jump from K2 to 6, lol. Unless you absolutely don't give a fuck about a coherent story, you're gonna regret it.

Star-Lord · Jul 4, 2019

WarpSpeedMolasses said:
Everyone says this. I'm on chapter 16 of Zero and will start Kiwami soon. What is it about post Zero titles that apparently makes them not as good?

I think its becasue the gameplay is similar to what they were like in ps2 days. Where zero is a brand new game built from the ground up kiwami is a remastering / remake of the previous entrees, keeping it to the roots of the gameplay.

Deleted member 10629 · Jul 4, 2019

Lant_War said:
PS Now is not available in my country

I actually wanted to buy Judgment but realized it's a $60 title :S. It seems much more interesting than Yakuza to me so I'll grab it on a sale soon though.

I'm personally waitng for the inevitable PC release of Judgment, but Y0 has been very cheap in the past.

WarpSpeedMolasses said:
Everyone says this. I'm on chapter 16 of Zero and will start Kiwami soon. What is it about post Zero titles that apparently makes them not as good?

Zero is the culmination of a lot of experimenting with the Yakuza series. For example, side quests on Zero have much more variety than Kiwami ones, there are more minigames, etc.

Acquiescence · Jul 4, 2019

Here's what the hardcore Yakuza fanbase consider canon in terms of the order you should play the installments in...

Yakuza 4 > Yakuza 2 Kiwami > Yakuza 6 > Yakuza 1 OG > Yakuza 5 > Yakuza 2 OG . Yakuza Kiwami 1 > Yakuza 0 > Yakuza 3

Ænima · Jul 4, 2019

You can eather start by Judgment or Yakuza 0.

I would recomend getting Judgment 1st as its a single game, then jumping to the Yakuza series to play them by numeric order.

Deleted member 1003 · Jul 4, 2019

WarpSpeedMolasses said:
Everyone says this. I'm on chapter 16 of Zero and will start Kiwami soon. What is it about post Zero titles that apparently makes them not as good?

Kazamu blocks Goro on Twitter.

Deleted member 15428 · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza Kiwami

Trace · Jul 4, 2019

Play Yakuza 0.

Lant_War · Jul 4, 2019

Acquiescence said:
Here's what the hardcore Yakuza fanbase consider canon in terms of the order you should play the installments in...

Yakuza 4 > Yakuza 2 Kiwami > Yakuza 6 > Yakuza 1 OG > Yakuza 5 > Yakuza 2 OG . Yakuza Kiwami 1 > Yakuza 0 > Yakuza 3

Is that order for real or just random? Seems very weird lol

amprsand11 · Jul 4, 2019

Echoing everybody else here. Start with 0. I did and I have zero regrets

Deleted member 3183 · Jul 4, 2019

As all have said, 0. Also make sure to pace yourself as you work through the series. It's real easy to burn yourself out on Yakuza games.

Deleted member 29464 · Jul 4, 2019

Acquiescence said:
Here's what the hardcore Yakuza fanbase consider canon in terms of the order you should play the installments in...

Yakuza 4 > Yakuza 2 Kiwami > Yakuza 6 > Yakuza 1 OG > Yakuza 5 > Yakuza 2 OG . Yakuza Kiwami 1 > Yakuza 0 > Yakuza 3

Is this just trolling? That seems all over the place.

Start with Yakuza 0, the Kiwami remake of 1 seems almost designed as a sequel to it and almost feels like an expansion to 0. Kiwami 1 is also one of the weaker entries because being faithful to 1 means that story and sidequests aren't anywhere near as good as the later entries, most likely because the developer's skills improved over time, and it's probably in 0 where their talent peaked.

Also if you are prone to burnout, you can play 0, the best in the series, maybe play Kiwami if you want more and want some significant back story to the main character Kiryu who is being replaced. Then just wait for Shin Yakuza, as that game will probably be a significant jump as the first Yakuza game with a new main protagonist.

Honestly, I thibk my recommendation at this stage is play 0 and wait for Shin Yakuza, but if you really loved 0 and want more then move on the sequels keeping in mind you may burn out, especially if you make it all the way to a game like 5 that's huge but will have similar gameplay to 4 titles you played previously.

Rosebud · Jul 4, 2019

They are releasing 3, 4 and 5 remastered on Japan, it will probably come to west soon

Start with 0 and follow the order

aisback · Jul 4, 2019

Start with 0 then go to K1.

Jachaos · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0 is the place to start, and then it should be Kiwami 1, but it really isn't as amazing as Yakuza 0. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is plenty of fun though, and then you could play 4 and 5 via PS Now or go straight to 6.

Necron · Jul 4, 2019

You start at 0 and follow the order.

I'm finishing Yakuza 2 (Kiwami/Remake) right now.

Richter1887 · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0.

It is the magnum opus of the studio.

CannonFodder52 · Jul 4, 2019

Start with Yakuza 0, after that Kiwami, then Kiwami 2. By that point the remasters should likely be on route for the west.

WarpSpeedMolasses said:
Everyone says this. I'm on chapter 16 of Zero and will start Kiwami soon. What is it about post Zero titles that apparently makes them not as good?

The Yakuza games recycle animations and content starting from the PS2 and early PS3 titles all the way up until Yakuza 0. Because of this there's an insurmountable amount of content, minigames to play, activities to partake in, heat moves, weapons, animations and more in Yakuza 0. It's also held together a bit tighter than in Yakuza 5.
After Y0 and Kiwami (what's best viewed as an expansion), they finally started up on a new next gen engine. The new engine uses physics instead of canned animations for fighting. Pretty much everything, including the environments had to be rebuilt. They're slowly catching up now, but it'll be a while before we see a game that's like the culmination of content that Yakuza 0 (and Y5) were.

I think the devs also managed to hit it out of the park with the story in Yakuza 0. Plus the time period and over indulgent themes of Yakuza 0 were also really awesome to experience.

Anyways, the other games are only debatably worse. Many people prefer other Yakuza games over Y0.
I'd personally place Yakuza 6, Yakuza 2, Yakuza 3 and Ishin in the same quality tier as Yakuza 0.

Arklite · Jul 4, 2019

The answer is always Yakuza 0.

Betty · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0, it's also one of the best games ever.

chandoog · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0, then Kiwami and then Kiwami 2.

By then hopefully the remasters for 3, 4, 5 will get release dates.

Don't jump from Kiwami 2 to 6, it will make a lot of the narrative beats look very jarring.

Hell, I'll recommend play Judgment in there too as that is basically a Yakuza game with a fresh cast and narrative.

Xero grimlock · Jul 4, 2019

Rhiwion said:
ERA really doesn't like this approach, because it takes an ounce of effort on your part, but start with the first one on PS2 (or emulate it on your PC) if you have the means and work your way up in release order. Play 0 after 5, maybe throw in a run of Kiwami 1 and 2 as a new take on the original two for good measure.If you're not in a rush to play through the series, you can also hold out until the PS4 versions of Y3/4/5 get localized, removing the PS3 requirement.

Also, please don't jump from K2 to 6, lol. Unless you absolutely don't give a fuck about a coherent story, you're gonna regret it.

thats because its a bad recommendation for 90% of people out there. The point in introducing someone new to a series is to try and hook them from the get go, and zero is much better for that. Your recommendation is inclined to push most people away, aside from those few that always want to start from the original version of something and have the patience for it. others its better to get them hooked on a series first, before recommending the harder to get into versions of games. Just because thats the way you may have experienced the series doesnt mean its best for newcomers.

TheBaldwin · Jul 4, 2019

0. For the love of god, 0

Foffy · Jul 4, 2019

Chronologically seems to be the best bet, so you start at 0 and hope Sega do something with the 3/4/5 remasters internationally. I'd say for such a story-centric, playing each game as as episodes in a larger narrative is the way to get the most out of the connections and story details.

Ojli · Jul 4, 2019

I've heard 0. And it's half off at Steam (got it myself and intend to start playing it in two weeks)

ze_ · Jul 4, 2019

I played 0 last summer and about two months ago played Kiwami 1, then 2. I had a good time and when some of those remasters release, I'll play 'em in order. I'm glad Kiwami 2 was on a different engine, though, because I did feel like I needed a shake-up to stay interested/entertained.

I enjoyed 0 the most, partly because it was my first experience, so the series' particulaf charm was most effective there, but also because it had the most amount of unique story/side content. Kiwami 1 is shallower in virtually every category, and then Kiwami 2 brings things back up.

DeckardWintermute · Jul 4, 2019

Technically I started playing that series with 4 which has a recap, and that's what really drew me in to the series...but I think Yakuza 0 is the better start and the better game.

RumbleHumble · Jul 4, 2019

If you only play one Yakuza, it should probably be 0 (although I like 6 better).

For a machete order: I'd go 0, then Kiwami 1, then 6 (and just watch the plot recaps in 6 to catch onto what happened in between). If 6 and Kiwami 1 weren't so thematically connected, I'd recommend skipping Kiwami 1 entirely, but 6 only works with Kiwami 1.

If you're still interested after that, go back to Kiwami 2, followed by 3,4, and 5.

ThatsMyTrunks · Jul 4, 2019

Start with zero. I've played every single one, and love them all. Start with zero, It's a perfect entry point and you've got Kiwami 1 and 2 to enjoy afterwards. By the time you're done with those, 3, 4, and 5 should be more readily available.

nikos · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0 is an incredible game, and the best entry point.

You could also play Judgment for a similar experience, but it's technically not a Yakuza game.

score01 · Jul 4, 2019

if you have Kiwami via PS Plus - why not start there? It's low risk and if you end up liking the game you can then buy others in the series?

Kard8p3 · Jul 4, 2019

Technically not "yakuza" but id say judgment.

MAX PAYMENT · Jul 4, 2019

RochHoch said:
Unpopular Opinion: DONT start with Zero.

It's the best Yakuza game by far, and it makes all of the other games seem really disappointing in comparison.

Really? 0 was like maybe a 7 or 8/10 to me.

abrasivemurk · Jul 4, 2019

Yakuza 0.

Rhiwion · Jul 4, 2019

Xero grimlock said:
thats because its a bad recommendation for 90% of people out there. The point in introducing someone new to a series is to try and hook them from the get go, and zero is much better for that. Your recommendation is inclined to push most people away, aside from those few that always want to start from the original version of something and have the patience for it. others its better to get them hooked on a series first, before recommending the harder to get into versions of games. Just because thats the way you may have experienced the series doesnt mean its best for newcomers.

Do you want me to quote the part where I stress that this recommendation only applies to OP "if they have the means" to go through with it?
I'm sorry, I really don't see why this site has such a hateboner for the idea of going through a series the way it was conceived, just because it requires you to use a system tat isn't the PS4.. It's just a suggestion on my part, as there's plenty reasons to prefer the originals over the Kiwami remakes outside of convenience, one that is met with unreasonable resistance time and time again on this forum specifically. Curse me for assuming that the average Joe still owns a PS2, I guess. Y'know, the best selling console on the planet.

Alright Era, it's finally time to get into the Yakuza series. Where do I start?

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