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This might be my move, too. Finish 0, do Kiwami 2 and then skip to 6 unless remasters are out
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LTTP: Yakuza series (no spoilers, screenshots ahead)
- Thread starter NattyBo
- Start date
This might be my move, too. Finish 0, do Kiwami 2 and then skip to 6 unless remasters are out
I played Kiwami from PS+ and it was my first contact with the series as well. I absolutely loved it. Gonna move on to 0 once I've had enough Hitman 2.
I started playing Kiwami yesterday and was thinking of doing a LTTP thread but fuck it lol. I did my research on Era and everyone was saying to start with Zero first because starting with Kiwami would leave a bad impression. I got Kiwami free with PS+ though so it didn't make sense to me to start with Zero. Despite the warnings, I'm enjoying Kiwami so far. I dig the atmosphere and sound design most of all, and I'm finally getting a hang of the combat which I admit I hated at first. I'm on chapter 4 now and my only real complaint is the shitty Shimano fight in chapter 3.
Just a tip, when the bosses are recharging switch the style to the same colour as their smoke and you will be able to do a special heat move instead of them regenerating their health.
I couldn't wait, so I played 3, 4, and 5 on PS3, but the framerate in 5 in particular was poopswaine. When you're randomly fighting in town as one of the characters, the framerate takes a dive and it just feels terrible to play, sadly. I still don't regret playing them on PS3, especially since we don't even have a release date for 3 in the West yet, but the PS4 versions will be a massive improvement, no doubt.
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FWIW I'm finding playing 0 after Kiwami to be very rewarding there's a ton of direct stuff between the two games. Glad you're hooked too!
Honestly, 0 hasn't clicked with me in my time with it yet. I'm playing through 6 right now instead and I love it. Moving in and out of buildings without loading, the cell phone feature, and I prefer the skill tree upgrades in 6 as well. I will go back to 0 for sure eventually. I'm also going to buy Kiwami 2 while it's still on sale on PSN.
People getting introduced to the franchise with the PS4 versions of 0 and Kiwami 1 is setting some technological expectations that are... not in line with what the franchise usually does.
Yakuza games are weird because they don't have massive budgets but still manage to push their native hardware to their limits. Yakuza 1 and 2 on the PS2 achieved an unusually realistic look for Tokyo and Osaka with massive crowd density for the time, but ran at (probably) 30 and had tons of load screens. 3 and 4 on PS3 were a massive leap forward and could finally bring the camera down to eye level but maintained about the same performance, with less loading. Yakuza 5 was an advancement over even that on the same hardware but probably pushed the PS3 a bit too far. I can't imagine what 0 and Kiwami 1 ran like on PS3.
What I'm trying to say is, the modest-graphics-with-ultra-smooth-performance people seem to prefer now is the exception for Yakuza games, not the rule. Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2 are really typical of the franchise when it comes to performance and image quality relative to other games of their respective platforms.
Yakuza games are weird because they don't have massive budgets but still manage to push their native hardware to their limits. Yakuza 1 and 2 on the PS2 achieved an unusually realistic look for Tokyo and Osaka with massive crowd density for the time, but ran at (probably) 30 and had tons of load screens. 3 and 4 on PS3 were a massive leap forward and could finally bring the camera down to eye level but maintained about the same performance, with less loading. Yakuza 5 was an advancement over even that on the same hardware but probably pushed the PS3 a bit too far. I can't imagine what 0 and Kiwami 1 ran like on PS3.
What I'm trying to say is, the modest-graphics-with-ultra-smooth-performance people seem to prefer now is the exception for Yakuza games, not the rule. Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2 are really typical of the franchise when it comes to performance and image quality relative to other games of their respective platforms.
Yeah I actually looked this up beforehand and I'm glad I did. The fight was already really long, I can't imagine if I didn't have the right heat move.
What's more is that Zero is apparently way better? And Kiwami 2 also a lot better? By starting with Kiwami I feel like it'll only go up from there so I'm looking forward to it.
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Can't comment fully but yup def enjoying 0 even more. Not that Kiwami is bad at all. Just having more fun with 0.
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Here's some more screenshots from my Yakuza 0 playthrough so far, very mild sub story joke punchlines ahead, be warned
Getting in some time with an old friend
Pretty.
Boom goes the dynamite...
Kiryu: he has the jokes
UHHHHH
Moving along...
Getting in some time with an old friend
Pretty.
Boom goes the dynamite...
Kiryu: he has the jokes
UHHHHH
Moving along...
Edit: never mind, I just learnt that those titles exist on ps3 in Japan which is news to me. Yeah I wonder how they perform there too. Sorry.
Btw. Usually it's recommended to start with zero then kiwami because it's the chronological order plus the remake has new story bits that derive from the prequel plot.
As far as I know, they use the ps3 engine ported over to ps4 so that's why they have good framerate and image quality but yes, normally the games are 30 fps in their original platforms. It's just as remastered engine it worked and looked good enough.
One question related to this I have is, are the ps3 remasters comparable in quality to zero/kiwami in terms of texture quality and cutscenes or are they just ports with enhanced resolution and framerate and nothing retouched?
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0 and Kiwami 1 originally came out simultaneously on PS3 and PS4 in Japan, two years before the English versions. They're literally cross-gen games.
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Yeah sorry, I edited my post. That is a fact I ignored until today.
Probably too late, but for both Jackson sub stories, always choose black. The white boxes contain easily obtainable stuff iirc while the black boxes contain much harder stuff to get.
Yeah, it's fan service
Same with the fortune teller side quest, which will mean almost nothing too you when you do it. I only kinda know about the other games, so I only kinda got the references.
I'm playing through Kiwami now and its glorious. The Majima Everywhere mode is hilarious (KIRYUCHAN!) and Kiryu is the most awesome dude ever.
"Okay I'm a bad ass former Yakuza, need to some serious shit"
*Goes on to help people, be nice to hostesses, play Karaoke and be super awesome against Haruka.
"Okay I'm a bad ass former Yakuza, need to some serious shit"
*Goes on to help people, be nice to hostesses, play Karaoke and be super awesome against Haruka.
I keep falling in and dropping off these games. Need to commit.
The sheer amount of 'random' battles gets tiring and I would often find the overly American localisation jarring.
I'll jump back into my 0 playthrough soon, thanks for the reminder :)
The sheer amount of 'random' battles gets tiring and I would often find the overly American localisation jarring.
I'll jump back into my 0 playthrough soon, thanks for the reminder :)
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Happy new year all, glad to see more posts here...gonna make some serious progress in 0 today, with the day off, I hope!
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FYI if you do the miracle Jackson sub stories and choose black box you get shoes that let you avoid random encounters
Started with Zero, completed 100 percent, Now I'm almost done with Kiwami, also almost completed 100 percent (just missing some weapons and gear). Already itching to start another one. Kiwami 2 or Fist of the North Star...
Kiwami 2 if you want the prettier game/better story/antagonist. FOTNS if you want a game where you make peoples heads explode/much better combat system
Nice! Those seem a must for moments when I just want to move the story forward, thanks for the info :)
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No worries. Make sure to choose black box both times, the other item lets you see enemies on the map, specifically the shakedown guys
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So I played a lot of 0 today in between taking down Xmas decorations and cleaning up.
Holy shit this game makes me laugh SO MUCH.
Also, the real estate royale mini game is addictive and lucrative..
Holy shit this game makes me laugh SO MUCH.
Also, the real estate royale mini game is addictive and lucrative..
Did you unlock Majima's bussiness? If not then brace yourself. You will be addicted.
If you thought the real estate mini game was addictive, just wait till you get the next one with Majima........it's even MORE addictive!
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Hah haven't gotten to it yet fellas! Been maxing out everything possible in Kiryuland.
FWIW with anyone playing along with me, the master ball heat action does hella damage to the various Mr. Shakedown
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FYI: Yakuza 0 is $16 on PS Plus right now. If anyone wants to pick it up and join me in this playrhrough, now seems like a great time!
Not sure if you've discovered this yet - but keep in mind that performing the same heat move over and over during one fight will deal less and less damage over time. Especially for Shakedown the most effective method is to keep a few weapons on you and switch up your heat moves during the fights to maximise damage.
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Yeah i have a full variety on me and a bunch of stamina and health stuff. Gotta shakedown mr shakedown so I can sink that money into real estate baby!
Man being at work posting about yakuza is not as much fun as home playing Yakuza :(
Opted voor Kiwami 2. I was speechless when I first entered the city again. Entering buildings smoothly was a surprise. Guess this game will not leave my PS4 for a while.
Yeah, the new engine is pretty darn impressive coming from the older ones. No 60FPS stings a bit, but Kamurocho and cinematics look so damn good now and the lack of loading when entering almost every building is very welcomed. And the game is huge, so you'll definitely be playing it for a while ;)
I played 0, then Kiwami, then Kiwami 2 on PS4, and they were all great, but Kiwami 1 is def the weakest of the three (by far). 0 was spectacular, and Kiwami 2 was close behind it IMO.
I just finished 3 on PS3 tonight and it was pretty terrible by comparison. It's hard to believe it was written by the same dude - it took me about 22 hours to complete, and I'd say 19 of those had awful story and characterization. Everyone says it's the worst in the series tho, so I'm soldiering on to 4 next...but I'm excited to eventually get to 6 and get back to A) the dragon engine (so good!), and B) the modern Atlus localizations (way, way better than the old Sega stuff).
If they bring the PS4 versions of 3, 4, 5 west, I sure hope they brush up the localizations to be in line with the more recent games. 3's was pretty bad by comparison...
I just finished 3 on PS3 tonight and it was pretty terrible by comparison. It's hard to believe it was written by the same dude - it took me about 22 hours to complete, and I'd say 19 of those had awful story and characterization. Everyone says it's the worst in the series tho, so I'm soldiering on to 4 next...but I'm excited to eventually get to 6 and get back to A) the dragon engine (so good!), and B) the modern Atlus localizations (way, way better than the old Sega stuff).
If they bring the PS4 versions of 3, 4, 5 west, I sure hope they brush up the localizations to be in line with the more recent games. 3's was pretty bad by comparison...
3 wasn't written by the same person as 1 or 2. They switched writer. I forget who they got to write 0 though.
As for 3's story, I loved it myself. It has its silly moments, but all the games do. I loved Rikiya, the orphans and the Tojo guys but there were definitely a few mad moments. And also the most boring conversation in the series at the end of chapter 9.
As for 3's story, I loved it myself. It has its silly moments, but all the games do. I loved Rikiya, the orphans and the Tojo guys but there were definitely a few mad moments. And also the most boring conversation in the series at the end of chapter 9.
I wish getting weapons in 0 wasn't up to luck. I spent literal hours sending out agents trying to get all the weapons. Eventually I just had to give up =P
Oh boy, I got so addicted to the real estate mini-game. I couldn't stop until I finished all the story in that mode. It's worth it.
First time I entered and exited a building without any kind of loading blew my mind.
Beast mode is so fun in this game. At the end of the game, I was just chucking bikes and kicking boxes at groups of enemies and they'd die.
You could increase weapon odds by paying the good agents more money. Means they arrive back from their search faster. However its easiest just to buy weapons straight from the vendor I found. The real painful RNG is trying to get around 3 items which have odds of around 0.1% of dropping (or something insanely low). And like a fool I spent time getting them all. Twice.
And yeah, Beast mode is ace, between the awesome grab/counter attacks the best thing they carry over to 6 and Kiwami 2 is the ability to grab and attack instantly with weapons your standing right beside (like signs or bikes). You decimate enemies seamlessly.
And yeah, Beast mode is ace, between the awesome grab/counter attacks the best thing they carry over to 6 and Kiwami 2 is the ability to grab and attack instantly with weapons your standing right beside (like signs or bikes). You decimate enemies seamlessly.
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I just won a bowling challenge where the prize is a live chicken, named Nugget, who Kiryu made A property manager
These games are bonkers in the best way
These games are bonkers in the best way
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Best three music tracks so far in Y0, granted only to Chapter 6...
Honorable mention to Nishiki and Judgement Kazzy Karaoke song
Honorable mention to Nishiki and Judgement Kazzy Karaoke song
Been playing Yakuza Kiwami and I'm having an absolute blast. Really excited to play the rest, considering popular opinion puts it lower on the list of newer Yakuza games. Legitimately blown away at the amount of great side content and characterization.
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Glad to have you around for the ride!
I wonder how many people got turned onto the series via it being free on PS plus in November.
That was the case for me. Had no idea what Yakuza was, what it played like, or anything like that. Kiwami 1 hit an itch for a beat em up that I didn't know I had.
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Sounds familiar to my OP! Def recommend you move to Yakuza 0 next. It's even better than Kiwami and I liked Kiwami