Literally no one say Kiwami.
Have you even search past thread title for the same question?
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I want to play the Yakuza series. Where do I start?
- Thread starter Jack Bauer
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Have you even search past thread title for the same question?
Just play in release order. If you like Shenmue then you can definitely deal with the PS2 games. Start with Yakuza 1 on PS2, then Yakuza 2 on PS2. Remasters of 3 through 5 are preferable to the PS3 versions, then 0. At that point you can either play Kiwami if you're curious about the remake, or just skip it and play 6.
I started with 0, played through Kiwami and am now near the end of Kiwami 2.
3, 4, 5 and 6 are installed and waiting on my PS4. I'll get to Judgement and maybe 7 before a Yakuza 8 is announced / released.
Catching up on these games is a marathon but I'm really enjoying them. I'm placing them out so I don't burn out.
I enjoyed Kiwami. Not as much as 0, but it definitely didn't put me off the series.
3, 4, 5 and 6 are installed and waiting on my PS4. I'll get to Judgement and maybe 7 before a Yakuza 8 is announced / released.
Catching up on these games is a marathon but I'm really enjoying them. I'm placing them out so I don't burn out.
I enjoyed Kiwami. Not as much as 0, but it definitely didn't put me off the series.
Make sure to watch this great video from IGN its a few min and great starting point
It took a while for a forum post to finally agree with me enough to just say "This!", so...
THIS!
Just... Pace yourself. Being that most of the main games take place entirely within an almost identical town layout (Kamurocho), it helps you get really familiar with the place, but it can lead to burning out easily for some especially with *Eight mainline games* in the series. Savor the games like a fine Yamazaki Whisky. :)
Don't listen to people telling you to start with Kiwami. Start with 0 like most suggest. The people I know who started with Kiwami all dropped the series because of it. 0 will make you love the world and its characters enough to make you appreciate Kiwami and its world and characters despite it being a step down as a whole. Kiwami being a remake that also has a lot of references into events and characters from 0 will make you appreciate it much more than you would if you started with Kiwami.
Going from 0 to Kiwami is like going from a 9 out of 10 game to a 7 out of 10 game. Starting with Kiwami would be like playing a mediocre 5 out of 10 game.
Going from 0 to Kiwami is like going from a 9 out of 10 game to a 7 out of 10 game. Starting with Kiwami would be like playing a mediocre 5 out of 10 game.
I agree with Max tbh. I played 0 after 4 and 5 and I think growing attached to Kiryu and Majima from those two games added a lot to 0.
0 is easily one of the best stories told in a video game so working up to it in any way possible is worth the payoff I believe.
Don't start with Kiwami 1. I would say the top two ideal ways of getting into Yakuza in no particular order are:
There is no absolutely ideal way to enjoy the series if you didn't get into it with the PS2 games - 0 contains references to the other games that won't be understood by a new player but also Kiwami 1 (and Kiwami 2) now contain references to 0 that won't be understood by a new player.
Starting with 0 is a tiny compromise in terms of understanding continuity references and the only absolutely perfect way to enjoy the games in terms of continuity is to start with the PS2 ones, get to 5 then loop back to 0 as in release order, which is just a crazy thing to do at this point.
- Yakuza 1 for the PS2 and release order from there.
- Yakuza 0 for the PS4 and chronological order on PS4 from there.
There is no absolutely ideal way to enjoy the series if you didn't get into it with the PS2 games - 0 contains references to the other games that won't be understood by a new player but also Kiwami 1 (and Kiwami 2) now contain references to 0 that won't be understood by a new player.
Starting with 0 is a tiny compromise in terms of understanding continuity references and the only absolutely perfect way to enjoy the games in terms of continuity is to start with the PS2 ones, get to 5 then loop back to 0 as in release order, which is just a crazy thing to do at this point.
This is the thing that always annoys me... Shenmue is nothing like Yakuza and vice versa. So thank you for this!
Start with zero and play the games chronology also take breaks between games..... and don't take opinions as gospel, like what is peak yakuza and not lol.
Don't forget the most important thing with Yakuza games... enjoying the city and its weirdness
This is also a very good answer. Actually i think this is my preferred way!
Yeah, I'm a huge fan of Yakuza 1/Kiwami and don't quite get most of the complaints either get... then again I also think if people actually played Yakuza 1 and then Kiwami they might appreciate just how improved it is in certain ways (such as better lock on, camera, way better combat/more moves, the addition of several story scenes, removal of missable side stories and locker keys etc.) and while it has its issues (adding in healing moves for bosses, too much Majima, not fixing the penultimate boss fight while bizarrely making the first Shimano fight 2-3 times as long as the original version) its still a really good remake and a solid continuation to 0.
Also since it is left unchanged in other aspects (namely the plot is largely the same aside from a few Nishiki focused cutscenes as well as many side stories being way simpler) you basically get to see what 10 years worth of polish on the series looks like next to a shiny version of the original game.
Or maybe its just because I still really like Yakuza 1 that I like the remake... all I wanted from a Yakuza remake back in the day was a better camera, Komaki not being a menace to fight in the arena, more heat moves and the silly missable content thing removed and they delivered on all this.
I never played Kiwami but as someone who played the series from 1-5 ( still gotta play 6 ) it's really odd to see people recommending 0.
If all the complaints about Kiwami are right I'm going to throw a hot take here : start with 3 ( it has a really good recap of the first two entries so watch all of them ) and go release order.
I honestly don't get why people always say start with 0, playing 0 without playing the others first makes no sense to me.
If all the complaints about Kiwami are right I'm going to throw a hot take here : start with 3 ( it has a really good recap of the first two entries so watch all of them ) and go release order.
I honestly don't get why people always say start with 0, playing 0 without playing the others first makes no sense to me.
Why?
Sure it has throwbacks but many of them work well if you do play the rest of the games as they work both ways.
It also introduces you to Kiryu and Majima, along with important characters like Shimano, Kashiwagi, Dojima, Nishiki etc.
It's a personal opinion.
Going back to the roots after playing all games felt so great to me that I don't think that playing 0 first would have the same impact.
I started with Kiwami and fell in love with series with Kiwami. I played 0 after and loved it as well. If I had to choose again I wouldn't change the order I played the series. I feel like Kiwami added to my experience playing 0 because I knew the path of characters after 0. If anything, I feel like once I finish the series I might actually agree with
I really really don't understand why people are saying Kiwami will bounce you off the series as that's not my experience at all. I think if you have Kiwami already (through PS plus or something) but don't own 0, you should play Kiwami first.
I really really don't understand why people are saying Kiwami will bounce you off the series as that's not my experience at all. I think if you have Kiwami already (through PS plus or something) but don't own 0, you should play Kiwami first.
Zero is one of the few prequels that actually work as a entry point. Start there, and keep in mind that the Kiwami games are remakes that have they're own specific quirks (especially since they kind of also work as continuations of Zero).
Speaking as someone who started with the first on PS2.
Speaking as someone who started with the first on PS2.
Here's my hot take:
Start with 0 (obviously not the hot part) but then play the PS2 versions of 1 & 2 over Kiwami. I just don't think the remakes work very well and all the elements feel pretty cobbled together, so if you aren't totally disgusted by PS2 graphics then those are more cohesive games.
Plus they're late PS2 games so they actually have the option to display in widescreen natively, which is really nice.
Start with 0 (obviously not the hot part) but then play the PS2 versions of 1 & 2 over Kiwami. I just don't think the remakes work very well and all the elements feel pretty cobbled together, so if you aren't totally disgusted by PS2 graphics then those are more cohesive games.
Plus they're late PS2 games so they actually have the option to display in widescreen natively, which is really nice.
i played in release order (i started before 0 or kiwami was released) and i think it's a really good way to get into the series
the PS2 games do definitely feel older, but starting with 0 and then going to kiwami and then kiwami 2 and then 3 is such a weird order of quality and original release date that i would feel so uneven to me
if you can emulate PS2 games or if you somehow have a copy of the first game I think it's at least worth *trying* to start there, and if you bounce off of it go to 0
plus everyone should at least have to experience the voice acting of the first game once. it's like a rite of passage
the PS2 games do definitely feel older, but starting with 0 and then going to kiwami and then kiwami 2 and then 3 is such a weird order of quality and original release date that i would feel so uneven to me
if you can emulate PS2 games or if you somehow have a copy of the first game I think it's at least worth *trying* to start there, and if you bounce off of it go to 0
plus everyone should at least have to experience the voice acting of the first game once. it's like a rite of passage
Pretty much. People have a gut reaction to shout 0 from the rooftops every time this is asked without taking into account that it's the easiest way to get into the series, but not necessarily the best way. Answers need to be tailored depending on the person asking.
Start with Kiwami 1 you should just mainline the story and a few side quests and that's that. It should be the fastest game in the series by far. Basically the rest of the non-story content is identical to Y0 except harder.
Actually if you go back and read the past threads, there's always one or two weirdos who say release order or start with Kiwami
If you want to tailor answers, maybe tailor them to the expectation that 99% of people are not going to go back and play a damn PS2 game even if they like Shenmue and when remakes exist
Totally. If I were talking to someone who was casually into games I'd recomend starting with 0 and then playing the Kiwamis, but anyone who enjoys older games I'd recommend play the PS2 versions. I think watching the city and the style of the presentation and gameplay evolve overtime is part of the appeal personally, and the Kiwamis really lose that element by transplanting 0 and 6's styles into the early parts of the timeline. Not to mention all the cut content in the remakes.
I'd think people posting on an enthusiast forum like ResetEra would be open to playing older games, but maybe people here are more shallow than I thought.
Lol 'more shallow'. The remakes are fine, whether you play the original or Kiwami isn't going to change that it's the weakest game in the series by far, and there's no special bonus points for choosing the much more expensive and difficult retro option.
Both PS2 games can be bought for roughly $30 each on Amazon, which is the same as Kiwami 2 costs and only about $10 more than Kiwami 1, and are significantly better experiences. Yakuza 1's combat starts out stiff but once you get some upgrades it feels great, and it doesn't have the awful boss fights Kiwami does. No regenerating health, and the bullet proof vest makes gun bosses a non-issue. And Yakuza 2 is a straight improvement in every regard over Kiwami 2 except pure fidelity. So no, they're not significantly more expensive or "difficult". If the OP doesn't have a PS2 or a PC he could rip the discs to to play in PCSX2 then yeah it's a bigger investment, but it's not a stretch to assume someone on a gaming forum owns a PS2 until stated otherwise.
Well... maybe not for Yakuza 1 but you shouldn't discount people recommending 2 over Kiwami 2. There's different content to be had in the original version of 2, some of it is pretty damn good. Granted I'd not recommend it over Kiwami 2 to someone who only has a PS4, but for any fans of the series they should certainly track 2 down and play it - for the small areas not present in Kiwami 2, for the cut side stories, for cut heat moves, for the Host side story, which I really wish was included in the remake as it was a nice unique feature that's ever been in any other game since (I'd have honestly taken it over the Cabaret stuff, though ideally I'd have liked both included in the remake...)
The slander going around about the PS2 games is borderline ridiculous. They are perfectly playable games on their own right, especially 2 (Crazy Ken Band >>>)
Start with Y0 and the jump all the way to Judgment as you await Yakuza: Like a Dragon's release in the west.
I think the key to Kiwami is to almost view it as an expansion to Zero and just mainline the story content. It's not a bad game by any stretch, it's just a remake of a game that was Yakuza before the series truly discovered what it was. The story is still solid and they added some decent side content to the remake but it mostly pales in comparison to the rest of the series (and Judgement).
One game in the series that I might take Kiwami over is Yakuza 3. At the time of its release it was the best playing entry in the series & the best looking but now I would say that it's easily the worst playing entry and probably even the worst looking (which isn't to say it is a bad looking game but it's definitely showing it's age). It's also the game in the series that was notorious for getting off to an extremely slow start. Seriously the early hours of Yakuza 3 are meandering and largely uninteresting (though it's worth it if you do push through). My point being that transitioning from Kiwami 2 to Yakuza 3 will be a jarring transition for sure (particularly for people new to the series).
For me the Zero and the Six are both must-play game even for those who aren't fan of the series. To take non-japanese references, the Zero is a mix of an italian opera, mexican wrestling, Honk Kong actionneer, braslian telenovelas and swashbucklers films.
The Six ruins all mythification of the organized crime in a subtile way - not the nihilistic or punitive one you'll usually see in series or movies. This and Kitano's presence made it the most breathtaking of all espisode for me, but not if you haven't played at least the Zero before ;)
The Six ruins all mythification of the organized crime in a subtile way - not the nihilistic or punitive one you'll usually see in series or movies. This and Kitano's presence made it the most breathtaking of all espisode for me, but not if you haven't played at least the Zero before ;)
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Play zero first then take a looong break and accept the fact you will never experience a yakuza game as good. Then play kiwami.
I started with 4 before I knew of what the series was about saw the game in the bargain bin was hooked ever since.
I get it to an extent in that Kiwami feels like more of Zero but lesser so to get through Zero and stare down the barrel of about a dozen more hours of what you just played but less good is kind of rough. Still, I agree that the quality dip in Kiwami gets WAY overblown but I do think Kiwami & Yakuza 3 are the potential series roadblocks for a lot of people.
EDIT: I think I've come up with a potential solution for the Kiwami issue. As I said before, Kiwami/Yakuza 1 is in no a way a bad game it's just bad compared to the rest of the series (except Y3 which is worse). So I say start with Kiwami and mainline it because if you like that (and plenty of people enjoyed Y1 back in the day, otherwise this series wouldn't exist) then I have good news: it (mostly) only gets better from there. Start with Kiwami, then Zero, then Kiwami 2 (Kiwami 2 has a recap of Kiwami 1 if you need it), then Y3, Y4, Y5, & Y6.
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For this reason, I'm considering just waiting for a new protagonist.
Don't play PS2 games in 2020 unless you have to. The original, non-Kiwami versions of 1 & 2 have been replaced and made redundant by flat out better, modern versions. The Kiwami versions have also been slightly altered to better work with Zero as the starting point. You shouldn't touch the PS2 games unless you after playing 0 then 1 + 2 Kiwami then 3 through 7, Fist of the North Star, Judgement, Dead Souls, Kenzan, and Ishin still want more.
Anything other than starting with Zero is bad advice in my personal opinion. You can start with another game and end up loving the series - my starting point was Yakuza 3 and I'm a total Yakuza fanboy - but there is no reason to actively pursue another starting point than Zero when given the choice.
Anything other than starting with Zero is bad advice in my personal opinion. You can start with another game and end up loving the series - my starting point was Yakuza 3 and I'm a total Yakuza fanboy - but there is no reason to actively pursue another starting point than Zero when given the choice.
I played Yakuza 1 in 2005, about as close to my Shenmue fanatic days as you can get. I was terribly let down by it. It felt too superficial compared to my favorite series. It also had some of the worst loading times ever IIRC. 15 years later and yeah, RGG have turned this into a special franchise. Just start with Yakuza 0. It is the distillation of fun and Sega fan service. There are certainly lessons I feel YS could've learned from this series, but they're not much alike aside from both featuring cities with arcades.
Start with 0 but don't feel like you need to do every side mission. I thought it was much more enjoyable when I powered through the story of 0 and occasionally took breaks with side missions and stuff. I actually had way more fun with Kiwami personally, and I'm having a blast in Kiwami 2 right now with all the side missions, but since the remasters are out I may try to push through the rest of 2 quickly.
2 isn't redundant because Kiwami 2 exists. Both have different combat, different side content, different music, heck even the camera angles are different in both games ;)
Plus I could argue combat in 2 is as good as Kiwami 2's if not better in places - more (heat) moves (the number of helper heat moves in Kiwami 2 are noticeably reduced compared to what was included in Kiwami 2) while the difficulty in Kiwami 2 is drastically reduced especially in boss fights which really sucks.
Not starting with Dead Souls means you won't understand references in Kiwami though ;)...
Seriously though, Kiwami really does have references to Dead Souls (and Judge Eyes) and fans really should give it a chance. Real Majima is playable as well which is a treat.
No lies detected. No reason not to start with 0 and work your way up OP with 0-6 being available.