What's Yakuza all about, anyway?
It's a brawler, beat-em-up, action RPG, minigame fest, and a lot of other things, with heartfelt, serious storylines, but also a high degree of comedy and zaniness, it's dramatic, it's silly, it's everything. People have tried to box it into a category, but truth be told, there's not much out there you can compare it to.
There are so many games in the series! Where do I even begin? What's a Kiwami?
There are indeed a large number of entries in the series, but fret not, as the play order is actually very simple. For those that prefer simplicity, just go in this order:
Yakuza 0 > Kiwami 1 > Kiwami 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6.
And for those that prefer a more in-depth explanation as to why this is the order:
First, play Yakuza 0. It's a prequel to the entire series, set in the year 1988, and available for both the PS4 and PC. It's generally agreed upon that, for new fans only just beginning their Yakuza journey, it's best to start with not only a more recent, more accessible title than the original PS2 games, but also the one set chronologically before all other events of the following six games. This title will give you a very well-rounded look at the characters and universe of the Yakuza series, and you need no prior context for anything. Enjoy!
Then, play Yakuza Kiwami. What is this game, you ask? Well, it's a remake of the original, very first PS2 Yakuza game. The word "Kiwami" means extreme, and it is used to denote a remake. You can safely play this over the original, as it features the exact same story, but with expanded scenes and content, and running on the Yakuza 0 engine.
Next, you'll obviously want to play Yakuza Kiwami 2. As mentioned above, "Kiwami" denotes a remake, and this is a remake of Yakuza 2, which also originally released for the PS2. Unlike the previous two games mentioned, Kiwami 2 runs on what is known as the Dragon Engine. Simply put, you will notice a substantial leap in the game's visuals, as well as improvements like not needing to see loading screens when entering and exiting shops. Despite a couple relatively minor shortcomings, most fans view this as a very good remake of what is regarded as one of the best titles in the series.
From this point on, you have some choices as to how you want to proceed.
Although Yakuza 3 is the next logical place to go, the game is currently only available for the PS3 in the West, not the PS4, PC, or any other platforms. In Japan, the game was remastered and released for the PS4, but as of writing this post, there is no known release date for the remaster in the West. This means that you can either wait for what will likely be a future localization, or dig out your old PS3, and purchase a copy of Yakuza 3. As the game was never released digitally, the price is somewhat on the high side for an older game, so keep that in mind.
Yakuza 4 is available both on disc, and digitally. Yakuza 5 is only available digitally. Once you've played Y3, decide whether you'd like to continue on playing 4 and 5 on the PS3. If not, I'd advise waiting on the remasters being localized for the Western market, which is very likely to happen. Yes, that's right, all of the PS3 games are available on the PS4, but only in Japan at the moment.
Yakuza 6 is all that remains. As far as the mainline series goes, you now only need to play Y6, available for the PS4. It's the conclusion to the story of Kazuma Kiryu, our main character for over a decade's worth of games. Beyond this point, the Yakuza series will continue, but with a different main character, and most likely a bunch of new supporting characters, too.
Next, you'll obviously want to play Yakuza Kiwami 2. As mentioned above, "Kiwami" denotes a remake, and this is a remake of Yakuza 2, which also originally released for the PS2. Unlike the previous two games mentioned, Kiwami 2 runs on what is known as the Dragon Engine. Simply put, you will notice a substantial leap in the game's visuals, as well as improvements like not needing to see loading screens when entering and exiting shops. Despite a couple relatively minor shortcomings, most fans view this as a very good remake of what is regarded as one of the best titles in the series.
From this point on, you have some choices as to how you want to proceed.
Although Yakuza 3 is the next logical place to go, the game is currently only available for the PS3 in the West, not the PS4, PC, or any other platforms. In Japan, the game was remastered and released for the PS4, but as of writing this post, there is no known release date for the remaster in the West. This means that you can either wait for what will likely be a future localization, or dig out your old PS3, and purchase a copy of Yakuza 3. As the game was never released digitally, the price is somewhat on the high side for an older game, so keep that in mind.
Yakuza 4 is available both on disc, and digitally. Yakuza 5 is only available digitally. Once you've played Y3, decide whether you'd like to continue on playing 4 and 5 on the PS3. If not, I'd advise waiting on the remasters being localized for the Western market, which is very likely to happen. Yes, that's right, all of the PS3 games are available on the PS4, but only in Japan at the moment.
Yakuza 6 is all that remains. As far as the mainline series goes, you now only need to play Y6, available for the PS4. It's the conclusion to the story of Kazuma Kiryu, our main character for over a decade's worth of games. Beyond this point, the Yakuza series will continue, but with a different main character, and most likely a bunch of new supporting characters, too.
So the series is like a Japanese Grand Theft Auto / Sleeping Dogs / Saints Row / Mafia, right?!
That's a common enough question, but nope. Yakuza has its own identity, and you must play it for yourself to see that. It's very much unlike other games.
All the credits for this amazing OT goes to Aurc . Incredible work man!
Last edited:
