Current Events > So what Yakuza game should I start with?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know it's a huge popular franchise. I tried one before but after 2 hours of cutscenes where I had no clue WTF was going on or who anyone was I gave up on it as not for me alongside Persona

But everyone keeps saying the new ones are great, 6, 0, Kiwami , Kiwami 2.

That they fix all the problems and are great to newcomers and amazing games

i want to give the series another go but I don't know which one to start with.
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Zero
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1
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ledbowman posted...

Zero

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Sleeping Dogs
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I've heard either Kiwami or 0, but I started with 4 and I'm having the time of my life.

A Yakuza game doesn't need to be perfect or have all the new quality of life improvements, even a Yakuza game that isn't rated super highly by the fanbase is still a good Yakuza game. But I'd probably start at one of the PS3 games, if nothing else - because the PS2 titles are being remade, and they are jaaaaaank
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Master_Bass posted...

ledbowman posted...

Zero

teepan95 posted...

Sleeping Dogs

That was a great game

MrMallard posted...

I've heard either Kiwami or 0, but I started with 4 and I'm having the time of my life.

A Yakuza game doesn't need to be perfect or have all the new quality of life improvements, even a Yakuza game that isn't rated super highly by the fanbase is still a good Yakuza game. But I'd probably start at one of the PS3 games, if nothing else - because the PS2 titles are being remade, and they are jaaaaaank

I tried one, I "think" it was 5 and just found it boring as hell.

Long unskippable boring cutscenes followed by very short bursts of gameplay that were little more than instruction following sequences. I didn't get the appeal at all.

I figured it was one of those things that only works if you're invested after playing the franchise for years.
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0 is a great starting point. Kiwami is a remake of the first game, but it references events to 0.
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I started with Kiwami and fucking loved it

Everything about the narrative was amazing

Picking up 0 soon
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UnfairRepresent posted...

teepan95 posted...

Sleeping Dogs

That was a great game

MrMallard posted...

I've heard either Kiwami or 0, but I started with 4 and I'm having the time of my life.

A Yakuza game doesn't need to be perfect or have all the new quality of life improvements, even a Yakuza game that isn't rated super highly by the fanbase is still a good Yakuza game. But I'd probably start at one of the PS3 games, if nothing else - because the PS2 titles are being remade, and they are jaaaaaank

I tried one, I "think" it was 5 and just found it boring as hell.

Long unskippable boring cutscenes followed by very short bursts of gameplay that were little more than instruction following sequences. I didn't get the appeal at all.

I figured it was one of those things that only works if you're invested after playing the franchise for years.

The games open up after the first couple of chapters and starting with the 5th in a series is never a smart idea.
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ledbowman posted...

Zero

Did the exact same thing when Zero came out. Completely ADORED that game, and really enjoyed Kiwami as well, but it's inferior to Zero. Looking forward to Kiwami 2!
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spikethedevil posted...

The games open up after the first couple of chapters and starting with the 5th in a series is never a smart idea.

If you say so.

Lots of games it really doesn't matter.
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zero, then the kiwami games as they come out. 6 if it hooks you

don't play the ps2/ps3 era games

Zero, Kiwami, Kiwami 2 then i'd play 4 and 5 before 6
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Just play GTA5 like any normal person.
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DarthWendy posted...

Just play GTA5 like any normal person.

GTA5 was okay but Sleeping Dogs was way better.

So was Horizon Zero Dawn if we're counting all sandboxes
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0 or Kiwami.

I started with Kiwami then went to 0 afterwards and didn't have a problem. People always say Kiwami references stuff that happened in 0 so play 0 first. I liked playing Kiwami and then meeting younger versions of characters I'd already met.

Also Kiwami is the same game as 0 but much smaller in content. If I went from 0 to Kiwami, it would have been a big let down. I'm glad I started off small then went on to a game that's much bigger.
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JE19426 posted...

Master_Bass posted...

ledbowman posted...

Zero

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Kaliesto posted...

JE19426 posted...

Master_Bass posted...

ledbowman posted...

Zero

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UnfairRepresent posted...

spikethedevil posted...

The games open up after the first couple of chapters and starting with the 5th in a series is never a smart idea.

If you say so.

Lots of games it really doesn't matter.

This is one where it matters.
As each game directly follows one another
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DezDroppedFreak posted...

I started with Kiwami and fucking loved it

Everything about the narrative was amazing

Picking up 0 soon

0 is better than kiwami so you'll enjoy it more than if you did the opposite

Reis posted...

DezDroppedFreak posted...

I started with Kiwami and fucking loved it

Everything about the narrative was amazing

Picking up 0 soon

0 is better than kiwami so you'll enjoy it more than if you did the opposite

I havent played 0 yet, but as someone else said apparently kiwami has significantly less content than 0, so it might be jarring to do that.

Not like it matters price wise. Both a cool $20
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In my opinion 0 and 6 are all you need. Everything else is redundant.
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Yakuza on ps2

Always order of release.

ledbowman posted...

In my opinion 0 and 6 are all you need. Everything else is redundant.

Nah man gotta play Kiwami and now Kiwami 2
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Start with Kiwami. Since it's a remake of the original, it has comparitively less content than Zero. I've heard going from Zero to Kiwami will make it feel like a downgrade.

I played the original and a little bit of Yakuza 2 on the PS2 a few years ago, then recently started Zero. It seems like Zero was meant to give backstory to people who have already played the series, not as an introduction.