Yakuza Playing Order

[BearBoy]

Apologies if this has been discussed before but a search didn't turn anything up.

I didn't have a PS2 or PS3 so although the Yakuza series always appealed I never got a chance to play any of them. Now I've got a PS4 I thought it might be a good time to dive in but I wasn't sure where to start:

1) Start with Yakuza 0 as it's, chronologically, the first
2) Start with Yakuza Kiwami as it's a remake of the original
3) Start elsewhere

If I went with option 2, when should I play Yakuza 0 (assuming I enjoy the games)? Release order (i.e. after 5) or some other order?

What do people think's best?

[teddymeow]

Chronological order:

Yakuza 0 (takes place in 1988)
Yakuza Kiwami (a remake of Yakuza on PS2, takes place in 2005)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of Yakuza 2 on PS2, takes place in 2006)
Yakuza 3 (takes place in 2009)
Yakuza 4 (takes place in 2010)
Yakuza 5 (takes place in 2012)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (takes place in 2016)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (takes place in 2019)

If you're in it for the story that's the order to go. Remember however that Kiwami 2 and 6 are on the latest RGG engine so 0 and Kiwami are great, then 2 really ups the ante in terms of slicker fights, being able to seemlessly go into buildings etc., then 3 - 5 revert back to that more "basic" and not as streamlined gameplay.

[Neon Ignition]

Other than having to deal with 3-5 being remasters rather than remakes so not as advanced as the newer versions at this point I'd stick with narrative order so:

0 > Kiwami > Kiwami 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7

Unless really going for it and doing the spin-offs as well. I'm going to work through Kenzan, Ishin, Black Panther, Black Panther 2 and Dead Souls as well as I go along my playthrough of the series even though language support and quality are all over the place with those ones.

Definitely make time for Judgment as well, unrelated story but very much a Yakuza game and a great one too.

[BearBoy]

Thanks guys. I was leaning towards that order but wasn't sure if I was going to ruin the impact of some "Luke, I'm your father" moment later in the series if I started with the prequel.

And thanks for the heads up re 3-5 being less slick than Kiwami 2 - I can set my expectations accordingly. Although given the speed at which I get through games these days they'll probably have remade them on PS6 by the time I get around to them

[Hirst]

While 3-5 are more old-fashioned as PS3 ports, they still hold up very well and have some of my favourite locations.

[BearBoy]

Yakuza 0 ordered! Thanks again.

[teddymeow]

Thanks guys. I was leaning towards that order but wasn't sure if I was going to ruin the impact of some "Luke, I'm your father" moment later in the series if I started with the prequel.

Well, no, because, well, that's Star Wars (spoiler alert!!)

[BearBoy]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[fuse]

Think I generally agree with all of the above, but it would be amiss to not flag some minor reservations I have on starting with Zero. It is the earliest chronologically, but it was released after 5 - so while you're not going to be tripping over huge plot points that are important in later games, a lot of the characterisation that's going on is meant to be fleshing out characters that you already know to a decent extent. Similarly, seeing Kamurocho in the 80s as opposed to present day is particularly impactful from a perspective of knowing the place like the back of your hand.

Arguably a more problematic point is that Zero is really bloody good - you'll see lots of people argue for it being the best game in the series, with really great storytelling and a really solid line-up of side quests. I've not played the original for over 10 years now, and have never got to Kiwami, but comparatively I know it's a much smaller and less detailed title. Be prepared for a bit of a drop in quality, is what I'm trying to say here.

[Hirst]

I'd agree with the above, I'd say on balance it's a toss-up between whether you want to do Zero or Kiwami first (with Zero coming in whenever you fancy a change of pace). Both were made with new players in mind so the gameplay mechanics aren't as complicated - many of the mechanics are built on as the series goes on and I can imagine it being quite overwhelming if you jumped straight into one of the later games.

[Finsbury Girl]

I've only played 0, Kiwami, and 4 & 5 (PS3 versions) but I'd advise to take a break between games. They are all very similar (similarly great!) and have their own strengths and weaknesses. But you will burn out at some point like playing AC back to back.