Why Getting into Yakuza is Hard

[@gokudoni]

The prospect of getting into a series with over 20 games to its name is naturally daunting for a newcomer, but the community can aleviate much of that stress. Personally, I started with Yakuza 0 because I couldn't find any physical copies of the PS2 games at the time, but I eventually managed to find and play every single game in the franchise (including the unlocalized spin-offs). Rather than constantly telling people to start with Kiwami, 7 or even Gaiden, maybe media outlets should focus on talking about what makes these games so fun, and let the newcomers make their own choice instead. Not everything needs to be "the perfect entry point". Some games are simply designed to be fun experiences, and that's what makes them so special. Thank you all for watching! P.S. Mysterious link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGjPZ6mjiaeprK8si=h6DrMhEFAUoembZi

[@1chibanKasuga]

I agree

[@kenktheGD]

Guess I'm glad I just randomly started with kiwami- I blame the memes :o I'm sure starting anywhere would have been fine

[@kenktheGD]

Although should I play kiwami 2 or 0 next?

[@1chibanKasuga]

@kenktheGD depends if you are fine to play a very similar game 0 if you think you will get bored and want something different then kiwami 2. There is no bad choice

[@kenktheGD]

@1chibanKasuga I think we (my waifu and I took turns beating up bozos) may do 0 then. We ended up playing thru twice becuz of some glitch or issue with majima and yet we're still hungry for more. I doubt I'll play thru all 6 or so games I have without playing something else for a while, but we are enjoying this ride so far.

[@justarandombluebird8222]

Everyone know that dead souls is the best entry point

[@Koalalover70]

RGG Online*

[@justarandombluebird8222]

​@@Koalalover70 lost paradise*

[@nutsberkintime]

Um ackshually Streets Of Kamurocho solos your favorite starting point

[@MikeJr9284]

Nah, Kenzan is the best entry point. It literally takes place centuries before 0.

[@Gouda992]

Nah, gaiden

[@cyber_stealth]

yakuza the man who lost his judgement like a dragon was my first

[@theabyssfarer]

like a what?

[@lemonboy6239]

like a what?

[@Valentin7789_]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5qylZumh7uaias

[@Inf3rnoDrag0n]

like a what?

[@onettkid7763]

like a what?

[@darknightspider7495]

Judgment is actually a really neat game for new players to just try. It's readily available, has a self-contained story that doesn't rely on any previous RGG games to fully grasp its meaning, and has fun gameplay that's synonymous with most of the other games. It gets players accustomed to RGG's game design and storytelling without unloading much of the series' baggage (i.e. the importance of the Tojo Clan, Kiryu's legend status, etc.) on the novice.

[@sndark6241]

It confuses me as to why Judgment gets to quickly dismissed as a starting point just under the rule of "It's a Spin-Off." Which like if it played completely different to all the other games, sure, but come on, Yagami's gameplay isn't even that far off from Akiyama's. Closest I can think of to a complaint is that _technically_ it's riffing on a different set of film genres: Judgment is a homage to legal dramas and detective stories, the main games are a based on Ninkyo and Jitsuroku films (Yes, Japan has two different subgenres for Yakuza films; the first sort is more romanticized, the second one is the more gritty and realistic. If you want examples, Abashiri Prison is Ninkyo, Battles Without Honor and Humanity is Jitsuroku. There's also technically a third sort called "Gokudo" which apparently mostly refers to stuff like the hyper-violent V-Cinema craze of the 90' but I don't think it's officially qualified as another subgenre.)

[@jorgetello3961]

I think it might be too new honestly, its already pretty jarring to go from kiwami 2 to 3. I feel like zero is still the best point because it sets you up without being too "modern". Its still on the same old engine as Kiwami, 3, 4 and 5. Kiwami 2, 6, and the judgements feel a lot more flashy.

[@TongariVash]

Judgment was pretty much my entry point for the entire Yakuza Series and I stumbled upon it randomly in a store, thinking it looked interesting. I had never heard of any of the games before that point but I loved Judgment so much that I wanted to know all about the other RGG games, so I started with 0 to get the 'right timeline' and the entire franchise turned into my all time favorite game series. So I'd say Judgment is a very good entry point into the RGG games, no matter that it's a spin-off.

[@darknightspider7495]

@@jorgetello3961 Yeah, but the point is to give curious newcomers a taste of the series to see if they like it or not, before committing to the whole saga.

[@RoffleHB]

For me it's not a problem of where to start, it's WHEN to start. Seriously, I've heard my friends say that they wanna get into this series for the past two years! Just jump in already so we can gush about Majima!

[@1chibanKasuga]

The problem is when you talk about jumping in a series instead of a game that it seems like a chore

[@netcat22]

tf you mean hard? you buy 0, start 0, play 0, repeat for every other game. smh first world problems

[@gianncmedina7805]

Ngl i love 0 with all my heart but I think its Best played after 5 and before 6

[@TheErkis28]

@@gianncmedina7805 yes, and kiwami is best played after 0, LAD is best played after the kiryu saga. if you focus on that logic then going full release order and starting with the ps2 games is the only way and hardly anyone wants to do that, as much as i'm a fan of their atmosphere myself

[@gianncmedina7805]

@@TheErkis28 Yea bro i get it, but since Kiwami is 1 just with a little more added it makes sense to start with it. Its the very first game of the Series. The Start of Kiryu's Journey :)

[@TheErkis28]

@@gianncmedina7805 nah it ain't. the "stuff they added" is a shit ton of references to and other things that build on yakuza 0, exactly as he said in the video, so starting with kiwami really doesn't make any more sense than starting with 0 one thing i will say: having played 0 makes kiwami hit harder, but having played kiwami/1 also makes 0 hit harder. in the end i won't blame anyone or advise against starting with kiwami over 0 but it's not "better"

[@weepingblade]

I've played all, I will never understand the start after 5 point. Play 0, then the Kiwami games where it directly adds story related to 0, once you go to 5, you could play 0 again to get everything you myself.

[@Shiki100Hyaku]

After I beat yakuza 0 in late october last year I immediately played the rest of the games and beat yakuza 3 on new years eve. I completed 4-6 right before infinite wealth’s release but couldn’t beat 7 in time. I still think I did good though.

[@djb4139]

Your schedule sounds exactly like how mine was, it was a little surreal to read

[@AkiyamerGaming]

i cut ties with my cousin because he said fortnite is better than Yakuza

[@WarHelmetCombine]

Understandable

[@dabbo8767]

You did the right thing

[@devilleon7]

Excellent video. I personally think going into almost any entry is guaranteed to be a fun time, and if the player has a good time, they'll likely check out the other games on their own after that. I've seen different people starting with almost every single entry you can name, but they end up playing all the rest, so I just think it all works out ultimately. Also: congrats on 9k subs, hope you surpass the 10k mark soon, man!

[@gokudoni]

Couldn't agree more! Also, greatly appreciate your continuous shows of kindness, my man

[@Koalalover70]

It’s hard because of the YUME

[@Tybell702]

Yakuza 0 got me into this series back in march last year, and i have adored this series ever since. Play every game, aiming to get all the achievements in all of them. Personally, yakuza 0 makes sense to be the first game to get into the series. Kiryu and majima's origin story, builds their character for kiwami.

[@shizuwolf]

For me, there's 2 routes to go through: convenient and purist's. The convenient route is when you start with 0 and the Kiwami remakes and go from there. The purist's route is where you start with the ps2 games and then work your way up to the newer entries

[@scottianson5133]

I'm a purist, but I'm happy people are into the series no matter where they start.

[@HajimeKomaeda]

"Yakuza games are rather beefy and you'd likely experience burnout on the series if you tried binging all of them in quick succession." Not me. Ever since playing Kiwami 1 which was my first game that my older sister happened to buy for the PS4, I was immediately hooked and I was very determined to play 0 next, and I just happened to come across all the Kiryu games and 7 (Like a Dragon) all being on a really good sale, so I bought them all, played them all and I NEVER felt burned out once, in fact, I was so focused into playing the Yakuza games to even think about anything else, I just wanted to keep playing. Yakuza is the perfect series to fill my gaming void after all my favorite game series have ended and I've never played a single new console game in years because I was lacking money.

[@orlanzo2621]

I actually started with the original Yakuza on PS2, I was very excited for it because I was a huge Shenmue fan and while I did LIKE it, I felt it was so many steps behind Shenmue that I ended up disappointed. After that I pretty much forgot about it, fast forward to 2017 and I hear so many people raving about a “Yakuza Zero” so I pick it up and realize that “wait, this is a prequel to that game that I played back in 2006”?? I ended up absolutely loving it and immediately dove head first back into all of the older games that I missed and now I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite series of all time. Funny how that worked out lol.

[@greybigfoot1722]

The fact that Yakuza 0 was not on sale in the 2024 Steam Summer Sale was really weird to me. I'm guessing that they want to push Yakuza Kiwami because of the upcoming TV show. Yakuza 7 is also down to $20 now, which is the lowest regular price we have seen on games. Y7 is a good starting point too.

[@phil844]

I first played Yakuza 0 on february 12th 2024, after hearing about the series for a while and being interested I finally picked up 0 and gave it a try, after getting stuck on the first kuze fight (it was my first yakuza game and I played on hard with no healing leave me alone) I took a week break and came back to it only to fall in love with the game. When I started playing it again I played it nonstop until I fully 100%-ed the game, I put in 200 hours and got the 100% within a month. Yakuza 0 is one of the very few games I would consider a masterpiece and it is what pushed me to play through all the games and 100% them, I'm currently on Yakuza 6 after 100%-ing Y0-Y5, if that isn't proof how amazing Y0 is as a place to start the series then I don't know what is. I will always believe Y0 is the best way to start the series purely from my experience of how it made me fall in love with the yakuza games

[@saulgoodmanskin]

What do you like about 0 so much? The game’s good but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece personally. It does have very good writing and characters, but I found the combat to be seriously boring as there was just little to no challenge for me, didn’t find any of the Styles visually satisfying or fun and felt like the Styles needed more moves as the combat became very repetitive and monotonous.

[@phil844]

@@saulgoodmanskin all the points you made are opinions, if you dont like the combat or art then good for you but personally i love it, objectively the game probably isnt perfect but it is to me

[@saulgoodmanskin]

@@phil844 I was just asking what you like it about it so much. I’m not pretending that my opinion is truth.

[@beautifulstrange7057]

I got into yakuza through playing the yakuza 4 demo on the PS3. I enjoyed it so much that I bought it. Didn’t play 1-3 until a few couple years ago. I think any entry point is fine.

[@HunterForHire422]

Stuff like this makes me mad we still don't have yakuza 1 and 2 hd. I feel like if we had those alongside the kiwamis we'd have another major way for people to get into the series. Lots of people like to play in release order and I'm one of them. The kiwamis can be better appreciated if we had the originals alongside them I feel

[@wasteman3259]

Tbh I don’t think many people would

[@PinkNymphetamine22]

I had no idea that there was a discussion on which RGG game was the best entry point for beginners, I always thought that it was as simple as 'pick up Y0 and go up from there', but you've brought up a valid point with how outsiders approach the games. Granted, my first game was Y0, but only because a few years ago I saw a funny out-of-context clip from Like a Dragon, and my curiosity made me go through all the games I could buy, and just last week I finally started LAD. It literally took me 4 years to play through all of the first 7 mainline games barring the original Y1 and Y2, and I still haven't touched Isshin or Judgement. Understandably, getting into the RGG series is a tall order for average gamers with school and/or jobs, so you'd have to really REALLY like what the games have to offer besides the beat 'em up gameplay, and I still had to take breaks between games because I got really burnt out from playing 2 games back-to-back. Great video!

[@truman_hash]

The best starting point for newcomers is actually Fist of the North Star manga or anime. Then you play Lost Paradise, and idk what after that

[@captainhyrule9741]

That's how I got into Yakuza, through Fist of the North Star 😄

[@Bagelboy4]

The way my sister got into yakuza is pretty funny, i was playing yakuza 5 amd got to the haruka section and my sister who sometimes looks at what im playing saw that and decided to give it a try herself, she ended up loving kiryu and akiyama so much that she played everything else, all because she saw haruka

[@sapphire3084]

Pretty much like 0 first became viral because of a clip of a 'turkey'.

[@nutsberkintime]

The entry point conversation became infinitely more difficult with the release of 7. While I do love 7 and Ichiban, I personally couldn't help but be extremely frustrated and even at times held contempt for people who had no interest in the Kiryu games, despite me fully understanding either people not liking the beat em up combat or not wanting to playing several long games. Kiryu is one of my favorite video game characters of all time, so knowing that people who didn't play 6 and Gaiden before Infinite Wealth exist does make me sad. At this point, I've come to terms with just being okay with people getting into these games and enjoying the same experiences and life lessons these games provided. Just play Yakuza.

[@HYDEinallcaps]

If you don't take a stand, it's gonna get worse.

[@oneupdawg]

Getting into Yakuza is similar like getting into the Trails series at this point. I started with the OG on PS2, but i can imagine it being a slight pain for newcomers.

[@1chibanKasuga]

The pain is just the reacher. After you start playing you forget about jt

[@Vishwamdamor7109]

​@@1chibanKasugaAlso, playing in release order will show the players clearly how the games improved with each game, and will prevent from getting any spoiler.

[@RJP0409]

I like the idea of 7 as a starting point for some newer players. I played 0 a few years ago but then didn’t play any others until I decided to buy 7 on PC as I loved the games but thought I would enjoy the turn based gameplay of 7 more. After finishing 7 though I was so hooked into the story I wanted to play the rest and played Kiwami and all the other games on Steam in timeline order and had completely caught up with all RGG games on Steam before Gaiden came out

[@virtuousevent]

I got into the Yakuza franchise with Yakuza 0 thanks to Game Pass when it was first added back in 2020, really i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Game Pass!

[@Majimba_Enjoyer]

i have never heard of this problem. all my friends i told about yakuza either loved it the second they started playing 0 or didnt like it due to their dislike towards story games or beat em ups.

[@saulgoodmanskin]

I’m the latter, although I quite like Lost Judgement’s combat due to the juggling. The combat in 0 was just really boring for me personally. There was little to no challenge and the limited movesets created a repetition and monotone-induced boredom in me pretty quickly.

[@jekw23]

Started with Like A Dragon and fell in love with this series. Am now on my 6th game and loving it.

[@LYK1003]

I personally started with Judgment series as Yagami is voiced by Kimura Takuya which I feel very special even to these days. But once I completed Lost Judgment and the Kaito Files DLC, I began to realize the importance of mainline titles and I also asked myself that how once a big yakuza organization like Tojo Clan would go down like this. Therefore, I was interested in the mainline series. The first Yakuza game I experienced is Yakuza Kiwami as I thought it's a remake of the first game and it's the story that starts the series. Then, I worked all the way up to 4 (without Majima Saga for now). When I finished Yakuza 4, I decided to go to Yakuza 0 as I basically have all the plot references ready from Yakuza 1/Kiwami and Yakuza 4. Once I finished 0, I immediately hopped back to Majima Saga and concluded the story with certain character. From here on, I went through all of them in order from 5 to IW (except Kurohyou series). Discussing starting point instead of personal experience within the series is quite difficult as every potential title being great starting point will have its pros and cons: Yakuza 0: Great starting point and it's the origin of the whole story, but it's also a title that contains certain references from Yakuza 1/Kiwami and Yakuza 4 in terms of plot as 0 is released after Yakuza 1 (PS2) and Yakuza 4. Yakuza 1 (PS2): The title that starts the whole series without any reference from any future title. The only thing is that classic Yakuza games from PS2 era didn't get a modern platform release and the latest platforms the game ever got released (under 1&2 HD Edition) are PS3 and WiiU so it could be a hassle for many people. They can also choose to emulate through PS2 emulator, but setting up the emulator and finding rom for many people are quite daunting so I understand why not many people take this route. Yakuza Kiwami: Remake of the first game and the game is easily accessible from general modern platforms. It's also the game that contains spoilers and reference from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 4. Yakuza: Like A Dragon/Yakuza 7: It's basically a soft reboot of the whole series with new protagonist, new cast, new story and new area. However, while it's a soft reboot, the overall plot still picks up where Yakuza 6 and Judgment left off. During certain chapters, lack of the knowledge from Kiryu saga (Y0-Y6) will result in way less exciting moment. It also contains a risk of continuing with Gaiden after finishing Yakuza 7 without touching the Kiryu saga. There is also another off-topic risk that people can skip to Yakuza 7 after finishing at most 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2. Therefore, some people would consider starting with Yakuza 7 is a beginner's trap. Judgment: First game of the spin off series and it's a very good point to hop in in terms of story and gameplay. To make it more friendly, there is basically next to zero mainline Yakuza reference in Judgment so people would not need to worry about the mainline spoiler at all. However, there is a huge chance that people would hop into the second game right away once they finished Judgment (Myself included) as Lost Judgment also contained few mainline important references from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7. Anyway, now you see how difficult it is regarding a discussion over a starting point. Maybe it's better for people following what the ideal play order the other people have been suggesting in terms of plot reveal order, it's just impossible to please anyone. So, just enjoy the series whatever you can :3

[@TheDarkEnigma]

Embrace Chaos. Begin with Dead Souls

[@gernhartreinholzen3992]

I began Yakuza because of the memes. After checking Wikipedia, there was no question about where to start. Of course, Yakuza 0. Are you starting with the last chapter, when you read a book? Needless to say, I got instantly hooked.

[@Sat0shiiiiiiiii]

Well, getting into the Yakuza series was actually pretty easy for me. All I had to do was watch the Lost Judgement trailer back in 2021, do some research on the game, and the Yakuza series, watch some gameplay, and now I’m a huge Yakuza fan, wanting to play every Yakuza game. (Lost Judgement is my fav lol). My point is, getting into Yakuza for me was easy.

[@rotate0114]

Personally i started off with yakuza 0 all the way to infinite wealth (I finished Judgment & Lost Judgment and now im addicted with yagami) people should decide what game they want to start off from, its meant to give the players a fun experience yk

[@jahnhub]

i usually tell newcomers to play 0 as a starting point, but it's the step after that I never know what to say. I have a friend that recently played 0, then watched the kiwami 1 cutscenes, and is now playing 7. i feel like there's some context you need from 6 to understand the impact of scenes in 7 and IW. This series is becoming the MCU of gaming lol

[@lizdevilz7271]

And to understand context of 6, You also need to played 3 - 5... It is really MCU of series...

[@Majimba_Enjoyer]

difference being that yakuza is good and doesnt pump out 10 hours of slob for 20 minutes of good content like marvel does

[@pavlovsmoke]

I play the LAD 7 first, but i don't finish. Now in this year I start to play all the saga I begin with Yakuza 0 and now I in the mid of Yakuza 4

[@003SONE]

Another great and well thought out video. I hope you're feeling better now and congrats on the subscribers!

[@gokudoni]

Thank you for the kind words! Feeling a lot better, thankfully 😄

[@darthest530]

Loved this video! As someone who's started with 0 and has played all games, idc what you do as long as I can discuss the games with you that's fine with me lol. Also, just wanted to say thanks for making these great analysis videos. Been a major way to help me focus on my tasks!

[@Кибер-Колобок]

My entry point was Yakuza 0. I bought It 4th of August (3 days after the release on PC). I remember that day. My dad usually gave me some money every summer so I could buy games on steam, but that summer I didnt want any game. He gave me the money any way. So, I was scrolling and scrolling and found Yakuza 0. When I looked at the screenshots my first thought was: "It looks like Mafia" I was bored and decided to buy It. It was wonderful Then I bought other games and now I'm completing them 100% Favorite series. Thanks, dad

[@randomatomizer6652]

I'm glad you made a video on this topic. I completely agree with your assessments. The reality is that Yakuza, when it first came out, wasn't a completely mapped out series. With every new entry they keep adding new stuff to the foundation of that first game's story and refining what they made in the last game. It's kind of the crux of it being an annual franchise. Early Yakuza games especially feel very self-contained in their story. If you are patient and interested enough in checking out the whole series, I still recommend going about it in "release order". Unfortunately, both sides of the coin are guilty of gatekeeping a lot. The majority of people will tell you to start with 0, I personally think it's better to start from the actual beginning, even if it does require patience and getting used to. However, while I dislike the idea of SEGA pushing every new game to be the "perfect starting point", I think it's fair to recommend newcomers to start with any game that looks interesting to them. If you want to start with Yakuza 3, go ahead. You want to play 7 first because it replaced the beat 'em up with turn-based combat? Sure, start with that one. Don't lose sleep over it. What's funny is that whenever I bring that up in the community, people come out of the woodworks to claim "no, you should start with 0, since it's a better hook". Those same people end up gatekeeping more than they think, even if they have the best intentions in mind.

[@yesnaja]

I started in January, after watching a infinite wealth stream. I just decided to go by numbers by now 😂 So i started with zero and am now at 5. I cannot recommend watching the entire newest installment of the game first, or characters will "die" who you very well know to be alive in the future 😂

[@mikecoolgreen]

i hope i dont trigger people with my preference but i started with like a dragon gaiden, then with yakuza 7

[@klaus.sfc01official30]

"But once you are you won't stop comin" -kaito 2024

[@Satellaview1889]

I think the series is episodic enough that you can pick pretty much any game up and, at a minimum, "get" the appeal. Even _Dead Souls_ or _Ishin_ can function as your entry, because they still maintain the games' spirit in the careful balance between the absurd and the genuine.

[@Nobu6]

Best game to start is ofc kenzan as its takes place before 0

[@jamesb687]

Good insights! Keep it up

[@goldensus7778]

I agreed with your point. The opinion about which is the better starting point for Yakuza franchise are purely subjective

[@ScientistNoRyu]

Great video , I've found out about the Yakuza games in late 2017 from watching a Twitch stream, then watched another full playthrough early 2018. Played Yakuza 0 on pc in 2018. Before that The Witcher 3 was my favorite game ever, 500 h played ,bought it twice on gog and steam, I love that game Now TW3 is out of my top 10 and 7 RGG games are in my top 10, I can't put into words how much I love this series, I've played Yakuza 0 every year since 2018 + all the rest of the Yakuza pc games multiple times

[@NyomiHendon]

as long as you play a game that explains the majority of the backstory of that game, you're good. Or if you don't care, even better, just play Yakuza

[@gokudoni]

Beautifully put

[@pako_shark]

breaking za world

[@raccoonpeddler6730]

kirisake tendaness

[@HankThePimpHill]

It's judgement time!

[@thatguyontheright1]

In my opinion, there are 3 good starting points. 0 is a great game on it's own, gives the player a taste of the franchise with no need to go further if you don't 4 reboots the series with multiple new characters. You may lose out on Kiryu's part of the story, but everything else is beginner friendly 7 reboots the series again, and you really don't need to have played the older entries to get anything out.

[@asfandope]

I was pretty late into the Yakuza series myself, just started last year in the summer with Yakuza Kiwami. I always knew about the series but the sheer number of games was honestly daunting. Flash forward to the present day and I've finished nearly all of Yakuza games available on the playstation store, including Judgement series and Like a Dragon series. And I feel almost stupid for having slept on this series for so long. I desperately want more.

[@HankThePimpHill]

If you want Kiryu's story first, start with Zero If you just want Ichi, Like a Dragon If you don't care about either, Judgement My order was 0 > Kiwami > Kiwami 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > Like a Dragon > Judgement > Lost Judgement > Gaiden > Infinite Wealth I'd definitely recommend that order for new players, since Kiryu's story 'ends' at 6 and makes room for Ichiban's (That, and there's Judgement/LJ references in the later games). Just don't jump from Yakuza 0 straight to 7/LaD like a lot of streamers/KZbinrs did. Trust me, you're missing a LOT. I only say that cause I've seen countless people see you-know-who and be like "Omg he looks so different!" Then, they see the big guy in the parka next to him and go "Who u? What u do?"

[@Antonhannel]

Started the series around the middle of july last year with original first game for PS2 on emulator and then went to Kiwami 2. Finished IW in february of this year. I had multiple burn outs during the time period. Main one was from 5 because it was really long and big compared to previous games. JE and LJ were really a take of fresh air when I finished 7 and had to wait for IW and for my friend to gift me Gaiden. But also there is Ishin kiwami which I finished this june because I got a xbox game pass and remembered that it had Ishin in it. Also I got 100% on Judgement this spring, people say that it's hard but it's not it's just some bs achievmennts that can be gotten only once per playthrough. And honestly I had a blast each time but the starting point is really a problem since 0 is a good prequel that only makes some lines for continuation of the story but the original game's story was so different that it really brings a lot of problems for story telling which really sucks

[@axeoseilez3207]

That was me actually I picked up Yakuza 3 on ps3 on a random whim at a gamestop after i traded in persona 5 after i beat it. And I adored it so much i immediately bought the rest of them. Even bought a ps4 and yakuza 0 and yakuza 6 after hours edition.

[@authurstretchygreenthing8464]

I think you should do some research with gameplay videos, and if you like the beat-em-up style combat better, start with Yakuza Zero. If you like the turn-based RPG style, start with 7. Zero will be inviting, and no matter how bad the games get from there, they will all have a consistent combat style up until 7. On the other hand, even if you like turn-based RPGs better, the story hooks and the plot references to other games will naturally draw the player to the other games. Of course, now I'm waiting for the random madman who says "start with Lost Judgment, lol"

[@D-Gold-Vibes]

0 is simply the best start

[@saulgoodmanskin]

It’s subjective at the end of the day really. If I started with 0, I would have immediately dropped the franchise because of how boring I found the combat, but since I started with 7, it got me into the franchise and made me slog through all the Brawler games for Infinite Wealth.

[@JackdotC]

​@saulgoodmanskin you slogged through 400 hours of brawler combat for 1 game? Awful bait my guy

[@JackdotC]

​@saulgoodmanskin you slogged through 400 hours of brawler combat for 1 game? Awful bait my guy

[@saulgoodmanskin]

@@JackdotC 400 hours?💀 Didn’t take me anywhere near that, and I play the games for stuff other than the combat like the sub-stories, main-stories, and the charm of the Yakuza world. Kiwami 2’s and Yakuza 6’s combat were good, but the rest of games’ combat just felt like boring button mashers.

[@chrisberbano7207]

I feel like my three starting points I’d recommend are these. Yakuza 0: the obvious answer. A prequel with no baggage so anyone can jump on and have a good time Judgment: A gritty detective story. No ties to the original story and a great showcase of the dragon engine Yakuza LAD: for all my JRPG fans out there it’s perfect for you

[@Vishwamdamor7109]

Yakuza (2005): The most underrated, but the perfect starting point to really get into the series.

[@wasteman3259]

@Vishwamdamor7109no

[@frostygraybob]

Its not hard. You simply start and never stop until its done

[@BastardReally]

Go! Yakuza Kiwami 1! And! Play! Yakuza 0! Go, go, go! Go your way! Berieve yourself!

[@MrAchsas]

imo just start with yakuza 0 first in the timeline and introduces everything perfectly its also the best yakuza game imo

[@MrAchsas]

yakuza 0 is just 10/10 absoutely one of the best game ive ever played

[@DanteV2019]

I started with the series in early 2023, and seeing that Kiwami was labeled a remake of the OG game, that was my starting point in the series. I knew about 0, but I thought Kiwami might’ve been a good way to start. As the video mentioned, there’s references to 0, and for me, I knew that in those moments I was missing the context and that I would find them in 0. In terms of the fighting styles being overload for beginners, that wasn’t the case for me as I am a massive DMC fan. But after finishing Kiwami, I went to 0 and played the series nonstop throughout the course of a year. Being late to play Gaiden on release for a week but was ready to IW on release day. Even though that was my history with starting with the series, I don’t really know how to recommend the series to others and what should be their starting point. Because I feel it is important to know what kind of characters Kiryu and Majima are before getting into 0 as especially with Majima, seeing his intro cutscene in 0 after witnessing what the mad dog is, did leave me feeling puzzled and invested more on how he becomes the “Mad Dog”. An interesting starting point I thought of would be Judgement/Judge Eyes. It’s a spin off, doesn’t spoil anything of the mainline series, and the story of that game could make them interested to see what else is there to offer. But the downside is that they would want to jump right into the sequel and that would spoil certain story beats that happened in 7/Gaiden. If they pick up on them.

[@Aleksandr_Tararin]

Me who completed everything from 0 up until Lost Judgment (even kurohyou) in a span of 7 months: ahhh yes a starting point hmm... "Play Yakuza?" I suppose I will do just that. Would continue playing, unfortunately I'm a student so I'm waiting until next discount of Gaiden and infinite wealth.

[@treesnip5667]

I had only become a Yakuza fan this year so I thought I'll share my history of getting into the series. The first Yakuza game I bought was Yakuza 0, and after playing it for a little I ended up bouncing off it. I think I just didn't vibe with the combat at the time. Fast forward a few years to 2024 and I decide to give the series another chance with Yakuza 7 since I like RPGs. It ended up becoming one of my favorite games ever. I had just beaten Infinite Wealth a few days ago and really liked that too. I don't want to jump into another Yakuza game right away but I'll pick 0 back up soon.

[@InkyTheCartoonist]

I started at 0 and worked my way, such a fun experience. I know everyone is different, but starting at 7 is a good start for newcomers, but once you reach 8...youre missing so much backstory, lore, development and so much more !

[@Goodboy-gd1wl]

I got into Yakuza/Like A Dragon because of Kson. My first game was 0 but it took 3 years to finish the game because I didn't have motivation to finish and complete the game. Then everything changed when she won the grand prix and now I'm caught up all the to Infinite Wealth

[@teomeows]

All this is very true. I don't think this franchise would've clicked with me the way it did if I started with 0 or Kiwami 1. You see, I happen to be a big turn based rpg fan, and I just happened to start with Yakuza 7. Naturally, I had no issues with the combat, quite the opposite, I loved it. Whereas, when I started 0 after finishing 7, I actually struggled with the brawler combat quite a bit. But I had the willpower to power through and continue because I knew it'd be worthwhile because of the story, characters and side content If Yakuza 7 hadn't showed me what this series is about, it's possible I would've dropped 0 because many of the fights had me frustrated because of how difficult they were for me. So I don't believe there's one correct or objectively best way to start this series, really.

[@sammyexx]

skill issue

[@teomeows]

Yes, it is skill issue lmao, but I really don't care I got better at the brawler combat with time Besides, I don't play these games to be good, I play them to have fun If that bothers you, cope

[@sammyexx]

@@teomeows bro wrote a whole essay in reply to a two word comment 😂😂😂😂

[@pit_solitayrh3718]

@@sammyexx you did not call this an essay 😭😭

[@saulgoodmanskin]

I’m the exact same. Although ironically enough, in concept the Beat Em Up Yakuza games sounded more up my alley with the turn-based one being less so, but then I ended up adoring Yakuza 7’s combat and hating 0’s and all the other Brawler games’ combat lmao.

[@ianbaggins5063]

You sum up the difference between starting with 1/2 (HD) and Kiwami 1/2 nicely. I try and point people in the direction of going with 0 before the remakes for a similar reason, the way the call backs work in the remakes are quite the same as what 0 was doing, and it'd feel more like your picking up a story mid way through, while 0s call backs work both ways, so while people like me who started all the way back on the PS2 will get the callbacks to previous games, likewise people starting with 0 will "get" the callbacks when they eventually reach the games that 0 referenced.

[@RubyFridays]

Yakuza 9 unlimited health was a great starting point if you were okay with all of your game being just poyo poyo. Yakuza 7 didnt have enough car accidents in it.

[@ghosttrooper6646]

I started with 5, got very confused at times with characters connections and stuff, but ended up sad at the ending either way, also started looking into trailers for 6 that wasnt even out in the west and the rest of the series

[@Amandatheanglerfish]

I started with yakuza 6’s demo because I was in a video call with a friend playing yakuza k1 in the background casually bringing it up And once I bought k1 with my own money I immediately fell in love with the yakuza franchise and stuck with it for the longest, hell it gotten me to write my yakuza story with characters I made back in high school, the whole series felt like a genuine inspiration for me as a writer and as a person

[@Rocker21344]

It's crazy how fast people blitz through the series. I'm a completionist and I've done Judgement, LJ, Ishin, and 0-3 and have over a thousand hours clocked into the series. Doing the Kiryu saga in a few months is nuts

[@Milty2001]

I remember getting into the series blind I discovered yakuza from its memes thanks to the KZbin algorithm, I started with 0 and I made me want to play them all, so I played 0, kawami, kawami 2, 3,4,5 and 6 I haven't played lost judgment or like a dragon but I'm planning on playing them this year, my experience with 0 was a roller coaster at first getting the grasp of the game was easy but the side stuff and the mini game were a mixed bag but I still enjoyed it, damn it so amon making me almost break my controller 😭

[@hayasher]

Start at Need for Speed The Run, most beginner friendly game.

[@kirbster3678]

I remember getting into the seris because I was just looking at games on Game Pass and saw this game Yakuza Kiwami thought I'd try it out. I thought it was gonna be something like grandtheft auto, or Saints row. How I would describe it is if Tekken and sleeping Dogs had a baby. I was in love.

[@JodaroKujo]

For me it was pretty easy to get into yakuza I love beat em up games with quick time events I’ve Played 0-6 + Gaiden

[@Alpheus_09C]

I'm glad that I've been able to get into long running series like fate, trails, tales ,yakuza, kingdom hearts,final fantasy, dragon quest etc fairly easily

[@MauroDelCore]

I will always suggest 0 as a starting point (was my first game) and go on until the 6 if you enjoyed... Kiwami 1 first hour is very boring, while the introduction of yakuza 0 of both protagonist (specially majima) set a narrative for a great story. Also in Y1 there is an important part related to nishiki that tbh I don't they developed that much. Judgment and Like a dragon also are good games as a starter's as they are somewhat more detached from Kiryu Stories.

[@mjc0961]

LOL who's the mad lad who made that "Yakuza Play Order" graphic and included "Hyrule Floods Timeline" on it, that cracked me up good 😂

[@mykbrooks598]

Within the first few minutes of Zero, I was into Yakuza. Deep.

[@DarkkirbyKRPG]

While I do have a problem with the "Yakuza Series Starter Pack" as the Kiwamis, like you mentioned, where made with 0 in mind, I can excuse it somewhat. Maybe RGGS agrees with the people that say you must play 0 after 5 now, whatever. Why did they separate the series into "Yakuza" and "Like A Dragon" based on their genres? Why would they confuse newcomers even more? What's worse, because of their names and their gameplay genres, Like A Dragon Gaiden and Like A Dragon Ishin are missing from both "series" on Steam. Why do this when a few years ago you said you wanted the series to unify under the "Like A Dragon" name? It's the same franchise and series. I'm so baffled by this.

[@KeyToAeris2024]

This, The Legend Of Heroes and Kingdom Hearts all share the same problem. There’s too many games and too many arcs. Honestly the best place to start for Yakuza is definitely Zero. The only problem with this is it sets the bar so high that the games after it feel worse in comparison

[@rlira8072]

One big issue for me was in every discussion someone is going to say something about another game, so, while I still had fun, I felt pressured to play all of them to not be left out. I'm playing judgment for the first time and I already know everything there is to know about Lost Judgment.

[@jdotaing]

The perfect starting point is watching this video 🙃

[@lemeledicortes]

I started from K1, and played "0" after "5", to me it was a great way to experience the saga. It didn't feel like I missed informations playing Kiwami1 first. In the other hand, in zero you have some details related to stuff you discover in 4 and 5, which would made less sense if you didn't know stuff like the Saejima story. So I feel that following the release order is the best option (using K1+K2 instead of 1 and 2)

[@Fantasy-cf6tu]

I wanna get into the series but I only have a DS, am I cooked?

[@CornellD.Cavendish]

Kiwami 1 just was announced for switch

[@gamingodyssey4328]

as someone who had yakuza 0 , kiwami 1 and 2 and like a dragon(7) for years and recently bought remastered collection, gaiden and infinite wealth i am really enjoying 0

[@irie169]

I really have to blame Sakura Miko (a VTuber) for streaming Yakuza 0 and hooking me into the series. I now dream to one day be able to Tiger Drop someone.😢

[@heartlessangel2910]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. My starting point into Yakuza was Fist of the North Star; Lost Paradise. When you go a video on that and share the love?? 😉

[@KingY3000]

I had an weird entry point because my brother played the games and love the stories on ps3 but for me i didn't until playing zero ( i played dead souls 😅 before)and i like the game. But i only played the for the gameplay and skip the story and then i got into the story for real on yakuza 3 and beat 4,5,6 and went back and beat 0,1,2 and played judgement and lost judgement then 7 so my journey was very strange but the point is just play an game because everything is fun. TlDR: any point is fine coming from personal experience

[@Quantum722]

the ps2 version was the definition of Yakuza being hard

[@fourty9933]

i dont see it anymore but the was a bundle with yakuza 0, kiwami and kiwami 2, maybe they removed and replaced it with those new ones.

[@NullVoid-rm7jm]

The burning irony of this series is that you almost NEVER get to play as a Yakuza in any of these games. In Yakuza 7 and 8 you're not a Yakuza. In Yakuza 0 and Kiwami you're not a Yakuza. Hopefully when I play 2 through 6 I'll finally get to play as a Yakuza but I have a feeling that's not gonna happen either

[@paulbell3682]

Kiryu is part of the Yakuza in Yakuza 2 & Kiwami 2.

[@NullVoid-rm7jm]

@@paulbell3682 for how long? 10 minutes? Cause he got expelled from the Yakuza in 0 AMD kiwami in the first chapter of both games

[@MKCGreatKungLao]

Whatever the starting point is, just play the series before you get to Infinite Wealth, otherwise you won't appreciate Bucket List and Life Links. Those are some heavy throwbacks to literally every single game that came before and it should be appreciated accordingly.

[@Alpenmilch]

I'm more worried about people finding starting anything new as "hard". We are not talking starting a new job, or working on ones character but a game series which is very welcoming btw. The stories all work on their own, for me personally I started with Yakuza 4 back when it was given for free with the PSplus on PS3, I started in the middle of the series but while playing 4 I never had the feeling of not understanding. The only hard part of Yakuza is playing Kenzan and both Kurohyō without knowing japanese.

[@squidblue2998]

I started with K1, and i honestly dont regret it at all. It made me appreciate 0 more once i got to it

[@KnightlyBrosGaming]

I started playing the series with Yakuza Kiwami. It was the free game of the month with PS+. I had fallen in love with Kiryu and Majima because of Project X Zone 2. Yakuza Kiwami pissed me off several times, but I managed to beat the game on Normal. After Kiwami, I played Yakuza 0 and on Easy Difficulty. I wasn't trying to give myself rage because I simply wanted to enjoy the story. After 0, I played Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, 4, 5, and 6. Thoroughly enjoyed my time with the games and Kiryu Kazuma is one of the greatest videogame characters of all-time.

[@TheGerkuman]

I am one of those people who started with Kiwami 1 and enjoyed it, and didn't feel like references to past things overloaded me. It just made me feel like Kazuma had a rich backstory, and more of a real person. But I also get that it's a personal taste thing, and honestly I think it's a reason why Justice may be a good starting point, since it's more self-contained. (Or 7 if you're into turn-based combat) I will say though with Kiwami that they would've been in trouble without those added Niishki flashbacks. Without them, you'd *have* to start with Zero, since one of the big criticisms of the original Yakuza game was how little we got to know the antagonist. For some, those new cutscenes weren't enough and that tends to be why they're very ferverent about others playing Zero before Kiwami 1, but as I said before, my experiences were positive and the whole thing has resulted in me feeling fairly chill in regard to where people should start (which was the premise of this video)

[@DerEchteLinke]

I think some ppl are confused when it comes to chronological order, for example, are the first two Yakuza games (PS2) the ones you'd start with, or 0, Kiwami, then Kiwami 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on?

[@rancorlover]

7 was my entry

[@jellyjohn6969]

Yakuza has been a massive part of my life... But these are some of the most daunting titles to play. It's fucking awesome all the way through, but people could very much be turned off by that. I'm on Kiwami 2 after 0 and Kiwami 1, and I'm trying to complete it... but man it's getting hard lol

[@sjakkalul]

1,2,3,4,5,0,6,7,8 and judgement can put anywhere and inshin after 5 or 4?