Yakuza: Kiwami and Yakuza 6 Demo | Your Next Favorite

We try to wrap our heads around a remake that's more of a Yakuza 0 mod, then look at the promising demo for the 6th entry coming out later this year.
/ hyperbithero
12:35 to skip to the Yakuza 6 Demo section.
*The title "Your Next Favorite" is played loose for this video because I have nothing better to call it.

[@eastull]

I like to pretend that Yakuza 1 is what actually happened and Kiwami is Kiryu circa Yakuza 4 or 5 recounting the events of Y1 with added context he learned later on and Majima occasionally chiming in with bullshit that never happened bc he wants to look cool

[@ygsr]

Sounds like the Twin Snakes remake of Metal Gear Solid 1. Over-the-top, cheesy fun. Not all fans of the original like it, but then some people started looking at it as Otacon's retelling, which makes it a lot more fun to play.

[@Pan_Z]

@@ygsr The Twin Snakes and Kiwami aren't comparable in that regard. The Twin Snakes isn't a faithful remake, and some aspects about it are outright worse than the original, such as the voice acting. Kiwami is extremely faithful, possibly too much.

[@garrettoliva5154]

@Adam ET Kiryu trying DM a D&D game but Majima is there.

[@haashirkhan8063]

Majima: then I jumped out of a trash can Kiryu: no you didn't majima san Majuma: shut up I did and it was awesome Kiryu: sigh, and then majima jumped out of a trash can, I should stop inviting you to yakuza story time.

[@Gundamseeddabest]

Having been playing Kiwami right after Zero, which is my first Yakuza game, I think the developers specifically meant for this game to be played as a direct continuation of Zero as well as the new way to get involved in the story line.

[@SuperPiposaru]

If it weren't for the Your Next Favorite series, I would've never thought about playing Yakuza. I downloaded 4 and man, I'm hooked on the franchise! Fingers crossed Kiwami gets localized and that 6 is great!

[@KudaroKoi]

Yakuza is the best series EVER!

[@jonnysac77]

Really glad I took your advice on the order this series should be played in, I think I would've liked the older games much less if I just jumped into 0 and then Kiwami as soon as they got localized, playing these games in the context they were meant to be played in really helped me appreciate this series as a whole

[@baroquechevalier8516]

Same here. They really feel like they get better with each new entry.

[@sometwithtoomuchfreetim3842]

You and I both

[@vibekered7784]

0 first, or kiwami 1 and 2 then 0?🙂 I have read different views on it...and haven't decided...

[@sometwithtoomuchfreetim3842]

@@vibekered7784 Or the original 1

[@vibekered7784]

@@sometwithtoomuchfreetim3842 the original no 1? 2...then 0?

[@JordoMajima]

You're definitely really hard on kiwami. I understand your points, cause you started with the originals. But as someone who started with 0, kiwami was absolutely amazing. Especially the majima system. Def shoulda cut down majima but i became so attatched to him after 0 i didnt realize that system was something i really needed. I just beat kiwami after dumping like 70 hours into it and had an absolute blast. That second last boss tho...needed to be fixed what the fuck.

[@teneesh3376]

Kiwami is fun, but did make compromises and had a lot of bloat. Even someone who has only played Kiwami, I could feel lie there's a lot of bloat and busy work. That's why I can't recommend one over the other. They are bpthe equally great in different ways. But I do wish there was a version of the original with the original dub. The acting and the mixing for the english original dub is just horrible. Also the Majima everywhere does have a character clash with the original scenes. With Majima everywhere having him being extremely goofy and fun. While the original had Majima be unhinged and psychotic

[@teneesh3376]

But I do believe that if kiwami also included the original with english text but with the japanese dub, then I would say get kiwami. Or they could have sold it seperatly. Either way, both versions are just as good as each other

[@efendiminati]

yea i actually love the majima everywhere more than actual story i guees drama isn't my interest and yea some of the bosses and missions bullshit in kiwami

[@amarson2322]

Fuck Jingu all my homies hate Jingu

[@metakuza7660]

Majima everywhere was honestly my least favorite part in kiwami

[@Pan_Z]

The best fans are the best critics. They set standards because they love.

[@teneesh3376]

Fans who don't critize and pretends a series is perfect are the worst

[@MrHunterbg]

But there’s a point where criticism becomes impossible. They can only do so much. I’m mostly drawing this from a different series, but people are super hard on them. Criticism is fine within reason.

[@hartfantom]

@@MrHunterbg no one knows the boundaries though. Hate and pure bashing gets masked with the word criticism these days and dare if you fight back. Now your “just a childish bitch who can’t take criticism”.

[@bradenarcader1476]

Most of the time, For example the star wars fanbase is extremely hypocritical

[@LemonCreature]

Hmmm, now I'm all curious how you feel about 6... and Judgement, Kiwami 2, and 7 for that matter. You're the KZbinr who inspired me to check this series out and I am very thankful for your videos on the series, so I'm sort of curious what you think of the more recent games, whether it's about their stories, characters, and gameplay.

[@Nison545]

These games are so hard to get that it's criminal considering the gems that they are. They just need to budget for PC releases and then their fanbase would skyrocket.

[@shahzarkhan9128]

Nison545 Yakuza zero announced for PC. PC players can enjoy this great game now !

[@iplaygunz1]

Honestly the best way to play the first two is on a PS2 emulator with pirated roms. I know I shouldn't encourage piracy, but if they brought the HD collection to the west, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[@puryple]

Oh yeah

[@striderm]

I gotta say right here 6 is an amazing game. I've been stalling on the last chapter by doing a lot of the side stuff and challenges for now. But I need to mention it's one of my favorite stories in the series.

[@tyke7324]

Mike Strider i heard the story sucked, is that true?

[@striderm]

Tyke I found it wonderful. It may be missing a couple things other player's may would have wanted, but I loved the story.

[@tyke7324]

Mike Strider thanks for your feedback! 0 was my first game in the series and i loved it to death, can't wait to play the other games!

[@scenedikemon]

Tyke 6 is also my favorite story of the series. I think overall my favorite is still 2 or 5 but even with the rough edges everything in 6 felt tight and like it had purpose. My best friend said he feels like 6 is the “Drive” (2011 film) of the Yakuza series. Fantastic series, and I’m glad it wasn’t a new “Mass Effect” in terms of narrative conclusion. I can only hope the future “Shin RGG” series continuation is just as good.

[@johnanth]

12:35 -- haha, that was a great transition. This is why I love HyperBitHero, he doesn't let humour take over his channel (which is honestly a breath of fresh air among gaming channels) but he always takes the effort to keep things visually interesting in subtle ways.

[@Kriken_]

YES I have been wanting to hear someone recommend Yakuza 1 over Kiwami, as I opted to play Yakuza 1 first instead. Everyone else seems to be saying that you should just play Kiwami instead but I thought there'd be some value playing the original, and that I may as well play it first. I will play Kiwami at some point though.

[@ralfsstuff]

I don't mind having played Kiwami as my first Yakuza title. I was still impressed with it after having played nothing but the PS2 Demo before. Back then i loved the concept but forgot all about it by the time i was old enough to be able to buy the full releases. After that Yakuza 3 was the last game of the series i noticed at all. Now after having played Kiwami i feel insanely hyped for the newer installments in the series. I bought Yakuza 2 and 3 within one week, will play through them in the next few days and then purchase 4 and 5 in the PSN Store to bridge the gap until the release of Yakuza 6 in a couple of months.

[@The4thSnake]

Who else is rewatching because of the localisation announcement?

[@mistergremm735]

The4thSnake i'm just here to find something to waste time

[@Triplof1987]

From the future, just here to tell that yakuza 3,4 and 5 is coming to the ps4

[@vermiliontusk6090]

@@Triplof1987 and now we have all the yakuza games to Xbox and pc in early 2021

[@Triplof1987]

@@vermiliontusk6090 God bless the japanese

[@CheshaGurimu]

im picking up an entire collection of this series. This is easily my jam thanks for convincing me to get this.

[@chipslight738]

When HyperBitHero delivers a Yakuza video... well... *IIIIII RECEIIIIIIIIVE IIIIIIIT*

[@подруга-л4л]

Yakuza Kiwami? More like Yakuza Majima

[@Triplof1987]

You tried

[@superlosia1234]

I REALLY hope Kiwami gets localized.

[@justinl8791]

Yeah, me too. Considering I never finished the original before my PS2 died. Part of the reason is the fucking cringe worthy English VO. Brrrr.

[@johnanth]

I must be the only one who liked the English dub and missed the voices :( Sure, it had the classic problem of voices being sped up/slowed down and stuff to fit the lines, but if a bit more care was paid to the syncing, it could have bee na great dub. Shame the series didn't sell well to warrant continuing with the cast. I'm just glad we get them at all though.

[@evipevip]

I don't really care about Kiwami. You can always play Y1 for the story and Y0 for the gameplay. And if Kiwami doesn't sell in the West like Dead Souls, they can cancel Y6. It's not worth the risk. Now Ishin is another story, but never gonna happen.

[@helltioeverygames]

Maybe if the fans ask Sega for it but i mean many of them but of course if that happen it won't be on disk sadly it will become digital,so fuck that i prefer having the disk in my hands it's feel a lot better XD-.

[@helltioeverygames]

+Stealth333 nope,kiwami is a remake so you better play remake then 2,3,4,5,6

[@andytheartist8760]

I want this game to get release in the U.S. so badly.

[@SuperUnit24]

I don't get why they don't just give us the HD versions of 1 & 2. Wouldn't they be the easiest thing to localize ever, considering the translations already exist? Plus it would help get new people in who don't want to start at 3, 4, or 5.

[@dragster1018aone]

"So I'm hoping to make this a briefer video than usual." *Annonation sayings I failed.*

[@Seandeclanpatrick]

Oh boy, that suggestion you made about a small campaign where you play as Nishiki is what they ended up doing with Majima in Kiwami 2 and it... wasn't great

[@Estragogon]

i just hope Saejima won't have to break out of prison AGAIN

[@anthony199757]

"Yakzau 1 had some really frustrating bosses." *Shows the second to last boss.* *Starts to sweat*

[@chrisossu2070]

I've heard a lot of conflicting things about the sixth game, with the only general consensus that it isn't as good as Yakuza 0. Though considering they basically created the engine and combat for the game from scratch, I can see there being room for improvement in the following sequels, so I'm still optimistic for the series' future. And I am absolutely sure there's going to be future sequels. Let's be honest, the series is such a cash cow in Japan that it won't end just because Kiryu stepped out as the protagonist.

[@SeedofCreed]

When is the samurai one being localised? (probably never, right?)

[@qwertyMrJINX]

Which one? Actually, scratch that. Neither of them.

[@legendlgd8547]

You mean yakuza Ishin ?

[@johnanth]

I don't think the Ishin guy was historically a samurai, he came from another noble class if I am not mistaken.

[@ThatWeirdGuyFromWork]

Talk to Cthulu. He might help.

[@Errol246]

In Ishin they essentially fuse the two historical characters into one by having Kiryu play a character who sometimes portrays as the other.

[@GrubKiller436]

Oh yeah! My next favorite! This series of yours recommending underrated games has always been interesting.

[@MadDogSolo]

12:12 I think that point also works if you’ve played the games before Kiwami, and plus it’s just worse since the fights feel butchered because of it.

[@godsavant]

Kiwami is fascinating, I've never seen anything like it: a remake that straight-up re-uses the original's animations right down to facial movements, yet also incorporates elements and canon from a next-gen prequel. The next closest thing I can think of is the Halo 1 and 2 remakes.

[@GaijinController]

As a huge fan of this series I get your point on from the first PS2 game. I think that's all a matter if people would be willing to get the ps2 copy or emulate. I do wish the 1+2 HD ports would get localized but I guess that would end up throwing people off even more

[@nimazsheik5152]

Yakuza is one of those games where when you just see a small gameplay clip, you want to play and experience the whole game all over again 💖

[@MadDogSolo]

10:44 Yeah his moves are pretty similar but it’s his moveset from 3 which isn’t much different.

[@ThePickleBehindTheSlaughter]

A detail I like is that the map during the flashback opening still shows the empty lot instead of the tower (despite how you cant actually walk over there)

[@scenedikemon]

I really appreciate your critical look at Kiwami. I feel Kiwami 1 and 2 both have some core flaws that just aren’t as well done as they were in the PS3 HD versions. However I guess I’m glad we still have both versions; I’d rather have a new “fresh” take on a classic that’s relatively faithful rather than a full on remake that changed too much.

[@Minileblanc]

Thank you for your Yakuza videos. I always had my eyes on this series, but never actually made the jump, because I didn't know where to start. I've played 1 through 5 now (halfway through 5 currently), and this is one of my favorite series ever. My only regret being the fact that since I always wanted to play the next one to get more content and story, I've only fought Amon in 4, which is kind of disappointing, but I'll get back to them, eventually.

[@Thuriazs]

I'm currently playing Yakuza 1 on a PS2 emulator and I almost spit out my coffee when I started watching this. I had no idea that Kiwami existed and it's the first time I've ever wanted a PS4.

[@BaneDane_JB]

It may never be localized though so consider the prospect of learning another language or, more realistically, using a walk through for 100% of the game.

[@FZJanimated]

man.... you have to be really patient with this series ,waiting 1-2 extra years for the english version is killing me. i want kiwami and yakuza 6 so bad ,specially kiwami because i didnt get a chance to play the ps2 version or the remastered version ugh... i really wish there was more attention to this games

[@ImmortalNokia]

2016/17 will be some of the best years for yakuza fans

[@myHandleIsAlwaysTaken]

I gotta wonder, what do you think of the newest Yakuza games? pretty sure it's been a while since your last upload, but I've barely watched your content as of yet, so I wouldn't know if that's just the style you rock

[@Bread_Bauru]

Kiwami was such a loyal remaster to an downside, because of what he said, some flaws of the PS2 stayed, regardless of what you wanted to improve But personally as someone who’s really new to the series it’s a great starting point AFTER a playing through 0

[@hirobeez]

The Majima system was really funny in the beginning, especially since I liked him from 0, but the sheer frequency you meet him starts to bother after a while. By the way, the Kiwami games were made in a year each apparently, with a full team behind it, probably simultaneously while they were doing newer ones. So I think it was not the perfect product just because at most it was like a side project and the devs really wanted to pump it out and move to the next one ASAP. It's not ideal, but I still want to praise the existing quality on these, even if most of those were under the hood since the original.

[@Xx_HD_xX]

DUDE let people know about spoilers ahead of time please! Some of us are new to the series.

[@The4thSnake]

Good vid. If Zero sells well enough, Kiwami shouldn't be too hard to localise, given how most of the work was already done in 2005.

[@largolagrande]

Yeah, it shouldnt be. But they did not even try to localize any of the Yakuza HD collections in the West. I suppose the only way. To get any of the HD releases is if Yakuza 0 sells big time.

[@The4thSnake]

The Treacherous Disciplin I wish you didn't have such a good point. Goddammit, Sega.

[@JeanAlcantara]

Another day, another great Hyper video. Really looking forward to playing Yakuza 6 when it eventually reaches stateside!

[@Glasichor]

I love the amount of work you put into your videos. Awesome job man

[@AyaC]

I did played Yakuza 6 with Chinese Subtitles and finished it. Personally, I felt a bit let down with some of the mini games and some part of the city being off limited. The story is kinda of weird since it involved illegal child trafficking, a crazed triad ideology and a baby which started this mess. But the ending was pretty dramatic seeing what happened to Kiryu in the end and how it affect everyone around him. Overall, I felt that Yakuza 6 has a okay storyline but the mini games are the best in Yakuza Zero which I really personally enjoyed the Cabaret mini game a lot since the hostess are real live Japanese Adult Video actress..Thumbs up. But 6 has a funny live chat mini game which was really took adult entertaiment to another level...

[@WhiteMikeLamb]

Just got Yakuza 0 based of the recommendation of you and TheGamingBritShow. So far I'm bloody loving it!

[@fgdj2000]

Great video, as always! Really enjoyed it!

[@RexVergstrong]

It feels kinda like 6 will be another 3.

[@RexVergstrong]

Yeah, and they'll base and build the next ones on it.

[@marloges]

Since I loved 3 (despite the story being kinda mediocre) that sounds pretty good to me.

[@RexVergstrong]

3 laid the fundation for the PS3 era Yakuza and changed a lot of stuff from the PS2 era.

[@duelverse8410]

RexVergstrong but isn't six supposed to be the final game or something?

[@mitchellalexander9162]

Final Game featureing Kiryu as a payable character. After it they'll focus on Akiyama or some new characters that they'll write probably.

[@pierce7993]

One little thing that bothers me about Kiwami is that they didn't add Akiyama in as a cameo. it would have been a nice call forward to Yakuza 4.

[@HyperBitHero]

Yeah, that confused me as well. I always thought the implication in 4 was that Akiyama was the homeless guy in the first game who was in the opening cutscene and then at the end when money starts raining down over the city. I mean, maybe it was just some other homeless guy, but that was just the impression I got.

[@ReijiArisu1211]

Too bad Yakuza 1 had a crap dub. I'll take Kiwami just for that.

[@dyldar4732]

Still find it hard to imagine Mark hamils voice coming out of majima lol

[@Goofyaah23]

Hey Reiji how is Xiaomu doing?

[@y2kjetters317]

Its so bad its good imo

[@teneesh3376]

Kiwami is such a weird remake. I started the series with it, and played the og much later. And even though I like the og more, I don't think I would have played the rest if I played the og first. The og has a lot less to do and the translation is pretty bad. But kiwami is a lot more sloppy in terms of pacing and bloat

[@ShitinWithNoBathroom]

I played Yakuza 2 on the PS2, I like the concept and the story, but the game was outdated (at the time) compared to the GTA games etc. So I never finished it, but it always lingered in my mind. Kiwami & Kiwami 2 has made want to play the series now. I started with Yakuza 0, which I’m nearly done with, and then I’ll move unto the remakes. I can see the remakes being annoying in minor details to long term fans who have been there since the start. But the remakes, allowing you to follow the story, in up to date gameplay could be a major plus for the series to really get the games out in the West,

[@lancergt1000]

IMO the biggest problem Kiwami's combat has is that the Rush style is insanely OP compared to the other styles as it builds Heat much, much faster and it has a speed-boost powerup which drains Heat but still lets you build Heat while under the effects of the powerup so you can just chain that powerup forever if you're even slightly good at the game.

[@EvilMightyTrash]

7 years late but this video is great!!!

[@ArthursLittleWorld]

The truth is, the more Majima I get in the game, the happier I am.

[@shendelzarescathach1674]

not sure if you haven't seen it yet, but there was a live action Yakuza prequel to the events of the first game. It showcases the relationship between Kazuma, nishiki and Yumi when they were all orphans. It was released with the EU version of Yakuza 1 back on the ps2 but you can find the video now on youtube.

[@ZexySwami]

How can one man have such based taste, HyperBit you are my gaming taste brother from another mother

[@Assassino51PL]

I think the cool thing about Kiwami is that the most of dialogues are voiced, when in Yakuza 2005 there was much more text based dialogues

[@satellite964]

I loved the grittier Yakuza 1&2 originals. I have noticed the past few Yakuza games are leaning more toward a soap opera than a gritty crime drama.

[@guitarninja416]

Just realized your background music transition is flawless

[@SammEater]

The negatives are definitelly there but I really enjoyed playing this one a lot. Majima Everywhere is 50/50 to me, I like it sometimes but other times I think it's just like you said it kind of changes the focus of Kazuma/Nishiki story to focus on Kazuma/Majima. Good thing I actually played the original first a decade ago.

[@scabab90]

Apparently Yakuza 0 comes out January 24th and will have a physical and digital version.

[@CanonGames]

Yakuza just keeps going from Strength to Strength!

[@Psydrre]

I like you, Mr. HyperBitHero. You make excellent videos!

[@satellite964]

Love 6's new combat. There is real momentum behind Kazuma and that feels awesome.

[@dan_dai]

Is so good to know you are making more Yakuza videos :D I will just subscribe because of that. I like Yakuza games a lot

[@shutupstupid5630]

I'm watching this Yakuza Kiwami, and 6 gameplay and I'm just fanboying uncontrollably.

[@harima9597]

I think Sega just trying to have a mini reboot to the continuity a bit start with Zero. Now we got Kiwami 2, I'm sure that 3-4-5 would be a cash cow for them.

[@wanderingcantos]

Idk why but I keep watching all your Yakuza vids. Normally I don't like watching people play, but your videos are a blast to watch and listen to. Keep up the good work! (can you do one for sleeping dogs?)

[@rafvchv]

Man, these games are so great, sadly i've only been able to play 4 and that was like 2 years ago when i got a Plus subscription for christmas. Yakuza 5 is only 30 bucks now but with the current state of things in Venezuela it's pretty much impossible for me to get it so i guess i'll have to keep watching these videos and hope for better times, heh. Btw, love your videos, you deserve way more subs. Keep it up !

[@obiwan1138]

I can't wait to get a job, so I can get a PS2, Yakuza 1 & 2, and the rest of the localized games, so I can start playing this series. Ever since your first "Your Next Favorite" on this series, I have wanted to play this series, starting with the first one. So hopefully, when I get a job, I'll finally be able to play this series, and have fun doing so!

[@Roderickthegray]

12:11 that heat action Lau just did to you wasn't a heat action originally, it was a grab attack from Katsuya. Just a fun fact I wanted to put out there.

[@gamelordabd]

It's funny that I JUST beat Yakuza 2 last night, and this video pops up. I've only played the first 2 games, and I don't own a PS3, so I'm kinda bummed that I'll have to skip out on Yakuza 3, 4, 5, Kenzan, and Dead Souls, but I do have a PS4, so luckily I'll be able to pick up 0 when the English version comes out, and I plan on importing Ishin eventually. If push comes to shove, I'll import Kiwami as well if it doesn't get an English release.

[@brunocar02]

are you ever going to make a video on the PSP titles? and for that matter the similar kenko bancho which is basically yakusa for teens

[@BigBoss-sv2jh]

Do you understand Japanese? I was just wondering because you're getting Yakuza 6, but the game looks like it'll be the biggest, most content filled Yakuza game, which'll be hard to get around or find out what to do.

[@SlipNoodles]

Just finished Yakuza Kiwami, unbelievably better than the original, I disagree that you''d tell people too go back to the original, the gameplay is unbelievably better.. I couldn't go back personally, now awaiting Yakuza 6.

[@scrustle]

What a coincidence, I just beat Yakuza 5 yesterday. I really enjoyed it, but on balance I think I prefer 4. 5 goes it a bit too far meandering away from the core of what the series is best at. 6 looks like it's getting things back on track, which is cool, although the timing of combat animations does sound a little concerning. That was actually a problem I had with 5, although only in the basic controls of walking around, not combat. Either way, they seem to be going in a good direction overall. I like the look of the changes they're making to the Heat system in particular. And talking of 5, and this demo of 6, I always thought Kiryu's appearance was kind of strange in that demo. He looks really young. And after seeing the ending of 5, his appearance seems even more strange. It's going to be interesting to see how this all works out.

[@LINKchris87]

I am playing Kiwami and am enjoying it SO much. Loved the original too.

[@HombreGato]

A lot of your points are true, but I don't agree is not a good substitute for those like me didn't experienced the first one when it came out. It'ss perfect to play after Zero because it deepens way more in the relationship with Nishiki and makes him a real conflicted and tormented villain. If you play the original you just say "Meh, somehow his friend turned bad", but with Kiwami you really see that downfall, you see how tragic is the facing with kyriu.

[@gfcomiano]

guys, this Kiwami is a remake from the first Yakuza, right? it's only available in Japanese? how did u get your copy? you know if it's possible to download from PSNJP? I like to play the whole series, but I don't want to play the very first Yakuza if there's Kiwami available.

[@skyhazel6205]

Here's hoping to another great entry in the series! But why does Kiryu look about 15 years younger all of the sudden? (Look at his face in 5, and then check the demo... with the graphical update, by all accounts he should actually look dramatically older...)

[@vlowolvtake1797]

極 When read "goku", it can mean "extreme". When read "kiwami", it can mean "polished". I think they named it "kiwami" because "goku" is used in another word for "yakuza" (gokudo) and it's "polished" as in "remade".

[@Gamerdude854]

It they ever localize Kiwami an option to use the English dub would be cool for nostalgia purposes

[@LeenatKomanda]

I never played a Yakuza game, until Zero. I loved it. Now I am awaiting to play Kiwami and 6.

[@Lastcastor]

It is good to finally get your thoughts on Kiwami. With that being said I beat Yakuza 1 a few weeks ago and while I can appreciate it for what it is and what it brought to the table, I just don't see myself ever going back to it because of how stiff it is in places. After playing it I realized what you meant when you mentioned that the lock on felt too lose and how difficulty is not very easy to tell due to the fact that healing items can really help out. Also, fuck the asshole with the pistols, I had such a hard time with him that I can't wait to see just how the Rush style makes things easier in Kiwami. With that being said, I was able to get a used copy of 1 at a very cheap price but copies of 2 seem to be a bit too pricey for my liking. At this point, I am just thinking of watching a walkthrough of 2 at then jump to 3 since it is much more reasonably priced. I just want to end things off by saying that the story is a big part of what made me keep playing the original despite me not really liking it much. That and the fact that things would get better as the franchise moved on. You certainly made me a believer in this series and I am certainly curious on what the future holds for the future.

[@SantinoRuggiero]

My little advice as a fan of the series - Yakuza 2 is easily the best and probably one of the best games I have ever played. The fighting system is improved and the story is even better. Yakuza 3 is so bad that I had to remove it from my collection, seeing it on my shelf was too depressing. It's like they went from dark and serious crime story (Y1 & Y2) to some retarded goofy soap opera. Yakuza 4 is OK - the atmosphere is more like a crime story again and I liked the idea with 4 playable characters (Akiyama and Saejima were really great).

[@112523]

as someone who started with 0 as it was the first localised yakuza game i could actually get my hands on, i really wanna play kiwami. especially since sega is considering doing remaked for 2 3 4 and 5 for ps4 aswell. [i bet 3 4 and 5 will just be hd updates tho]

[@AntiNihilist]

here's a question. what's the point of Yakuza 6 from a story perspective? it seemed like Kazuma was scaled back in 4 but then 5 brought him back as a major player yet gave the series a definitive ending. the fact that he's 40 some now makes me think even more that he should become the new Tojo chairman and/or add a new main hero. but then that goes against the point of the whole series too... when can Kazuma rest for good?

[@Arcananine77]

Yakuza 6 will supposedly be the last game in the series to star Kazuma so chances are that the team at Sega is also ready to move on. Can't blame them since you can only do the "Some asshole is starting shit with(in) the Tojo clan and it's up to Kazuma to come back and sort things out" plot so many times. Way I see it is that he should end the series becoming the damn Chairman of the Tojo clan already since that'll probably prevent a lot of trouble.

[@Gojirilla]

So maybe you've already answered this, (and if so could you point out where you did?) but after watching your videos I REALLY wanna play these games. I'm talking every single one. How did you go about playing them? Did you use an emulator? Or buy an import? I know the first one was released in America, but how did you get a hold of the others? Did you have to mod the text to be in English? Basically how did you go about gaining access to these games and what would be the best way for someone to play them while living outside of Japan?

[@pedropablopicasso]

Yakuza 1 through 5 as well as Yakuza Dead Souls were all released in the US. The only games we don't have are Kenzan, Ishin, Kiwami, 0 and 6. If you have a PS2 and a PS3, you can get Yakuza 1 and 2 on PS2, and get Yakuza 3, 4, 5 and Dead Souls on PS3.

[@i3kel]

I missed yakuza 5 because I had got rid of my ps3 before it came out. How much did i miss with it, is to something I need to go back and catch up on before 6?

[@redevilsin]

i think akiyama and saejima are in the game in yakuza 6 because they get involved in the game since yakuza 4

[@solidsnake5700]

they scould have tested the new engine before making yakuza 6, like they did with kenzan and ishin in my opinion.... also i think there are benefits to playing 0 before kiwami, too like the death of some characters beeing more impactfull because you know them better already..

[@Burbs409]

I want to play the games in order, but ps2 copies of Yakuza 2 seem a bit too expensive. Do you think there's any chance of a Kiwami version of 2?

[@ziaratv3212]

Thanks for the video. So to clarify. Would you recommend playing 0 over Kiwami first? Huge fan of the serious, but don't have a way to play all the games as I only have a PS3 and PS4. Thanks

[@Keeneye47_Wolfkeen]

I'll say this. I'm someone who jumped into the series with 4 and 5. I recently decided to play the first game, since I REALLY wanted to see some of the major differences and otherwise. Yes the combat is stilted and very stiff, but I was able to adapt pretty quickly to it and I'm actually having a very fun time. (Just to preference this comment, I'm at the beginning of Chapter 8) Was it hard for me to do this since I jumped in with the later games, yes but I don't think it's impossible to adapt. I honestly do believe that even if someone jumped in with the later games in the series, it isn't too hard to go back and play the previous ones. True a lot of the combat and general gameplay changes aren't there, but the baselines are still there and for me, that's enough. So yeah, I can see Kiwami as just an addition to the original, NOT a replacement and I would agree and say if you want to play the first game, just play the first game.

[@duelverse8410]

Keeneye47/Wolfkeen as an outsider looking in (as in someone who hasn't played the yuccas the games but have been very interested for a long time and knows the story of the first one) that doesn't make sense to me why can I just play the best version of the first game. As a matter fact why can't I just start with zero. Give me chronology is way way more important than feeling the changes as they go on sure it might make yakuza 2 slightly underwhelming despite it doing everything yakuza one did better, but to me that's not really an issue if it's a good game it's a good game and I highly doubt that I will be too affected by the changes.

[@Keeneye47_Wolfkeen]

Well the problem with Kiwami is that besides some graphical and otherwise kind of changes (including new cutscenes) it has to literally break some elements of the first games story and otherwise. Like in the video the Majima everywhere system. In the original game, you only fought him twice and they made sense due to the context of things. But in this game, you fight him so many times that it borderlines insane. ESPECIALLY since the first game is not about Kiryu and Majima, it's about Kiryu and Nishiki. The worst part about this system is that if you don't do it, you have a fighting style that is COMPLETELY useless. (Which is his Dragon of Dojima style, aka his main style) This system really dampens a few things and forces you to either abide by it or cripple yourself in the long run. Which for a story and gameplay narrative is REALLY jarring. I will say this though, 0 IS a good starting spot, since it is the starting point of the series. But the main reason I say to play the first game and NOT Kiwami is for this simple reason. When you beat Kiwami, you have to play the second game to understand more of the story and otherwise. There's no remake of 2, so unless you want to wait a few years, you are gonna have to play the Ps2 version. And this is where Kiwami will hurt you more then help you, cause you will be used to Kiwami's style of play over the original. This will cause you to learn how the second games combat differs compared to the more modern series. This is why I say play the first game and then move on from there. Cause once you beat the first game and move to the second, you are already used to the controls and otherwise, allowing you to jump into the second game unhindered. (Minus a few new additions) Kiwami I see as an addition, not a replacement/definitive version. Because as I said, when you finish the remake of 1, you will want to jump into the second game and unless you want to wait, you will play the Ps2 version. And as I said, this will make the experience tricky and a little hard to get used to. At the time of writing this comment, I just beat the first game and am on Chapter 3 of the second game. Thanks to playing the first game, I was able to easily jump into the second with no real issues, thus allowing me to enjoy my experience so far and just play the game as per usual. See where I'm coming from?

[@duelverse8410]

Keeneye47/Wolfkeen I guess but I don't really have those issues for going back to play previous entries of a series(I do have the requisite systemsto play it) and the majima system doesn't seem too bad (Although I can definitely see why people wouldn't like it.)

[@duelverse8410]

Keeneye47/Wolfkeen also I don't have the patience for the terrible English dub and I'm not importing a version without subtitles so...

[@muzgash]

Sadly, most people don't have a (working) PS2 or a copy of Yakuza 1 and 2, so I for one am eternally grateful that they bring Kiwami over to the west. I got into Yakuza from 4 onwards and that mainly because you can buy it from PSN and not have to hunt down a physical copy, which can be a real pain, depending on where you live. It's a damn shame I wasn't aware of this series earlier, but man, am I glad that I found it at all. No other game scratches this itch.

[@IskandarTheWack]

I was kind of upset that I didn't get anything on Yakuza 0 item wise at the start of the game cuz I've played every yakuza game since 2 though I guess it didn't have save data for those games on the ps4. So to the question: Does Yakuza Kiwami have any item rewards for playing Yakuza 0 and having a save file from it?

[@r3ddragon302]

HyperBitHero: u make good f****** videos bro keep them up

[@GraveyardGroupies]

I hope they keep the series number going up and they just keep doing remakes, then by the time Yakuza 00 comes out, it will be twice the game. :)

[@JustusLynetta]

Do you think going from zero to Kiwami is a good move?

[@fernandosilva1730]

I want this game so much, come on August just come already.

[@MangaPlCTURE]

I'm already getting headaches from camera control within interiors in 6 just from watching this video. Feels like it's gonna be like the mess in 4, in which the camera couldn't keep up in the narrow ass Chinese district.