I picked up 6 and 0 for PS4 first back in late 2016 but never got round to play it; then picked up 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 (English) for PC during the recent Steam Summer sales and finally started on 0, and playing at 4K on the 75" TV. Dunno what I gonna do with the two PS4 version (Japanese) lol
Agree. It's a no brainer for me, having started with Y0 gave the story in Kiwami a lot more impact. Y0 is also the most well-rounded game and has the best story by far (in my opinion of course), so it's much more likely to get you hooked into the franchise.
@@CidGuerreiro1234 The only thing i will say is it disappoints if you really love Majima as it makes him seem like he gets as much screen time as Kiryu which ofcourse doesnt happen in later games im assuming.
Going through the series, am currently on Kiwami. I feel like playing 0 definitely made me care more about Nishiki And the rest of returning Tojo clan more so than I would if I didn't. But I prefer 0 Majima way more so far though
I got burnt out on the Hostess Club businesses, wanted to finish it before progressing with the story, but after I got back into the story I got hooked back in. Currently in chapter nine with 180 hours
Tbh the real estate is kinda boring really fast, unlike the cabaret club which is super interesting. But again if you want fast money yes Real Estate is the way to go.
Disagree, I started with 0 and felt like it set too high a standard, I think the issue for me was that 0 was SO GOOD at world building that it made you want to keep playing in that world, only for you to realise that the rest of the series is so disconnected from it. Most of the characters in 0 that are in 1 aren't as important as you're led to believe they are, or don't appear near as much or have as much significance to the plot as you think they would. It leaves a sort of "empty" feeling after being part of the world of 0 that feels so alive, where everything in 1 is a bit more dull and serious. It's clear there's a huge difference in tone between 0 and 1 and I don't think they mesh to gether well at all. I think starting with kiwami first then either 2 or 0 next is probably the way to go. I very much enjoyed kiwami 2 but Kiwami 1 is definitely more serious and less "fun", as well as feeling a bit more sparse and less "alive". I really didn't like it compared to the others, but I can appreciate it on its own in terms of its significance.
I remember buying it 2 yeard ago because of haha baka mitai man. And when i did the minigame. I just kinda continued. And now 2 years later. I collected all the games.
@@Oniontrololol Kiwami is a lot shorter. Although I didn't do a whole lot of the side stuff in my first playthrough. I just started Kiwami 2 and I can tell that's gonna be a long ass experience of me dicking around
Same for PS4 last month. And because it was that cheap i got The wolf Among us while i was at it. 10 Euros in total. And i had a perfect timing. My sister was where I am now at the time so i asked if i could access her Credit card so i can get those 2. In return i give her 10 euros. Remember: She lives in Romania so it wasn't exactly 10 euros. So i guess she got a bit more money but hey 10 euros ain't too much.
Let’s all be honest, We all came for Majima before he went crazy. (It’s actually confirmed he was stronger then Kiryu for quite some time in the beginning and near the end Kiryu gets stronger)
Well a lot of the moves he can learn are broken. There's a hint of strategy with Kiryu but with Majima the basic combo in Breaker is disgusting. Then he uses those moves on you in Kiwami
@@HatKidPeck But you said it WAS confirmed though, so technically you're lying. If majima was stronger than Kiryu then he wouldn't lose to Kiryu in a fight in nearly every game. Majima always states that he's no match for Kiryu.
The problem with starting with Zero is ... the sheer depth of the game makes Kiwami and Kiwami 2 feel like a simplistic slog. Kiwami 1 & 2 are good games for their time but they are still very simple by comparison and are still PS2 games at heart. They're a good place to start simply because you observe the gameplay itself develop over time. The question is, once you've finished 5, do you jump to 6 then Zero, or play Zero first?
It's definitely the conundrum. Personally, I like to start with a series' best, so starting with Zero especially since it's in chronological order was a no-brainer for me.
Yakuza Kiwamis are the original pieces, while games back then were more concerned on gameplay rather than movie style stories, 0 is how to build you up and let you go on 1,2,3,4,.......
Having actually known the story going into 0, I feel I enjoyed it more than I would have if I didn't. All the cameos were cool to see. I think the biggest thing for me is they introduced a character in 0 that shows up in Yakuza 6 and and not any of the old games. It's why I think release order might be the safest way to go now until they Kiwamify 3,4, and 5.
@Dragon Of Dojima/videos Sounds like burnout. There are so many order to play the games: 0 and K1 go good together 2 and 3 are outliers 4 and 5 go good together 6 is an outlier but actually pairs with 0 well (release date is important). Play the games like you would read a book series. Don't get too caught up in trying to absorb it all too quickly.
i personally started with Yakuza Kiwami. then played Yakuz0. however thats because i got Kiwami first for free from the PS4 monthly thingy. That was what introduced me to this fantastic series. But i recommend starting with Yakuz0. It builds the characters youre gonna see again in Yakuza Kiwami very well. Kiwami is a slightly inferior game, because Yakuz0 was built on the shoulders of giants.
That's a good way of putting it. PS Plus did a great job introducing people to the series. Neither is a wrong answer, but 0 is just absolutely fantastic.
You who supported kiwami have likely pulled your heads out of gutters. Kiwami is horrendous. It has got nothing on 0. It is completely inferior, story wise and gameplay. Mini games gotten worse as well. First thing I did once I started the game, noticed that the tone and pacing is just out of hand. I’d prefer if it wouldn’t be cold toned through out the whole game, a range of warm and cold tones instead would suit it. The beginning of the story was alright, engaging so to say. Though I hated the fact that Kyriu got arrested. 10 years later, no fun substories, no disco, crap music, and TERRIBLE karaoke remixes and additional songs! What happened? Why not include better mini games? It really felt melancholic when I played all the karaoke songs. Story wise, it’s identical to original. Bland. I certainly expected much from Kiwami, at least improvements in the story, but rather than doing that, they added majima being EVERYWHERE. Well, it certainly helped. Majima really was the only thing keeping be playing this game. It’s unfortunate though I had to finish chapter to rank up though, and earn more fun events. This game was really dragging me, I was holding on thin thread of the poor story, really just wanted to finish it and move on to something YAKUZA 0 like. Combat, it would really seem that music was a big part of it that made it great in 0. Different styles and bosses had their themes. A blessing for action beat them up genre. Although, Kiwami includes the “ Kiwami “ finisher, that’s all it really offers. Music sounds like it’s been picked from royalty free playlist, and all of the CONSTANT encounters don’t let you rest for a second. Ah, the last thing.. the way cutscenes are EVERYWHERE! Give it a rest already! They are so unbalanced, some of them are really unnecessary! A massive disappointment for a remaster, really hoped for something greater.
Only bad thing about playing 0 first is that Majima is the most fun the combat has ever been in a Yakuza game imo and everything after will just make you miss Majima.
@@deviljho4260 Not just that, but what's supposed to be a kinda big reveal just becomes "Okay, I already know that. "Can we please move along?" I'm referring to when Kazuo Shibata had his guys chain Majima up and take his eye.
@@don2772 if Kurohyou 2 is equal to that, oh boy, thank you, you saved me some time, I will not test this. 0 was a pain to get through, the combat was one of many reasons for this.
I'm a bit surprised to see the low view count on this video. The production is pretty solid.. It's well scripted, well read, clean audio, decent visual edits, everything about it passes the quality test, in terms of production. I'm even more surprised to see the rest of your videos do more poorly, even though they seem just as well done but you do release them regularly. Sometimes, i really don't understand TH-cam. Anyways, great work and you've earned a subscriber here.
Thanks! That means a lot. It's part of the life of an obscure TH-camr, lol. If anything, this video shows people are more into video essay styled videos than reviews, but oh well! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@Zubatticus I suspect other things. There are a lot of channels similar to yours that get a ton more views, but that brings me to the first issue.. a ton of people do video game reviews, so it's going to be harder to get people to choose yours over another when there are so many options The other thing is the cursing. I personally don't mind it.. I even prefer it but it's not friendly to the TH-cam algorithms and they won't promote your videos as on the related videos sidebar as much as they will for someone they consider 'advertiser-friendly.'
Okay so basically: I started playing Yakuza 0 about a month ago. First Yakuza game. I'm absolutely LOVING it. Only issue is (not actually an issue at all) that I'm at 120 hours in, and I'm only on chapter 10...
I remember playing the original ps2 yakuza way back and it is kind of interesting to start with kiwami since it just throws you into the thick of things when you know absolutely nothing. Then you can go back to 0 and learn about the characters a bit more. Kiwami characters are interesting considering how 90% of them end up at the end but without spoilers I'll just say it's impressive they managed to come up with a good plot for the 2nd game. I will say majima everywhere kinda ruins kiwami if it's your first because it assumes you care about him a lot so it can get a bit annoying when he chases you down after every restaurant exit, same for certain kiwami only substories. It does also have worse substories but it also has ones that have continuation in the sequels. If kiwami didn't have the additional story content that helps 0 but takes away from it being an entry I would say start with it but 0 is better unless you want to somehow play the ps2 one lol.
I just finished yakuza 0 and in terms of the story it was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. If it weren’t for the Baka Mitai meme I would’ve completely skipped over a fantastic game
Same here. It all started with that stupidly beautiful meme. I finished 0 and kiwami in a span of 3 days because the story (esp in 0) is just so bingeable.
Zubatticus - I love the over the top shit, beat em ups are alright but i love the rhythm mini games and such a lot. Side quests are honestly hilarious.
My first jump into the Yakuza series was with Yakuza kiwami in November of 2018 when it was a free PlayStation plus game at the time I was craving a good story game and Yakuza kiwami was just what I needed I'll soon be starting Yakuza 0
I'm almost done with Kiwami and I personally can't imagine doing Kiwami without doing 0 first. Knowing all their backstories adds SO MUCH to the characters and makes you feel a much stronger connection to the storyline in Kiwami!
In my opinion, it's better to start with Kiwami for two reasons. 1. It's a remake of the first ever Yakuza game. No duh, but that means the story was built from the ground up to be played first. Playing Kiwami first is how it was intended to be, and I think playing it that way helps see the story in the way the devs intended you to see it. 2. The gameplay. As you said, 0 has the better side quests, which leaves Kiwami feeling pale in comparison. But that's exactly why you should play Kiwami first. If you haven't played 0 yet, then you have nothing to compare Kiwami to, so it doesn't feel so stripped of content. Meanwhile, if you play 0 first, when you get to Kiwami, you'll find yourself spending the whole game wishing the game was more like 0, which makes it a less enjoyable experience overall. That's my 2 cents on the matter.
I don't agree with your first point at all. The devs went out of their way to add tons of references to 0 in K1, from substories to minigames and even main story. I think that just shows that K1 was made to be played after Zero.
@@lighto5083 K1 having references to 0 doesn't necessarily mean 0 is meant to be played first. Comparing it to another series, Fate. So, Fate started as a visual novel called Fate/Stay Night. Later, a light novel prequel called Fate/Zero was made. When Studio Ufotable made an anime adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route of Fate/Stay Night, they added multiple references to Fate/Zero. However, Fate/Zero should absolutely NOT be read or watched before Fate/Stay Night, given that Fate/Zero doesn't take any time to explain the universe, the fact it contains multiple spoilers to Fate/Stay Night, etc. And to me, it's much the same way with Yakuza.
@@PlayerZeroStart In Fate, Zero can't be read before FSN because it spoils major twists. This is not the case for Yakuza Zero. In fact, it's the other way around. Kiwami 2 spoils Zero and assumes you've already played with. Besides, the thing about Fate is that the anime adaptation order is already fucked. There is no proper Fate route adaptation so there's no way to start. FSN UBW and FSN HF anime already assume that you know both Zero. There is no way to watch it as it's intended so it isn't really fair to compare it to Yakuza.
@@lighto5083 I can't say anything about HF since I haven't watched it yet (I'm waiting for the third movie so I can watch them back to back), but at what point does UBW assume you've seen Zero? Also, you talk as though you absolutely have to see the Fate route before seeing UBW, but that's really not the case. It's a completely separate series of events. Also, that's Kiwami 2. We're talking about Kiwami 1. There's no reason you can't play K1, then go back to 0, then K2.
@@PlayerZeroStart You do have to see the Fate route because it sets up the world, reveals Saber's identity, explains who Shirou is and why he doesn't die to literally anything that attacks him during the series. UBW also thematically builds off Fate. There is a reason the routes have an order. UBW anime mentions Kayneth, shows off Waver, skips some explanations because they already were in Zero. Honestly, both adaptations are pretty mediocre and really don't do the VN justice. UBW is a bit better but it completly butchers Shirou's personality and instead focuses on new original scenes. K1>0>K2 order is a decent order and it is a pretty good alternative but I still think that Zero first is a bit better
I picked up both Zero, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2 on steam on PC a year or so back to get into the series. I played Zero first so i could follow the story canonically, i really enjoyed Zero a ton. Playing as both characters, Majima was probably the best. I liked him from the very first cutscene in the Cabaret but he also had the best character development. Besides Kiryu and Majima Tachibana was also one of my favorites. I just beat Kiwami recently and playing Zero first really makes it impactful all the way through especially near the end. The thing i really enjoyed the most with Zero and Kiwami was the music too. Im playing through Kiwami 2 right now. Kiwami 2's new Engine is amazing, graphics are impressive, the seamless transition into businesses without loading is a plus and no limit on the fighting space. However i still have some negatives with the game. One of the big ones for me is how they changed the fighting mechanics, you can no longer switch fighting styles and it makes the fighting feel sluggish like its a different game for me; like i miss when you can switch to the fast rush style then back to brawler and so on.
Everyone is saying 0 made them care about kiwami but kiwami was soooo good IMO 😳😳😳 somehow I got attached to the characters super fast and I cried so hard at the end even without playing 0 first
Yeah, I understand where people are coming from, but you're absolutely right. Kiwami's story is by no means bad at all. It's just that 0 gives those moments a lot of extra emotional weight.
@@Incendium but the moves that are there are fun. Demon fire, chomp, those are fun, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you unlocked a legendary style.
My first Yakuza game was Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise. But properly it was 0, I got the Platinum for Lost Paradise and now I'm one Legend Difficulty playthrough left before 0's Platinum is mine, then Kiwami.
The only thing i was disappointed about after starting the yakuza series with kiwami and zero, was the lack of fighting styles in the later games, i just really like and enjoy playing a game with a bunch of variety in it i guess
Now that I'm playing Yakuza 0 I gotta say that I totally agree with everything you mentioned on your video. So far I think Yakuza 0 is overall the best game of the two, with a better story, specially the Majima part, and a much more diverse roster of side activities to enjoy. Just the fact we have access to four classic Sega arcade games tops any minigame Kiwami has to offer. Unfortunately I didn't get to experience things in this order since I got to finish the OG Yakuza back when it was released for the PS2 and then got to replay that story when I got Kiwami on the PSPlus a couple years ago. Still, I was able to enjoy the extra content and references to zero that they included in the remake, even though I only started playing the prequel now. I think anyone here that might have started by Kiwami like I did will enjoy both games regardless. One good thing about playing Kiwami first, though, is that your enjoyment of the series will just keep growing since you'll be moving from a great game, Kiwami, to an even better one if you play zero immediately afterwards.
I got Kiwami for free on PS+, finished it in a week (40 hours) and then eagerly awaited Kiwami 2. In the meantime I bought Zero and finished that as well. It made me realize that Kiwami in many ways was a remake and a sequel at the same time. They heavily leaned into references to 0 and made it feel like an extension. But when playing Kiwami first I didnt realize that of course. I think it says something that you can enjoy it both ways without realizing you're missing context. When I played Kiwami 2 some sidequests in 0 also started to make more sense, but especially the entire Majima side-story only works if you played 0 imo. So whatever you do, start with Kiwami or 0, but play 0 before Kiwami 2!
@@Invalidusername24 I dont see how you can possible justify the Majima side-story that literally takes place in Sotenbori and revolves around references to Zero. If you have to play Kiwami 2 first then I'd suggest skipping Majima's chapters until you played Zero.
@@yoursonisold8743 Actually i played 0 before Kiwami, my first comment was pretty out of place and i am planning to actually edit the comment, I am currently on Yakuza 5 btw
I have decided to start with Kiwami. I'm a big believer that prequels are designed to be experienced afterwards, rather than chronologically. Star wars is a good example of this
I've just played Zero and Kiwami, in that order. I f***ing love them! Zero clearly has the best story, especially with Majima, his character arc, and fighting styles. Kiwamis story is just as exciting, with Nishiki's back story, the 10 billion yen going missing, and Haruka's story about her family. And damn! Majima Everywhere. I thought it was going to be annoying at first, but they really implemented it masterfully! Majima is a true whackjob, and the way they "force" you to fight him time and again never gets old, strangely enough. Just installed Kiwami 2. I'm looking forward to it. I'm happy Xbox added it on Gamepass! I recommend both games!
Dude I love you explained Majima’s side Perfectly everyone who tried to explain Majima’s story or how he became the mad dog they always use Hoaxes or Things they came up with or solved plot points yet you explained like I did perfectly
Can you do a review of yakuza 5 ? It's the biggest game I've ever seen in my life. The sheer amount of content is ridiculous and for that alone the game should be at least 100$. Not to mention the introduction of saejima and akiyama two fan favorite protagonists
I honesly believe that "Zero" was created with only one objective in mind: to prepare new players for the remake of the first game. Like, lets be honest here - story of Yakuza 1 is kinda lame by modern standarts, and especially by the standarts of the later Yakuza games. It's like being a successful writer for your whole life, but having this one old shitty story, that everyone keep associate with you, tho you've already improved so much. So, what do you do to put an end to this feeling of unease? You take this old book and you re-release it - no more plot holes, no more empty useless characters, no more stupid plotlines. That's it, you've defeated your past inferior self. The problem is, if someone would try to "remake" the story of Yakuza 1, it would've became an entirely different game, something like "Mafia: Definitive Edition" - which looks more like a reboot than it does remake. That being said - prequel was the perfect solution. Now every minor character has a solid backgroud and charm, every death feels like a loss, hell, even Majima doesn't look like a random psycho. Kiwami doesn't feel like a "bad" story anymore, it feels "weaker", compared to Zero, that's all. So yeah, start with Zero and don't give it a second thought, otherwise the whole idea of re-release will be lost, and you'll be playing the same silly game from 2005, only with the emproved graphics. P.S Not to mention that there's also a bunch of references to Zero in Kiwami 1 and 2.
Unpopular Opinion: Real OGs Started this Series from Yakuza PS2. Or if you're Weird You Played Yakuza Kenzan for the Hardcore Chronological Experience.
I been putting off this series for way too long- it’s time I dive into it. There’s a Collectors Edition coming next year that includes 3,4,5 for $59.99 which isn’t bad.
I can't wait to jump into that collection! I'd definitely say start with 0 to see if it's a series for you. Pretty sure you can get it pretty cheap nowadays too!
Playing 0 first will get you to care and know about pretty much the entire main cast of Kiwami before you even get to Kiwami, aside from a couple of main character of course. Mainly cause one of them main characters wasn’t even born when 0 takes place. But 0 also has many substories that involve future characters. Including a main character in the series, a future antagonist, and many others. Plus 0 does a great job at introducing and letting you play as the fan favorite main character of the series for the first and only time in the main story. Plus it gives more context to pretty much everything in the next few games and beyond that. Kiwami just throws you in.
Starting with Zero because being one of the most recent and being a prequel there’s no entry barriers to worry about. I barely knew this series existed until I bought a PS4 and my friend told me he just finished and really enjoyed Judge Eyes. I ended up buying the Origins bundle on sale and then bought the remaster bundle on sale after I started Zero. Currently on chapter 17, gotta say I kinda regret making decisions during the sale without playing Zero. I would have picked up 6 as well.
Kiwami is definitely built off 0 Kiryu already knows his fighting styles (which are also maxed out) which he learnt in 0, giving the illusion that it’s almost as if it’s coming off a fully maxed out Kiryu from Yakuza 0 And of course there’s all of the sub stories that reference Yakuza 0 with some like the pocket circuit fighter, showing entire flashbacks or the Majima everywhere system having Everyone’s Idol Goro where Majima is literally wearing his 24 Hour Cinderella costume with some of his dialogue referencing lyrics to the song itself
I just played my first ever Yakuza game last week(Yakuza0) and I'm starting Kiwami now!! I'm also kicking myself that I havnt played sooner lol. But hey, better late than never. Also, to any Yakuza fan out there. I see that Judgement is on sale for a great price right now. Should I get it? Or just continue with Yakuza. I'm planning on playing 1-7 in order.(already finished zero)
Glad to hear you liked it! I say go for Judgement anytime. I think it's in the same world, but the spinoff is a stand alone game with no Yakuza cameos.
Judgment (no E) is a very good game. It's probably the best written (since Yokoyama didn't write it, but that won't mean anything to you if you're a new can) and it does some cool new stuff. While it is a standalone title I would still say it's best to play after you've finished 6. Being set in the same world, there's some cute nods/continuity points.
Some friends were recommending me this series for years now and i srarted with 4, because i happened to watch one of them trophy hunt it when i last visited him, because its the one i happened to know the most about and i want to go in as spoiler free as possible. But after that, i WILL play them in correct order. I have so much fun with 4 already, i cant wait for 0 and its story and see, what the fuzz is about
When I first saw yakuza I saw it on TH-cam. But it never said what the game title was. Then 4 years later I find it on game-pass at the bottom knowing it wasn’t that popular but I had to try it bc I had been looking for it for so long. When I started playing I started on zero and now I’m working on beating yakuza kiwami. FUCKING AMAZING game period. Loving the suspense and combo attacks and just the action it’s self gets me so excited to play the game each an everyday. When I get home from school I stay up till midnight playing the game. I love this franchise and the games. There is so much to these games and I try my best to get my friends to play this but they won’t because it’s a “single player game”. Like I got mad tho honest. Anyways as said in this video he said there is so much to these games. I agree very much with that. Please try this game if you stumble across this video.
As someone who has given many people Yakuza 0 to start with, I think there is a huge factor you have to consider. How willing is the person to sit through the exposition at the beginning. Zero doesn't really take the reigns off until chapter 5, and that's a long commitment for some people. I sat with a friend while he started playing zero and even I was surprised how long it takes to get to the real draws in the early chapters. If I recall correctly, the big action and drama hits pretty quickly. It has a kind of stop start problem, but it can get you interested quick. I think Zero is better to start with because everyone I know who started with Kiwami just hates Nishiki, and don't give him a chance to get his motivations. Sorry I have a lot of thoughts on this because I've given the game to about 5 people after they heard me talking about it and there are 3 who stuck with it.
I played Yakuza Kiwami after 0, and I'd argue that the plot is far slower there than in 0. Kiryu just does nothing for a long while but argue with a pawn shop guy over a ring- at least 0 uses the slowness by establishing Nishiki and Kiryu's relstionship, in Kiwami it is just "why do I care?" And later in the game, too, 0 has Kiryu and Majima constantly wrapped in the action. In Kiwami, Kiryu completely drops looking for Yumi just to follow Date's daughter around. Parts of the main story just feels like side content, with Kiryu having no real reason to do it. The story only progresses at the very beginning, and the very end. The middle just felt like filler. In 0, everything built on the main story, and side content was on the side.
I started with the PS2 Yakuza 1. It's pretty simple to understand Nishiki's motivations. He's a guy that lost just about everything and to compensate, he'll do whatever it takes to be the "top dog". Kiwami does help by going a bit more in depth in that regard though.
1:05 He didn’t kill them he just shot a little confetti gun which scared them and made them shoot their own car 1:08 he didn’t him he just gave him a hug and the other man slipped and died to gravity 1:10 he didn’t kill him either he tapped him with it but the other guy used Psychic powers and accidentally stabbed himself 1:14 he didn’t kill him his Teammate just had bad aim and forgot friendly fire was on
I finished Yakuza Kiwami yesterday and Yakuza Zero about a year ago. Zero was definitely the better game, but that was to be expected. Since they use the same engine fighting feels very similar and that leaves the main quest and sidemissions as the major difference, which is much better in Zero. But Kiwami was still very enjoyable and I will definitely play Kiwami 2 next after playing a few other games in between
As a guy who played all yakuza including dead souls, like a dragon and ishin I must say that 0 is amazing starting point and one of the best games of the series. Even though it took me more time to beat 5 than 0 I still think 0 was the biggest game for me.
I just started playing Yakuza 0, and I’m so sad that it took me this long to discover it. It’s funny, I played Judgment/Judge Eyes first, but I didn’t even know it was a part of the series until after I beat it and was looking for similar games. Whoops! At least I was already familiar with Kamurocho.
I had heard about it and saw a discount on the PSN store for the remaster collection of 0-2. I knew that 0 was a prequel by the title alone, and heard a couple of bits and pieces. For me, I wanted the backstory and started with 0 so that I could appreciate the context - and since Kiwami 1 and 2 are also remakes, they call back to the events of 0. It's almost as if the game developers expect you to start with 0, so I'm glad I did so.
I started with Yakuza Kiwami when it was free on PS Plus. I later got Yakuza 0 for £3.99 on sale which is a steal. After finishing them two I decided to just buy the rest of the games since I enjoy them that much. Currently playing Kiwami 2.
I’m a 17 year old senior in high school who recently got a PS4 in September for $150 brand new (thanks Kohl’s) (well technically it was $300 but I got Kohl’s cash $25 for every $100) (then I didn’t receive the email for the cash. So I got another one and ultimately got $150 lol) Either way I got Yakuza 0 at Best Buy for $20 Not only because of Baka Mitai, but it seemed like a fun beat em up type game That was in late November It’s now mid February and I’m on the final chapter of 6
I would also recommend some people to start with the first one on the ps2. That is if the person who wants to play the series wants to see the evolution in gameplay
A bit late to this video, but I think playing Zero, then continuing completing the rest of the games, and finally going back to Zero again is the best way to play the games. You get to feel very satisfied seeing where all the pieces land going from Zero to Kiwami 1, and once you go back to Zero after all the games, you get to appreciate all those references in a new light.
I prefer 0 for starting point cuz if u play y0 first will see how great was the friendship between kiryu n nishiki. How kiryu want to protect nishiki n how nishiki want to help kiryu so much, and how epic when they fighting together n u will know that majima is not actually crazy , he just have mental problem cuz he lost every people that he love so much like makoto and his brother. In kiwami now u will confuse to see why nishiki that u know alwasy there for kiryu being evil.
I think playing kiwami first made me appreciate majima and nishiki much more. I really loved the Kiryu nishiki bromance dynamic and it was really nice to see after being rivals in kiwami. Majimas story absolutely tore my heart out and now I understand him better too. Yakuza 0 is the better game on everything minus the combat though, it's quite easy compared to kiwami and feels more clunky but overall still better, I think the best should be saved for last so imo kiwami first then 0 then kiwami 2 and so on
@@Zubatticus yeah I agree, I'd been meaning to start yakuza for a long time and kiwami was free for PlayStation plus one month so I jumped at the opportunity and finally finished zero main story yesterday. It really does just come down to whether you want the best first or not :) either way this series is by far my favourite now, really grateful it was localized!
@@snakey888 I disagree kiwami 2 has better sub stories like that ghost girl one and diaper guy kiwamis has better graphics better gameplay content better sub stories only thing yakuza got on kiwami 2 is story ive beat all the sub stories in kiwami 2 y0 I beaten all majimas but not kiryus
Don't blame me, but for me the best point of starting in the saga was PS2's Yakuzas after 0 and then the next games skipping the kiwami duology, cause ogs were better I guess.
I got Kiwami for free with ps plus wayyyy back in like 2018. Just played it recently in 2020 and just finished 0 3 days ago and man, I’m excited to move along Kiwami 2.
I feel like 0 is a much more rewarding game story wise if you play it after playing at least up to 5 because you'll understand all the foreshadowing and references and younger versions of characters that you meet like Ryuji. I started with 0 myself though because I prefer to start chronologically in regard to story.
In the same vein, starting with 0 also gives you that "OH SHIT" moment in the later games when you realize it was foreshadowed all along, or seeing the characters grow and change radically from what they were in 0. Playing 0 in either order is a great choice.
@@nts0n Not really. By the time you play 4, Majima's whole reason for everything he did in 0 just becomes "eh, okay, interesting". I say play 0 *after* 4. THAT'S when you go "OH SHIT, so THIS is why Majima's the way he was! Daaayam!".
I've started with kiwami ( his western intro sold me the entire franchise), but I've left it before the last part that started in the boat, because I wanted to know how really close Kiryu was with Nishiki, and inmidiatly I've started yakuza 0 till the end. And that decision made the ending much, but much more emotional and impacful, because I felt a much more strong connection with and between the characters. Playing that way, was the best thing I did.
I'll be honest when it comes to yakuza and saying I'm late to the party but I definitely missed it so much because honestly I would say it's a blast to play through from seeing the beautiful charm each chatacter had to probably the ease of playing it with enjoyable combat which while it got repetitive I'd say the heat actions make it easier to digest simply because of how comedic to enjoyable each one is
Don't feel bad about being late to the Yakuza party. Literally 80% of the Western fanbase picked it up with 0.
I picked it up at 6, literally last game in the series
Just picked up on Kiwami. Both were free on xbox game pass but Kiwami took less storage
I got Yakuza 0 3 days ago and i fucking love it
B S I got Yakuza Kiwami as my first game in the series 3 days ago too lol
I picked up 6 and 0 for PS4 first back in late 2016 but never got round to play it; then picked up 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 (English) for PC during the recent Steam Summer sales and finally started on 0, and playing at 4K on the 75" TV.
Dunno what I gonna do with the two PS4 version (Japanese) lol
Playing Zero first made care about all returning chracters in Kiwami.
Agree. It's a no brainer for me, having started with Y0 gave the story in Kiwami a lot more impact. Y0 is also the most well-rounded game and has the best story by far (in my opinion of course), so it's much more likely to get you hooked into the franchise.
@@CidGuerreiro1234 The only thing i will say is it disappoints if you really love Majima as it makes him seem like he gets as much screen time as Kiryu which ofcourse doesnt happen in later games im assuming.
Going through the series, am currently on Kiwami. I feel like playing 0 definitely made me care more about Nishiki And the rest of returning Tojo clan more so than I would if I didn't. But I prefer 0 Majima way more so far though
Wich made it all the more devastating when *EVERYONE DIED*
I never did the pocket racing mini game in 0 so I didn't really have a connection with them in kiwami, which kinda sucks.
I kinda forgot Yakuza 0 had a main story I was constantly farming Mr. Shakedown and doing the real estate royale.. yikes
The real estate royale is incredibly addictive. I don't blame you!
I got burnt out on the Hostess Club businesses, wanted to finish it before progressing with the story, but after I got back into the story I got hooked back in. Currently in chapter nine with 180 hours
really didnt get how that real estate works
but damn the hostess club is really addicting
dont forget your alcohol :)
Tbh the real estate is kinda boring really fast, unlike the cabaret club which is super interesting. But again if you want fast money yes Real Estate is the way to go.
I’d recommend starting with 0 solely based on the story. The villain in Kiwami has more impact with the prior knowledge of their relationship in Zero.
And dont forget a lot of majima deals with brilliant references to it as well from my personal favorite being majima referencing 24 hour Cinderella
But Kiwami story is significantly weaker
@@Realppbutt i'ts a remake of the first game, dont expect too much.
Disagree, I started with 0 and felt like it set too high a standard, I think the issue for me was that 0 was SO GOOD at world building that it made you want to keep playing in that world, only for you to realise that the rest of the series is so disconnected from it. Most of the characters in 0 that are in 1 aren't as important as you're led to believe they are, or don't appear near as much or have as much significance to the plot as you think they would. It leaves a sort of "empty" feeling after being part of the world of 0 that feels so alive, where everything in 1 is a bit more dull and serious. It's clear there's a huge difference in tone between 0 and 1 and I don't think they mesh to gether well at all.
I think starting with kiwami first then either 2 or 0 next is probably the way to go. I very much enjoyed kiwami 2 but Kiwami 1 is definitely more serious and less "fun", as well as feeling a bit more sparse and less "alive". I really didn't like it compared to the others, but I can appreciate it on its own in terms of its significance.
I started with 6 so... I played in a really weird order
Reasons people bought Yakuza 0:
30% storyline
20% Funny substories
25% to play Pocket Circuit
25% to sing Baka Mitai or 24 Hour Cinderella
You forgot about real estate and cabaret club minigames
tamiya race available in kiwami right? if I'm not mistaken
I remember buying it 2 yeard ago because of haha baka mitai man.
And when i did the minigame. I just kinda continued. And now 2 years later. I collected all the games.
@@Spelo1 real estate ? my man forgot about judgement
10 percent the chicken named nugget
Man I just finished Yakuza 0. I spent 91 hours on the game and I didn't even START Majima's business
Just finished yakuza 0 at 62 hrs but only 51% completion lol
@@Oniontrololol lmao I finished it again yesterday at 101 hours and am like 14 percent away from full completion
Aiden Nelson omg this game is much longer than I thought. I have started yakuza Kiwami jus now.
@@Oniontrololol Kiwami is a lot shorter. Although I didn't do a whole lot of the side stuff in my first playthrough. I just started Kiwami 2 and I can tell that's gonna be a long ass experience of me dicking around
Cabaret Club Czar is one of my favorite things about Yakuza 0, please play it
I bought Yakuza 0 for 5 bucks on a PC sale. Damn I really love this game. It puts me in a good mood
That's an amazing deal! Might be the best use of $5 I've ever heard!
BEST 5 Bucks ever spent....
Same for PS4 last month. And because it was that cheap i got The wolf Among us while i was at it. 10 Euros in total. And i had a perfect timing. My sister was where I am now at the time so i asked if i could access her Credit card so i can get those 2. In return i give her 10 euros. Remember: She lives in Romania so it wasn't exactly 10 euros. So i guess she got a bit more money but hey 10 euros ain't too much.
5 Euros too on PS4.
@@MariusBoss11458 howd you like WAU? just like yakuza i thought the storyline was beautifly put, cant wait for WAU2!
Let’s all be honest, We all came for Majima before he went crazy. (It’s actually confirmed he was stronger then Kiryu for quite some time in the beginning and near the end Kiryu gets stronger)
Well a lot of the moves he can learn are broken. There's a hint of strategy with Kiryu but with Majima the basic combo in Breaker is disgusting. Then he uses those moves on you in Kiwami
Yeah Majima is stronger than Kiryu at first
Where was this confirmed?
@@HatKidPeck But you said it WAS confirmed though, so technically you're lying. If majima was stronger than Kiryu then he wouldn't lose to Kiryu in a fight in nearly every game. Majima always states that he's no match for Kiryu.
@@HatKidPeck I'm just asking, where is it said or how are you getting to the conclusion that Majima is stronger than Kiryu?
Playing 0 first just makes Majima's personality change more exciting
I liked his old personality better, but there is something charming about this new crazy Majima
I just beat 0 last week and I think it's funny how Majima basically turns into Nishitani by the end of the game.
@@dressboy5 Yeah I'm pretty convinced that was intentional even.
The problem with starting with Zero is ... the sheer depth of the game makes Kiwami and Kiwami 2 feel like a simplistic slog. Kiwami 1 & 2 are good games for their time but they are still very simple by comparison and are still PS2 games at heart. They're a good place to start simply because you observe the gameplay itself develop over time. The question is, once you've finished 5, do you jump to 6 then Zero, or play Zero first?
It's definitely the conundrum. Personally, I like to start with a series' best, so starting with Zero especially since it's in chronological order was a no-brainer for me.
Yakuza Kiwamis are the original pieces, while games back then were more concerned on gameplay rather than movie style stories, 0 is how to build you up and let you go on 1,2,3,4,.......
@@lawlaw9176 this video and these comments helped a lot. I'm gonna start with 0 and play the rest if I enjoy my time.
Having actually known the story going into 0, I feel I enjoyed it more than I would have if I didn't. All the cameos were cool to see. I think the biggest thing for me is they introduced a character in 0 that shows up in Yakuza 6 and and not any of the old games. It's why I think release order might be the safest way to go now until they Kiwamify 3,4, and 5.
@Dragon Of Dojima/videos Sounds like burnout. There are so many order to play the games:
0 and K1 go good together
2 and 3 are outliers
4 and 5 go good together
6 is an outlier but actually pairs with 0 well (release date is important).
Play the games like you would read a book series. Don't get too caught up in trying to absorb it all too quickly.
Wait yakuza 0 has a story and isn’t just a cabaret club simulation
I think i have like 30 hours only cabaret club similation, and i have 70 hours in total
I got Yakuza 0 two years ago and still haven't played it... I should probably change that. Great vid man!
Thanks! You definitely need to start it up! Although, it's a pretty lengthy game, but it's worth it!
Quick reminder to tell you to finish this masterpiece if you didn't :)
@@DelaryHap Yeah its a great game.
100% you should change that
Dude...what the fuck...
i personally started with Yakuza Kiwami.
then played Yakuz0.
however thats because i got Kiwami first for free from the PS4 monthly thingy. That was what introduced me to this fantastic series.
But i recommend starting with Yakuz0. It builds the characters youre gonna see again in Yakuza Kiwami very well.
Kiwami is a slightly inferior game, because Yakuz0 was built on the shoulders of giants.
That's a good way of putting it. PS Plus did a great job introducing people to the series. Neither is a wrong answer, but 0 is just absolutely fantastic.
Kiwami, too, was built on the shoulders of giants. It was released after Y0. So that alone doesn't explain why Y0 is better.
Same to me. But I almost didn't get Kiwami cuz I was not interested at the time...I was so wrong
You who supported kiwami have likely pulled your heads out of gutters.
Kiwami is horrendous. It has got nothing on 0. It is completely inferior, story wise and gameplay. Mini games gotten worse as well. First thing I did once I started the game, noticed that the tone and pacing is just out of hand.
I’d prefer if it wouldn’t be cold toned through out the whole game, a range of warm and cold tones instead would suit it. The beginning of the story was alright, engaging so to say. Though I hated the fact that Kyriu got arrested. 10 years later, no fun substories, no disco, crap music, and TERRIBLE karaoke remixes and additional songs! What happened? Why not include better mini games? It really felt melancholic when I played all the karaoke songs.
Story wise, it’s identical to original. Bland. I certainly expected much from Kiwami, at least improvements in the story, but rather than doing that, they added majima being EVERYWHERE. Well, it certainly helped. Majima really was the only thing keeping be playing this game. It’s unfortunate though I had to finish chapter to rank up though, and earn more fun events. This game was really dragging me, I was holding on thin thread of the poor story, really just wanted to finish it and move on to something YAKUZA 0 like.
Combat, it would really seem that music was a big part of it that made it great in 0. Different styles and bosses had their themes. A blessing for action beat them up genre.
Although, Kiwami includes the “ Kiwami “ finisher, that’s all it really offers.
Music sounds like it’s been picked from royalty free playlist, and all of the CONSTANT encounters don’t let you rest for a second. Ah, the last thing.. the way cutscenes are EVERYWHERE! Give it a rest already! They are so unbalanced, some of them are really unnecessary!
A massive disappointment for a remaster, really hoped for something greater.
@@blumbtumb7404
To be honest, it does more than almost any other remaster or remake.
Only bad thing about playing 0 first is that Majima is the most fun the combat has ever been in a Yakuza game imo and everything after will just make you miss Majima.
It also takes a bit away from Yakuza 4.
@@Ticketman99 you mean when the game introduces Taiga “No Mercy In My Ramen Shop” Saejima?
@@deviljho4260 Not just that, but what's supposed to be a kinda big reveal just becomes "Okay, I already know that. "Can we please move along?"
I'm referring to when Kazuo Shibata had his guys chain Majima up and take his eye.
Depends on preference, I kinda liked Kiryu more.
Also hot take but Kurohyou 2 is equal on combat with 0 in terms of fun.
@@don2772 if Kurohyou 2 is equal to that, oh boy, thank you, you saved me some time, I will not test this. 0 was a pain to get through, the combat was one of many reasons for this.
I'm a bit surprised to see the low view count on this video. The production is pretty solid.. It's well scripted, well read, clean audio, decent visual edits, everything about it passes the quality test, in terms of production.
I'm even more surprised to see the rest of your videos do more poorly, even though they seem just as well done but you do release them regularly.
Sometimes, i really don't understand TH-cam.
Anyways, great work and you've earned a subscriber here.
Thanks! That means a lot. It's part of the life of an obscure TH-camr, lol. If anything, this video shows people are more into video essay styled videos than reviews, but oh well! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@Zubatticus I suspect other things. There are a lot of channels similar to yours that get a ton more views, but that brings me to the first issue.. a ton of people do video game reviews, so it's going to be harder to get people to choose yours over another when there are so many options
The other thing is the cursing. I personally don't mind it.. I even prefer it but it's not friendly to the TH-cam algorithms and they won't promote your videos as on the related videos sidebar as much as they will for someone they consider 'advertiser-friendly.'
@@Nimiety327 Very true! Too bad I'm not willing to give up on cursing lol.
Yakuza is pretty niche, I'm a hardcore gamer and I'm only looking up Yakuza now because Kiwami is one of this month's Humble Bundle games.
Every Yakuza fan is on a dilemma whether to start with 0 or start with Kiwami, while I started with 6 lol
6:29
And don't forget that the chicken's name is Nugget
It's SO weird to have Yakuza 0 as my introduction to the series. But damn, was I heartbroken to see how batshit Majima had become in Kiwami.
CINDERELLA I LOVE YOU
me too man. kind of lost respect for him, he was such a level headed guy
And that's why you *don't* start at 0.
This comment right here is exactly why this video is bullshit
@@cobian2006 I’m guessing you haven’t played the other games.
Okay so basically: I started playing Yakuza 0 about a month ago. First Yakuza game. I'm absolutely LOVING it. Only issue is (not actually an issue at all) that I'm at 120 hours in, and I'm only on chapter 10...
Finished it at 150 hours. Amazing game.
I remember playing the original ps2 yakuza way back and it is kind of interesting to start with kiwami since it just throws you into the thick of things when you know absolutely nothing. Then you can go back to 0 and learn about the characters a bit more. Kiwami characters are interesting considering how 90% of them end up at the end but without spoilers I'll just say it's impressive they managed to come up with a good plot for the 2nd game.
I will say majima everywhere kinda ruins kiwami if it's your first because it assumes you care about him a lot so it can get a bit annoying when he chases you down after every restaurant exit, same for certain kiwami only substories. It does also have worse substories but it also has ones that have continuation in the sequels.
If kiwami didn't have the additional story content that helps 0 but takes away from it being an entry I would say start with it but 0 is better unless you want to somehow play the ps2 one lol.
GOROMI-SAN
I just finished yakuza 0 and in terms of the story it was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. If it weren’t for the Baka Mitai meme I would’ve completely skipped over a fantastic game
Now you just need to finish the rest. Let me tell you that every game, some may have a weak plot but they’re all really great!
mrko0lz I’m actually playing Kiwami right now! I plan to play the rest of them as well.
me too, played for the meme and just finished it last week. it was emotional
The memes made me interested in the series now it's one of my favourite
Same here. It all started with that stupidly beautiful meme. I finished 0 and kiwami in a span of 3 days because the story (esp in 0) is just so bingeable.
The Bakamitai meme didn't ruin the game, it made it better because now I discovered an amazing series
I didn't knew where it was from and Mr. Berleezy barely did activities.
Great job with the video! And lol at the "Kiryu doesn't kill" xD
I’m still in the middle of 0, Austin literally just finished it and he’s been telling me about how much he loves it. I NEED to get in to this series.
Well you picked a great game to start with! How are you liking it so far?
Zubatticus - I love the over the top shit, beat em ups are alright but i love the rhythm mini games and such a lot. Side quests are honestly hilarious.
My first jump into the Yakuza series was with Yakuza kiwami in November of 2018 when it was a free PlayStation plus game at the time I was craving a good story game and Yakuza kiwami was just what I needed I'll soon be starting Yakuza 0
I'm glad they had it on PS Plus. It got a lot of people into the series! I hope you have a a good time with 0!
I'm almost done with Kiwami and I personally can't imagine doing Kiwami without doing 0 first. Knowing all their backstories adds SO MUCH to the characters and makes you feel a much stronger connection to the storyline in Kiwami!
In my opinion, it's better to start with Kiwami for two reasons.
1. It's a remake of the first ever Yakuza game. No duh, but that means the story was built from the ground up to be played first. Playing Kiwami first is how it was intended to be, and I think playing it that way helps see the story in the way the devs intended you to see it.
2. The gameplay. As you said, 0 has the better side quests, which leaves Kiwami feeling pale in comparison. But that's exactly why you should play Kiwami first. If you haven't played 0 yet, then you have nothing to compare Kiwami to, so it doesn't feel so stripped of content. Meanwhile, if you play 0 first, when you get to Kiwami, you'll find yourself spending the whole game wishing the game was more like 0, which makes it a less enjoyable experience overall.
That's my 2 cents on the matter.
I don't agree with your first point at all. The devs went out of their way to add tons of references to 0 in K1, from substories to minigames and even main story. I think that just shows that K1 was made to be played after Zero.
@@lighto5083 K1 having references to 0 doesn't necessarily mean 0 is meant to be played first. Comparing it to another series, Fate. So, Fate started as a visual novel called Fate/Stay Night. Later, a light novel prequel called Fate/Zero was made. When Studio Ufotable made an anime adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route of Fate/Stay Night, they added multiple references to Fate/Zero. However, Fate/Zero should absolutely NOT be read or watched before Fate/Stay Night, given that Fate/Zero doesn't take any time to explain the universe, the fact it contains multiple spoilers to Fate/Stay Night, etc. And to me, it's much the same way with Yakuza.
@@PlayerZeroStart In Fate, Zero can't be read before FSN because it spoils major twists. This is not the case for Yakuza Zero. In fact, it's the other way around. Kiwami 2 spoils Zero and assumes you've already played with.
Besides, the thing about Fate is that the anime adaptation order is already fucked. There is no proper Fate route adaptation so there's no way to start. FSN UBW and FSN HF anime already assume that you know both Zero. There is no way to watch it as it's intended so it isn't really fair to compare it to Yakuza.
@@lighto5083 I can't say anything about HF since I haven't watched it yet (I'm waiting for the third movie so I can watch them back to back), but at what point does UBW assume you've seen Zero? Also, you talk as though you absolutely have to see the Fate route before seeing UBW, but that's really not the case. It's a completely separate series of events.
Also, that's Kiwami 2. We're talking about Kiwami 1. There's no reason you can't play K1, then go back to 0, then K2.
@@PlayerZeroStart You do have to see the Fate route because it sets up the world, reveals Saber's identity, explains who Shirou is and why he doesn't die to literally anything that attacks him during the series. UBW also thematically builds off Fate. There is a reason the routes have an order.
UBW anime mentions Kayneth, shows off Waver, skips some explanations because they already were in Zero.
Honestly, both adaptations are pretty mediocre and really don't do the VN justice. UBW is a bit better but it completly butchers Shirou's personality and instead focuses on new original scenes.
K1>0>K2 order is a decent order and it is a pretty good alternative but I still think that Zero first is a bit better
I picked up both Zero, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2 on steam on PC a year or so back to get into the series. I played Zero first so i could follow the story canonically, i really enjoyed Zero a ton. Playing as both characters, Majima was probably the best. I liked him from the very first cutscene in the Cabaret but he also had the best character development. Besides Kiryu and Majima Tachibana was also one of my favorites. I just beat Kiwami recently and playing Zero first really makes it impactful all the way through especially near the end.
The thing i really enjoyed the most with Zero and Kiwami was the music too. Im playing through Kiwami 2 right now. Kiwami 2's new Engine is amazing, graphics are impressive, the seamless transition into businesses without loading is a plus and no limit on the fighting space. However i still have some negatives with the game. One of the big ones for me is how they changed the fighting mechanics, you can no longer switch fighting styles and it makes the fighting feel sluggish like its a different game for me; like i miss when you can switch to the fast rush style then back to brawler and so on.
Everyone is saying 0 made them care about kiwami but kiwami was soooo good IMO 😳😳😳 somehow I got attached to the characters super fast and I cried so hard at the end even without playing 0 first
Yeah, I understand where people are coming from, but you're absolutely right. Kiwami's story is by no means bad at all. It's just that 0 gives those moments a lot of extra emotional weight.
@@Zubatticus Oh, like how Devil May Cry 3 "gives more weight" to the events of Devil May Cry 1🙄
Give me a break.
@@Ticketman99
Yeah, it did I friend when V died.
how lol the story for kiwami was garbage, jingu got included in the story during nishiki arc for no reason
@@abcdefg2591 na the Story was good but had eine flaws Like you mentioned jingo, but its far away from garbage..
Yakuza 0 is the best just because of Mad Dog of Shimano style alone
That style barely has any damn moves in it tho
@@Incendium but the moves that are there are fun. Demon fire, chomp, those are fun, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you unlocked a legendary style.
My first Yakuza game was Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise. But properly it was 0, I got the Platinum for Lost Paradise and now I'm one Legend Difficulty playthrough left before 0's Platinum is mine, then Kiwami.
My friend told me about Yakuza 0 and i found myself just diving into the series and im glad she did tell me about it cause im a Yakuza fan now.
I just wanna say kiwami had a 10 billion money problem that yakuza 0 kiryu would've fixed without even making a dent in his bank account
3:25 10 years in the joint made you a-
The only thing i was disappointed about after starting the yakuza series with kiwami and zero, was the lack of fighting styles in the later games, i just really like and enjoy playing a game with a bunch of variety in it i guess
Now that I'm playing Yakuza 0 I gotta say that I totally agree with everything you mentioned on your video. So far I think Yakuza 0 is overall the best game of the two, with a better story, specially the Majima part, and a much more diverse roster of side activities to enjoy. Just the fact we have access to four classic Sega arcade games tops any minigame Kiwami has to offer. Unfortunately I didn't get to experience things in this order since I got to finish the OG Yakuza back when it was released for the PS2 and then got to replay that story when I got Kiwami on the PSPlus a couple years ago. Still, I was able to enjoy the extra content and references to zero that they included in the remake, even though I only started playing the prequel now. I think anyone here that might have started by Kiwami like I did will enjoy both games regardless. One good thing about playing Kiwami first, though, is that your enjoyment of the series will just keep growing since you'll be moving from a great game, Kiwami, to an even better one if you play zero immediately afterwards.
I got Kiwami for free on PS+, finished it in a week (40 hours) and then eagerly awaited Kiwami 2. In the meantime I bought Zero and finished that as well. It made me realize that Kiwami in many ways was a remake and a sequel at the same time. They heavily leaned into references to 0 and made it feel like an extension. But when playing Kiwami first I didnt realize that of course. I think it says something that you can enjoy it both ways without realizing you're missing context. When I played Kiwami 2 some sidequests in 0 also started to make more sense, but especially the entire Majima side-story only works if you played 0 imo. So whatever you do, start with Kiwami or 0, but play 0 before Kiwami 2!
Personally Prefer Kiwami and then Kiwami 2 but you do you
@@Invalidusername24 I dont see how you can possible justify the Majima side-story that literally takes place in Sotenbori and revolves around references to Zero. If you have to play Kiwami 2 first then I'd suggest skipping Majima's chapters until you played Zero.
@@yoursonisold8743 Actually i played 0 before Kiwami, my first comment was pretty out of place and i am planning to actually edit the comment, I am currently on Yakuza 5 btw
I finished Yakuza 0 and all i was left with was depression, trust issues, and a love for Baka Mitai
The sidequests in yakuza 0 are better than in any other game (including non yakuza titles)
Yakuza 7 and kiwami 2 exist
I started with “the man who erased his name” lmao then backtracked to learn who the hell Kiryu was.
I have decided to start with Kiwami.
I'm a big believer that prequels are designed to be experienced afterwards, rather than chronologically.
Star wars is a good example of this
That's a good way of looking at it. You'll love Y0 though!
I like your way of thinking I'm sold starting with Kiwami 1 and 2 then going to 0
Yup yup. And in 0, you get to see the foreshadowing
BASED finally someone said it.
I've just played Zero and Kiwami, in that order. I f***ing love them!
Zero clearly has the best story, especially with Majima, his character arc, and fighting styles.
Kiwamis story is just as exciting, with Nishiki's back story, the 10 billion yen going missing, and Haruka's story about her family. And damn! Majima Everywhere. I thought it was going to be annoying at first, but they really implemented it masterfully! Majima is a true whackjob, and the way they "force" you to fight him time and again never gets old, strangely enough.
Just installed Kiwami 2. I'm looking forward to it. I'm happy Xbox added it on Gamepass!
I recommend both games!
I've already played both but this video was really well made! I applaud you and this deserves way more views
Start at Zero it fleshes out a lot of the characters.
Yakuza 1 didn’t do a bad job but Yakuza zero gets you way more invested!
Dude I love you explained Majima’s side Perfectly everyone who tried to explain Majima’s story or how he became the mad dog they always use Hoaxes or Things they came up with or solved plot points yet you explained like I did perfectly
Can you do a review of yakuza 5 ? It's the biggest game I've ever seen in my life. The sheer amount of content is ridiculous and for that alone the game should be at least 100$. Not to mention the introduction of saejima and akiyama two fan favorite protagonists
I'm hoping to do a video on the Yakuza collection someday. It'll take me sometime to get there though
akiyama and saejima get introduced in yakuza 4 tho not 5 but yeah they are really nice shinada was still my favorite protagonist in 5 tho
Glad to have you on board the Yakuza Train
It feels good to be part of the club, lol.
Kiryu doesn't kill, everyone just commits suicide by fighting him (assisted suicide)
in the final seconds....i was more enchanted when majima was doing karaoke rather than listen to the commentary
That's a perfectly normal response
I honesly believe that "Zero" was created with only one objective in mind: to prepare new players for the remake of the first game.
Like, lets be honest here - story of Yakuza 1 is kinda lame by modern standarts, and especially by the standarts of the later Yakuza games. It's like being a successful writer for your whole life, but having this one old shitty story, that everyone keep associate with you, tho you've already improved so much. So, what do you do to put an end to this feeling of unease? You take this old book and you re-release it - no more plot holes, no more empty useless characters, no more stupid plotlines. That's it, you've defeated your past inferior self. The problem is, if someone would try to "remake" the story of Yakuza 1, it would've became an entirely different game, something like "Mafia: Definitive Edition" - which looks more like a reboot than it does remake. That being said - prequel was the perfect solution.
Now every minor character has a solid backgroud and charm, every death feels like a loss, hell, even Majima doesn't look like a random psycho. Kiwami doesn't feel like a "bad" story anymore, it feels "weaker", compared to Zero, that's all.
So yeah, start with Zero and don't give it a second thought, otherwise the whole idea of re-release will be lost, and you'll be playing the same silly game from 2005, only with the emproved graphics.
P.S
Not to mention that there's also a bunch of references to Zero in Kiwami 1 and 2.
I’m a firm believer that you should play Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2 and then 0
Unpopular Opinion:
Real OGs Started this Series from Yakuza PS2.
Or if you're Weird You Played Yakuza Kenzan for the Hardcore Chronological Experience.
Kiryu is like a walking Arkham Knight Batmobile.
I been putting off this series for way too long- it’s time I dive into it. There’s a Collectors Edition coming next year that includes 3,4,5 for $59.99 which isn’t bad.
I can't wait to jump into that collection! I'd definitely say start with 0 to see if it's a series for you. Pretty sure you can get it pretty cheap nowadays too!
Zubatticus just ordered it, $14 on Amazon 😆
@@TunedByJ yeah im gonna get the collection too definetly.
i played yakuz0, kiwami, and now im on kiwami 2. amazing series so far.
Kiwami’s main story is a slog, but Majima everywhere makes it worth it, just my two cents.
I literally bought Y0 1 just because i saw 24 hours cinderella meme. greatest thing that happened in my life.
I started with Yakuza 0 and finished it a couple days ago. Excellent game. Now playing Kiwami, it’s good so far.
Playing 0 first will get you to care and know about pretty much the entire main cast of Kiwami before you even get to Kiwami, aside from a couple of main character of course. Mainly cause one of them main characters wasn’t even born when 0 takes place. But 0 also has many substories that involve future characters. Including a main character in the series, a future antagonist, and many others. Plus 0 does a great job at introducing and letting you play as the fan favorite main character of the series for the first and only time in the main story. Plus it gives more context to pretty much everything in the next few games and beyond that. Kiwami just throws you in.
Starting with Zero because being one of the most recent and being a prequel there’s no entry barriers to worry about. I barely knew this series existed until I bought a PS4 and my friend told me he just finished and really enjoyed Judge Eyes. I ended up buying the Origins bundle on sale and then bought the remaster bundle on sale after I started Zero.
Currently on chapter 17, gotta say I kinda regret making decisions during the sale without playing Zero. I would have picked up 6 as well.
Kiwami is definitely built off 0
Kiryu already knows his fighting styles (which are also maxed out) which he learnt in 0, giving the illusion that it’s almost as if it’s coming off a fully maxed out Kiryu from Yakuza 0
And of course there’s all of the sub stories that reference Yakuza 0 with some like the pocket circuit fighter, showing entire flashbacks or the Majima everywhere system having Everyone’s Idol Goro where Majima is literally wearing his 24 Hour Cinderella costume with some of his dialogue referencing lyrics to the song itself
Only a few has managed to be blessed in hearing Mark Hamill's Majima.
I’ve heard about this series for like 3 years and now might finally play it
It's definitely worth a shot! I hope you end up liking it!
Playing YZ: I haven't got so much pure joy since Witcher 3.
Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
I just played my first ever Yakuza game last week(Yakuza0) and I'm starting Kiwami now!! I'm also kicking myself that I havnt played sooner lol. But hey, better late than never.
Also, to any Yakuza fan out there. I see that Judgement is on sale for a great price right now. Should I get it? Or just continue with Yakuza. I'm planning on playing 1-7 in order.(already finished zero)
Glad to hear you liked it! I say go for Judgement anytime. I think it's in the same world, but the spinoff is a stand alone game with no Yakuza cameos.
Judgment (no E) is a very good game. It's probably the best written (since Yokoyama didn't write it, but that won't mean anything to you if you're a new can) and it does some cool new stuff.
While it is a standalone title I would still say it's best to play after you've finished 6. Being set in the same world, there's some cute nods/continuity points.
Some friends were recommending me this series for years now and i srarted with 4, because i happened to watch one of them trophy hunt it when i last visited him, because its the one i happened to know the most about and i want to go in as spoiler free as possible. But after that, i WILL play them in correct order. I have so much fun with 4 already, i cant wait for 0 and its story and see, what the fuzz is about
When I first saw yakuza I saw it on TH-cam. But it never said what the game title was. Then 4 years later I find it on game-pass at the bottom knowing it wasn’t that popular but I had to try it bc I had been looking for it for so long. When I started playing I started on zero and now I’m working on beating yakuza kiwami. FUCKING AMAZING game period. Loving the suspense and combo attacks and just the action it’s self gets me so excited to play the game each an everyday. When I get home from school I stay up till midnight playing the game. I love this franchise and the games. There is so much to these games and I try my best to get my friends to play this but they won’t because it’s a “single player game”. Like I got mad tho honest. Anyways as said in this video he said there is so much to these games. I agree very much with that. Please try this game if you stumble across this video.
I'm not sure if I would have kept playing if I had started with Kiwami.
As someone who has given many people Yakuza 0 to start with, I think there is a huge factor you have to consider. How willing is the person to sit through the exposition at the beginning. Zero doesn't really take the reigns off until chapter 5, and that's a long commitment for some people. I sat with a friend while he started playing zero and even I was surprised how long it takes to get to the real draws in the early chapters. If I recall correctly, the big action and drama hits pretty quickly. It has a kind of stop start problem, but it can get you interested quick. I think Zero is better to start with because everyone I know who started with Kiwami just hates Nishiki, and don't give him a chance to get his motivations. Sorry I have a lot of thoughts on this because I've given the game to about 5 people after they heard me talking about it and there are 3 who stuck with it.
I played Yakuza Kiwami after 0, and I'd argue that the plot is far slower there than in 0.
Kiryu just does nothing for a long while but argue with a pawn shop guy over a ring- at least 0 uses the slowness by establishing Nishiki and Kiryu's relstionship, in Kiwami it is just "why do I care?"
And later in the game, too, 0 has Kiryu and Majima constantly wrapped in the action. In Kiwami, Kiryu completely drops looking for Yumi just to follow Date's daughter around. Parts of the main story just feels like side content, with Kiryu having no real reason to do it. The story only progresses at the very beginning, and the very end. The middle just felt like filler. In 0, everything built on the main story, and side content was on the side.
Well thank my priorities because they’re so mixed up that instead of hating Nishiki I just found him hot
I started with the PS2 Yakuza 1. It's pretty simple to understand Nishiki's motivations. He's a guy that lost just about everything and to compensate, he'll do whatever it takes to be the "top dog".
Kiwami does help by going a bit more in depth in that regard though.
@@Ticketman99 The problem is less understanding his motivations, but rather just that he isn't shown many, if any, redeeming qualities.
@@YourCrazyDolphin Again, Kiwami *helps* in that regard.
My point is that people who started on PS2 didn't even have a "0".
Getting Yakuza 0 on my birthday, excited to play it 'cause I haven't heard anything but good
1:05 He didn’t kill them he just shot a little confetti gun which scared them and made them shoot their own car
1:08 he didn’t him he just gave him a hug and the other man slipped and died to gravity
1:10 he didn’t kill him either he tapped him with it but the other guy used Psychic powers and accidentally stabbed himself
1:14 he didn’t kill him his Teammate just had bad aim and forgot friendly fire was on
I finished Yakuza Kiwami yesterday and Yakuza Zero about a year ago. Zero was definitely the better game, but that was to be expected. Since they use the same engine fighting feels very similar and that leaves the main quest and sidemissions as the major difference, which is much better in Zero. But Kiwami was still very enjoyable and I will definitely play Kiwami 2 next after playing a few other games in between
my first game was yakuza 1 ps2. then after like 3 years, i play yakuza 0. just strolling around kamurocho gave me the biggest tear up from nostalgia
As a guy who played all yakuza including dead souls, like a dragon and ishin I must say that 0 is amazing starting point and one of the best games of the series. Even though it took me more time to beat 5 than 0 I still think 0 was the biggest game for me.
Playing Kiwami first ruined the sub stories for me, seeing how many of them are meant as sequels to 0’s substories
Came for baka mitai stayed for amazing story
starting with yakuza 0 makes me feel much more impact while playing kiwami since i already know the character so much.
I just started playing Yakuza 0, and I’m so sad that it took me this long to discover it. It’s funny, I played Judgment/Judge Eyes first, but I didn’t even know it was a part of the series until after I beat it and was looking for similar games. Whoops! At least I was already familiar with Kamurocho.
I’m glad I played Zero before Kiwami. Zero’s story did a great buildup on characters for Kiwami.
I started with kiwami, and I now love this series.
Zero can pretty much be played anytime as it is a prequel and contains tons of refrenced to future games.
I had heard about it and saw a discount on the PSN store for the remaster collection of 0-2. I knew that 0 was a prequel by the title alone, and heard a couple of bits and pieces. For me, I wanted the backstory and started with 0 so that I could appreciate the context - and since Kiwami 1 and 2 are also remakes, they call back to the events of 0. It's almost as if the game developers expect you to start with 0, so I'm glad I did so.
6:08
My eyes are burning from watching Majima dance on the pole
How??? Its beautiful
The thumbnail kinda summates the comparison. *majima in the background*
Finished Yakuza 0 for the first time last week, one of my favorite games ever
1.
Because if you start with 0 you won't appreciate 1 as much, you'd just compare them.
Dude you kidding I loved one just as much as zero sure karaoke was not that good but it was the 90's so...
I started with Yakuza Kiwami when it was free on PS Plus. I later got Yakuza 0 for £3.99 on sale which is a steal. After finishing them two I decided to just buy the rest of the games since I enjoy them that much. Currently playing Kiwami 2.
I’m a 17 year old senior in high school who recently got a PS4 in September for $150 brand new (thanks Kohl’s) (well technically it was $300 but I got Kohl’s cash $25 for every $100) (then I didn’t receive the email for the cash. So I got another one and ultimately got $150 lol)
Either way I got Yakuza 0 at Best Buy for $20
Not only because of Baka Mitai, but it seemed like a fun beat em up type game
That was in late November
It’s now mid February and I’m on the final chapter of 6
I would also recommend some people to start with the first one on the ps2. That is if the person who wants to play the series wants to see the evolution in gameplay
A bit late to this video, but I think playing Zero, then continuing completing the rest of the games, and finally going back to Zero again is the best way to play the games.
You get to feel very satisfied seeing where all the pieces land going from Zero to Kiwami 1, and once you go back to Zero after all the games, you get to appreciate all those references in a new light.
I prefer 0 for starting point cuz if u play y0 first will see how great was the friendship between kiryu n nishiki. How kiryu want to protect nishiki n how nishiki want to help kiryu so much, and how epic when they fighting together n u will know that majima is not actually crazy , he just have mental problem cuz he lost every people that he love so much like makoto and his brother. In kiwami now u will confuse to see why nishiki that u know alwasy there for kiryu being evil.
I think playing kiwami first made me appreciate majima and nishiki much more. I really loved the Kiryu nishiki bromance dynamic and it was really nice to see after being rivals in kiwami. Majimas story absolutely tore my heart out and now I understand him better too. Yakuza 0 is the better game on everything minus the combat though, it's quite easy compared to kiwami and feels more clunky but overall still better, I think the best should be saved for last so imo kiwami first then 0 then kiwami 2 and so on
That makes sense. I'm more of a start with the best kinda guy. I don't think I would have became such a big fan if I didn't play 0 first.
@@Zubatticus yeah I agree, I'd been meaning to start yakuza for a long time and kiwami was free for PlayStation plus one month so I jumped at the opportunity and finally finished zero main story yesterday. It really does just come down to whether you want the best first or not :) either way this series is by far my favourite now, really grateful it was localized!
@@seni_oo u should get kiwami 2 its actually better than zero just not the story
@@Trilliman707
Kiwami 2 is not better than Y0 in anyway other than graphics. Y0 has better combat, content, story, sub stories etc.
@@snakey888 I disagree kiwami 2 has better sub stories like that ghost girl one and diaper guy kiwamis has better graphics better gameplay content better sub stories only thing yakuza got on kiwami 2 is story ive beat all the sub stories in kiwami 2 y0 I
beaten all majimas but not kiryus
Don't blame me, but for me the best point of starting in the saga was PS2's Yakuzas after 0 and then the next games skipping the kiwami duology, cause ogs were better I guess.
And now im 80 hours into yakuza 0
The time flies when you're having fun! I could've swore that it only felt like 60.
I played 300 hrs on yakuza 0 no cap
I got Kiwami for free with ps plus wayyyy back in like 2018. Just played it recently in 2020 and just finished 0 3 days ago and man, I’m excited to move along Kiwami 2.
Kamurocho would be such a better place if Kiryu didn't take the fall for Nishiki
I feel like 0 is a much more rewarding game story wise if you play it after playing at least up to 5 because you'll understand all the foreshadowing and references and younger versions of characters that you meet like Ryuji. I started with 0 myself though because I prefer to start chronologically in regard to story.
In the same vein, starting with 0 also gives you that "OH SHIT" moment in the later games when you realize it was foreshadowed all along, or seeing the characters grow and change radically from what they were in 0. Playing 0 in either order is a great choice.
@@nts0n Not really. By the time you play 4, Majima's whole reason for everything he did in 0 just becomes "eh, okay, interesting". I say play 0 *after* 4. THAT'S when you go "OH SHIT, so THIS is why Majima's the way he was! Daaayam!".
Why have a Glass Cannon when you have a Marlin Cannon?
What if I'm just greedy and want both?
As the great saying goes, you only get one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow.
I've started with kiwami ( his western intro sold me the entire franchise), but I've left it before the last part that started in the boat, because I wanted to know how really close Kiryu was with Nishiki, and inmidiatly I've started yakuza 0 till the end. And that decision made the ending much, but much more emotional and impacful, because I felt a much more strong connection with and between the characters. Playing that way, was the best thing I did.
By the way, who is your favorite character and why is it Nugget the property manager chicken? xD
Lmao, thanks! Nugget is definitely the MVPM (most valuable property manager), Majima is a close second though.
@@Zubatticus Nah Majima as Goromi is too busy being best waifu
I'll be honest when it comes to yakuza and saying I'm late to the party but I definitely missed it so much because honestly I would say it's a blast to play through from seeing the beautiful charm each chatacter had to probably the ease of playing it with enjoyable combat which while it got repetitive I'd say the heat actions make it easier to digest simply because of how comedic to enjoyable each one is