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LTTP: Yakuza (series) - Sega's Finest Franchise

Big One

Banned
I've been a massive Sega fan for years. I've played games from every system they've ever made, though I only really grew up with the Sega Genesis and later on in my teens the Dreamcast as well (it wasn't till afterwards till I played some great Master System and Saturn stuff). You could say that at least during the 90's, I was a huge Sega nerd. I love Nintendo too, but Sega for me was a special seal of quality for me with my very first game ever being Sonic 2. I have a lot of memories of Sega's classic games, and throughout my life I fell in love with both Sonic and Phantasy Star primarily like a lot of Sega fans in America have.

Something about Sega has always been unique. They always tried new stuff that the industry didn't ever do. An entire game about taxi driving? Crazy Taxi. A platformer that wasn't based on conventional momentum? Sonic. A racing game that used an entire bike for a controller? Hang-On. A simulation game where you simulate the life of a fictional, talking fish with a human face? Seaman. An RPG that isn't set in a fantasy world but is instead set in fucking Star Wars? Phantasy Star. Hell, speaking of Star Wars, when Atari nearly crashed the gaming industry itself, Sega took up the mantle to create a series of arcade games that SIMULATES STAR WARS. To say Sega was ambitious would be an understatement. Without Sega, the industry would not be the same as it is today.

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For the longest time I've dodged this series. Not out of disinterest, but mere intimidation of it. I always knew it had this long running story going on for it, and I would have to start with Yakuza 1...on the PS2. And I tried Yakuza 1 years ago, and was off-put by the awful English dub and just turned away from it. Ever since then, the series has put a bad taste in my mouth.

That is until the announcement of the Fist of the North Star game the Yakuza studio was making. Now, I'm not THAT big into Fist of the North Star, but I like it enough that if a great game came out with it's brand that I'd be willing to check it out, and when I pulled up the trailer I was just...flabbergasted. When I first saw it, I didn't even realize the link it had to the Yakuza series, all I knew ts that it looked amazing and I NEEDED that game (funnily enough...it's also probably not coming to the West now that I know better). So I did a little research on it, and conveniently found out about both Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami.

So I decided to pick up Yakuza 0, and after completing the game, I decided to play the entire series from start to finish. Of course, I skipped the awful dub of Yakuza 1 in favor of the fantastic Japanese voice cast in Yakuza Kiwami. Afterall, it was a remake of that game, and remakes tend to be better than the original more often than not in a modern context. The best word I can describe the experience is...WOW!

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Yakuza turned out to be my biggest surprise of 2017. There only a select few game franchises that I would say are must-buys for me. No matter what, I'll ALWAYS buy a new Mario or Zelda title for example. After playing Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza 2, Yakuza 3, and Yakuza 4 in completion while working my way through Yakuza 5, I can safely say that when Yakuza 6, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and New Yakuza comes out, I will buy these games DAY ONE with no hesitation.

On the surface, Yakuza may seem like "Oh it's Grand Theft Auto but in Japan" or "Oh it's new version of Shenmue" at face value, which is what I've always thought of Yakuza without actually playing it. However once playing it for the first time ever and getting absorbed into the world it establishes, you realize Yakuza is so much more than that; so, so much more.

Yakuza's entire design is a celebration of what makes Sega so great. Every game offers something unique to the franchise, although minimal at times, it has a distinct Sega feel to it. This extends outside of references to Sega properties and resonates primarily in the amount of stuff you can do in Yakuza. While Yakuza at it's core is a beat-em-up game, what it does best isn't exclusively it's action but how well it just simulates and creates a love letter to Japanese culture for better or worse. While the worlds in Yakuza are small in size, the amount of content you can do in them is insane. Not only is there a lot of content, but most of the side quests you can do have meaningful elements and stories in of itself. It isn't just,. "Collect this, bring me this, etc. etc." there's so much variety in what you can do, and even some exclusive mini-games are locked behind certain side quests as well which can range from delivering pizza on foot to driving people around in a taxi.

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Of course that isn't to say the core mechanic of the game, the combat, isn't something special in of itself. You fight....A LOT. It took me a couple of hours to realize this, but Yakuza is basically a 3D version of River City Ransom in concept. That, in of itself, is just magical to me. The combat is insanely varied and has a surprising amount of depth to it, even if you can mow down the game's enemies with the same moves over and over again. You start out with simple combos but as you progress, you become an absolute monster in some of the funnest beat-em-up gameplay you'll ever play.

However what shines the most for me is the narrative and characters. While I'm not here to claim Yakuza provides a masterclass in writing, in terms of a video game storyline I do feel like what Yakuza offers is about as close as a yakuza film can get in a video game in terms of outright authenticity to what it's trying to emulate. Hell, with one of the newest trends casting real actors in the roles of video games characters, Yakuza has been doing this very thing for years. Yakuza's story is treated as seriously as any film story is, and while there are some narrative flubs here-and-there in some of the games in the series, the depiction and style of the narrative really carries the weight as being one of the most movie-like experiences in gaming today. Some of the stories, such as Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 2, are some of gaming's finest stories in my own opinion. I'm sure some visual novel I've never heard of has them beat, but in my own gameplay experiences I absolutely fell in love with the stories in both of those games.

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The characters are some of the best you'll ever see in gaming. Over the course of 7 games (one not released in the West yet) we see the entire saga of Kazuma Kiryu from start to finish. His beginnings, his ups and downs, the people he's associated and gotten close with, the people that he's lost. There's a clear and defined character arc for every major character in the series, and while sometimes you may not like the direction they're going, the game's still manage on selling you with their excellent characterization. Not only that, characters develop both in the main story and in the side stories as well. It's extremely well done and gives a lot of life in this world, as everyone your playable characters do, even in the most absurd of situations, stays true to their characterization through-and-through, and the sidequests REALLY pushes the playable characters to their limits in terms of characterization.

Though to call them perfect games is a bit of a stretch. To me, the majority of Yakuza games fall under a category of being a great game and not some type of 10/10 masterpiece. There's always a bit of jankiness to every Yakuza game. Invisible walls, combat getting repetitive at times, some of the mini-games just being bad. However, due to my nostalgia with Sega products, Yakuza's imperfect nature brings me back to my childhood in ways I don't even expect at times. Like I said before, Yakuza is a celebration of Sega history in terms of it's core design for better or worse. if you love classic Sega as much as I do, at least give the series a shot as you'll likely get something out of it even if you decide not to go beyond one game.

Where to start

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Yakuza 0 (PS4)

Plain and simple. No substitutes. Unlike a good majority of prequel games ,this more functions as a genuine starting point rather than a prequel. The game literally has 0 spoilers for future games in the series. It does a really fantrastic job fleshing out absolutely everything about what's to come in the future, while having an amazing standalone story in of itself. After that, play Yakuza Kiwami (PS4) as well. It's only 30 dollars and it's basically an expansion to Yakuza 0 with the story of Yakuza (PS2) and also lays the foundation for what's to come in the future as well.

All I know is, after playing the majority of what the series has to offer, I can soundly say it's my favorite Sega franchise of all time in both the past and present day Sega, as well as one of my favorite franchises in gaming as a whole.
 
Where to start

G97qqvx.jpg


Yakuza 0 (PS4)

Plain and simple. No substitutes. Unlike a good majority of prequel games ,this more functions as a genuine starting point rather than a prequel. The game literally has 0 spoilers for future games in the series. It does a really fantrastic job fleshing out absolutely everything about what's to come in the future, while having an amazing standalone story in of itself. After that, play Yakuza Kiwami (PS4) as well. It's only 30 dollars and it's basically an expansion to Yakuza 0 with the story of Yakuza (PS2) and also lays the foundation for what's to come in the future as well.

All I know is, after playing the majority of what the series has to offer, I can soundly say it's my favorite Sega franchise of all time in both the past and present day Sega, as well as one of my favorite franchises in gaming as a whole.
I completely agree with this. Especially with the last part :)

I'm glad that you found this amazing series OP. I hope more people give it a try in the future.
 

Raimond

Member
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?
 
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?

It's okay but having just played through Kiwami myself (I've previously played every other Yakuza game) I think 0 is a much better starting point, and a much better representation of the series at its best.
 
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?
I definitely recommend starting with Zero since it is the perfect starting point. But if you really REALLY can't find a way to get Zero then starting with Kiwami would be okay as well.

But seriously, even at full price, Zero is completely worth buying. The amount of really well done optional contents that game has is crazy. Not to mention that it is straight up the best Yakuza game in the entire series.
 

Big One

Banned
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?
It's not a terrible start, but a lot of the stuff in Kiwami that happens in it's narrative carries more weight if you're familiar with the characters in Yakuza 0. Just my opinion. Kiwami is a remake of the first game in the series, but Yakuza 0 is such a great prequel that it makes the first game in the series actually have a ton more meaning than it ever did originally. I just say bite the bullet and buy it full priced new. Yakuza 0 is a game that has enough content to be worth the money imo. Kiwami really isn't, hence why it's only 30 dollars, lol.
 

cordy

Banned
Yeeeeeeeppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp.

Idk why I joined the series late either because it has everything I look for in a game. Good stories, good characters, wackiness, fun systems, great music and also the fact I can play them while listening to podcasts and music. I'm huge on those so I can load up a Yakuza, listen to some albums and just knock some stuff off.
 
It's not a terrible start, but a lot of the stuff in Kiwami that happens in it's narrative carries more weight if you're familiar with the characters in Yakuza 0. Just my opinion. Kiwami is a remake of the first game in the series, but Yakuza 0 is such a great prequel that it makes the first game in the series actually have a ton more meaning than it ever did originally. I just say bite the bullet and buy it full priced new.
Also this.

I often say Yakuza Kiwami is just as much of a sequel to Yakuza 0 as it is a remake of Yakuza 1. You'll have a much better experience playing that game after finishing Yakuza 0.
 
Great thread. It truly is an amazing time to be a Yakuza fan!

Also yea, I agree with Y0 as the best starting point, unless someone really wants to play release order via ps2.

I'm currently watching my friend play Yakuza 0 right now. It's his first Yakuza game and I think I've got him hook in.
 

lunch

there's ALWAYS ONE
I'm going to disagree just a bit with the previous posts and say that Kiwami is a more than fine entry point. This is a series that has enough entries that it's made outsiders nervous about a perfect entry point, and it doesn't really exist. There are characters in 0 whose stories or appearances resonate much more if you've played 1 and 2. It'd be a shame to hold off on beginning the series when you already purchased one of the games.
 
No Majima in this thread outside of a picture of him?

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He's the best character ever

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Kiwami is great. Loved it. I felt I got more out of it because I played Zero first. That being said, as soon as I finished Kiwami I hooked up my PS3 and started playing 4 instead of 3. My plan is to finish 4 and 5 in time for 6 and then reassess 3 after (hopefully) playing through Kiwami 2.

My plan is to hopefully wait for a PS4 port of 3 that doesn't suffer from any cut content the western PS3 release got
 
I'm going to disagree just a bit with the previous posts and say that Kiwami is a more than fine entry point. This is a series that has enough entries that it's made outsiders nervous about a perfect entry point, and it doesn't really exist. There are characters in 0 whose stories or appearances resonate much more if you've played 1 and 2. It'd be a shame to hold off on beginning the series when you already purchased one of the games.

Honestly, I don't feel the same way. There are a lot of characters in 1 that barely get any screen time, so it's hard to get attached to them in any real way. It's a lot better going from 0 -> 1 and having that backstory because many of them get much more time in 0 than they do in 1.

I've also seen enough people starting with 0 get really invested in the characters to be of the opinion that it's a great place to start.

Zero is a much better game overall too so, frankly, I don't think that nearly as many people would have the series 'click' with them starting with Kiwami as would with 0.
 

luciensanchez

Neo Member
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?

Kiwami is great. Loved it. I felt I got more out of it because I played Zero first. That being said, as soon as I finished Kiwami I hooked up my PS3 and started playing 4 instead of 3. My plan is to finish 4 and 5 in time for 6 and then reassess 3 after (hopefully) playing through Kiwami 2.
 
Honestly, I don't feel the same way. There are a lot of characters in 1 that barely get any screen time, so it's hard to get attached to them in any real way. It's a lot better going from 0 -> 1 and having that backstory because many of them get much more time in 0 than they do in 1.

I've also seen enough people starting with 0 get really invested in the characters to be of the opinion that it's a great place to start.

Zero is a much better game overall too so, frankly, I don't think that nearly as many people will have the series 'click' with them starting with Kiwami as would with 0.

I'd add to this and say,
A lot of people really didn't like Majima everywhere. I'm convinced that if you aren't already attached to the character via Y0 or the rest of the series, you may hate that system even more. It's very much a fan service mechanic that invades every aspect of the game, I love it, but I already loved Majima

But yea, you can start Kiwami and still have a good time.
 

ZeroX03

Banned
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?

Play 0 first and don’t shop at EB Games. You can find it cheaper if you look around, but it’s worth full price. IIRC, Yakuza 3 held quite a bit of value depending on the region.
 

lunch

there's ALWAYS ONE
Honestly, I don't feel the same way. There are a lot of characters in 1 that barely get any screen time, so it's hard to get attached to them in any real way. It's a lot better going from 0 -> 1 and having that backstory because many of them get much more time in 0 than they do in 1.

I've also seen enough people starting with 0 get really invested in the characters to be of the opinion that it's a great place to start.

Zero is a much better game overall too so, frankly, I don't think that nearly as many people will have the series 'click' with them starting with Kiwami as would with 0.
That's definitely fair, and I'm thinking specifically of my response to Nishiki as someone who played the original game versus the response a friend who was unfamiliar with the first game's story had to him. I don't mean to suggest that 0's a poor start (although it's actually my least favorite!) but that this is a case where I feel like the best place to start is with the game that's in front of you. There are also quite a few people who got into the series with 4, and I feel like either Kiwami or 0 will be friendlier entry points.
 
I just finished Yakuza 0 a few days ago, and literally just bought Kiwami today. I'm actually playing it as we speak lol. Anyways, I could not put down Yakuza 0, it was so engrossing and fun, the characters were over-the-top yet earnest and endearing, the combat was satisfying, and the side missions were utterly bonkers. Easily one of my top five favorite games from this year. I'm glad my friend gifted it to me, as it was a series I was always hesitant about. Well now I'm a believer.
 

LAM09

Member
It's currently my favourite series. I wasn't aware of the series prior to Y4 being PS+ a few years ago and even then, the slow start originally put me off. Revisited it a few months later thanks to the recommendation of a few on the site & I haven't looked back.

Eager to try the new engine out on 6
 

fastmower

Member
So here is the issue. Every time I go into EB games, I can never find a used copy of Yakuza 0. At this point the game is getting old, and I feel that it should be much cheaper now, yet never can find it.

Anyways, flash forward to August, there was a trade promotion and so I was able to get Kiwami using trade credit. So 8s it still ok that I have started with Kiwami?
Just save up and but 0 new. Problem solved.
 
I'd add to this and say,
A lot of people really didn't like Majima everywhere. I'm convinced that if you aren't already attached to the character via Y0 or the rest of the series, you may hate that system even more. It's very much a fan service mechanic that invades every aspect of the game, I love it, but I already loved Majima

But yea, you can start Kiwami and still have a good time.
Good point, I had never thought it about it like that.

I can totally see people who aren't already a fan of Majima getting really tired of that system in Kiwami. Personally I loved it because of how much I care about Majima and thought the call backs to Zero were great.
 
Definitely the biggest surprise this year for me.

0 / Kiwami are right up there with Horizon, Nier, and The Lost Legacy for the best games I've played this year. Persona 5 was fun too, but I don't think it hit the heights I was hoping it would after starting off so strong (similar feelings for BotW and a few other games this year).

I'm now conflicted about how Shenmue 3 will turn out, as my excitement for Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 6 are well beyond what I would have ever imagined.
 
Started it a few years ago and can't believe I waited so long. One of my absolute favorite series now and any excuse to talk about it more and get more people into it is welcome haha. Awesome write up OP!
 

Raimond

Member
So I'm already at chapter 4 in Kiwami. At this point I'm enjoying it enough that I don't mind continuing. Or should I just stop and hold off until I get Yakuza 0? Or maybe even best it now, but then go through new game + after 0?
 
So I'm already at chapter 4 in Kiwami. At this point I'm enjoying it enough that I don't mind continuing. Or should I just stop and hold off until I get Yakuza 0? Or maybe even best it now, but then go through new game + after 0?
If you're already playing it then (imo) go through with it. It's not like Kiwami isn't good or not a suitable starting point. It's just that Zero is a much better game and makes the story of Kiwami even better.

Even if you decide to continue on with Kiwami, just make sure to buy and play Yakuza 0 as soon as you can.
 

alt27

Member
Yakuza 0 is still and probably will be the best game I have played this year . It’s in my greatest of all time list as well. It’s fucking superb .

Really enjoyed kiwami too but it wasn’t as good as 0. It’s still a great game though .

Really hyped for kiwami 2 now , and 6 of course , but waiting to hear about when kiwami 2 is releasing in the West before I decide on when I’m getting 6.
 

Trace

Banned
Yakuza is one of the best series of all time, easily.

Absolutely criminal it took this long to get noticed.
 
Its certainly my favourite current series for any console. I love the smaller in game world of Kamuracho (and other cities depending what sequel I'm playing) - there is always tons to see and do - from fun activities to residents strange stories! I'm a fan of the faced pace and simple combat - which gets better the more you level up in each game (getting the Komaki counters and other moves which make the combat way more varied and fun).
Plus the stories are always really engaging - sometimes unbelieveable or overly melodramatic perhaps, but the games still manage to write several awesome characters that I genuinely care about - that's more that I can say about 99% of any other game series out there I've played. Plus thanks to the nature of sequels - these characters (even incredibly minor ones) get fleshed out over several sequels which is something I really love.

6 definitely did some things right for me - in that its new engine felt long overdue. The fact that you can explore Kamuracho with no load screens (aside from loading a mini game) is quite the revelation for the series, and I'm sure many people will be happy that the game auto saves now! The combat was interesting - with it simplifying things by getting rid of styles (blending certain moves from each into 1 style) and the seamless nature of combat from exploration was excellent as well. The level of detail in Kamuracho compared to previous games is pretty impressive - with much better texturing and lighting also improving things, but its a pity that certain areas were cut (presumably for time), so I can't wait to get my copy of Kiwami 2 imported this December to see how the engine has been improved from 6. Its already looking really promising.
 
Been playin Yakuza since the original.

even imported Kenzan & Ishin.

I just love how serious and yet wonky it can get within minutes.

I love the characters, the side quests, the drama, the humour.
 

PrimeTime

Member
I just think it's cool that a game series can keep the same location (Kamarucho) across multiple games, keep essentially the same blueprint but then update it and evolve it with the time period that the game is taking place in. Add to that, the fact that characters evolve (and age) from game to game as well. The sense of cohesion of the storyline is impressive.
 
0 is the best game I've played in a long time, put close to 200 hours into the thing overall. Kiwami was good but eh, it's already out of my mind and unlike 0, I didn't bother with post-game.
 

Plum

Member
Must say that Yakuza 0 was my biggest surprise of the year. I went into it knowing barely anything, only the basic personalities of the two main characters and that there was a lot to do. What I got was really, really damn good.

Whilst I wasn't into it enough to go through all the side activities (only defeated the first Real Estate guy and did no Cabaret stuff), the main story itself was amazing and the substories were unexpectedly hilarious. My favorite had to be the one where you end up influencing Japanese tax policies for years to come. That kind of stuff is so much more interesting than your usual side-quests.

It went form something I never thought I'd be playing this year to a game that's seriously contending for a place in my Top 5 beside Nier, Zelda, etc.
 
would you recommend them to an english speaker and are they cheap?

i just started 5 and will probably finish in a few weeks and i know i'm going to go through withdrawal after having constant yakuza the past few months.

Both Kenzan and Ishin have text based guides that make either game perfectly playable. Kenzan should even have subtitled vids on Youtube for the story scenes (might actually have side stories subbed as well, I forget). I used the text guides and found both incredibly enjoyable, if you've got nothing against using the guides then you should be fine, in my opinion both Kenzan and Ishin are two of the best games in the series - Kenzan especially. And if you've played the previous games you'll really appreciate the fan service aspect in the game (as in - seeing past characters from the series popping up in the story as different characters - Ishin especially does this incredibly well thanks to having several games worth of content to use).
 
Yakuza really is the best long running series in my eyes. Every game furthers the world and characters and has it's own identity. And yakuza might have some of the best characters in gaming.

Yakuza is the most Sega IP Sega could have ever made and if it's all they do now at least it was this wonderful series.
 
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