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oneida · Dec 5, 2015

i see a LOT of people asking where to start the yakuza series after todays announcement, so i'd like to offer my input considering that i have only just played through all the localized games this year. i understand that the older games might be hard to get for some people and i took that into consideration when constructing this post.

1, 4, 2, 0, 5, 3

1 is the best place to start because everything afterwards builds on what was established in the first game. sort of goes without saying and its pretty cheap in EU and in NA.

4 is more convenient if you dont have a PS2 and also introduces a lot of new characters. its not as good a place to start as 1, but it could be worse.

2 is the best game in the series and is sort of an isolated story anyway. there are lots of references to events and characters from the first game, but in terms of the series as a whole it doesnt have too much consequence. still this is IMO a better place to start than 3 or 5 or 0, but its expensive in NA, less so in EU.

0 is a prequel, but again it builds on what you know about these characters and youll like it more if youve already met them. plus its a year away, you shouldnt be without yakuza for that long.

i have to confess i havent played 5 but since the cast comes largely from 4 and 1 you shouldnt really start with it. you should play 5, but only after you understand whats going on - there is no recap feature in y5.

3 is, imo, the worst game in the series, suffering from pacing problems and since it relies heavily on the events of first game for dramatic purposes it not only would give you a sour (imo) impression of the series' potential but it would mean less to you than if you saved it til after AT LEAST y1.

Andrefpvs · Dec 5, 2015

Thanks, OP, this is useful.

Hopefully Yakuza 1 and 2 come to PS4 as classics, then I'll be able to start at 1.

RedBoot · Dec 5, 2015

Amusingly, I started with Y3 and turned out fine.

I agree that it's not the best starting place. Both 3 and 4 benefit if you already know a bit about who Kiryu is.

That being said, 1 and 2 are harder to find/play, and are a bit archaic compared to the rest of the series now. Too bad we never got the HD collections.

I'm actually going to say the best plan is to get 4, watch the digests for 1, and play from there. But honestly, you can probably start anywhere.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

RedBoot said:
Amusingly, I started with Y3 and turned out fine. I agree that it's not the best starting place. Both 3 and 4 benefit if you already know a bit about who Kiryu is.

That being said, 1 and 2 are harder to find/play, and are a bit archaic compared to the rest of the series now. Too bad we never got the HD collections.

I'm actually going to say the best plan is to get 4, watch the digests for 1, and play from there. But honestly, you can probably start anywhere.

i agree they are harder to find but that doesnt change that theyre the best places to start. as for y3, i know a few people who started with it and ended up liking the series, but i think its a bad place to start anyway.

The Yo Tornado · Dec 5, 2015

When did Kiryu gain the ability to suplex people's spines onto guardrails? Whenever that is would be the optimal place to start.

Kidding aside, I agree that 1 or 4 are the best choices to get a taste for the coolest damn series ever. 2 should definitely be on your radar as well if you like your choice, since the general consensus is it has the best story out of the whole franchise.

Leave it to Sony to release the game during the week I have most of my finals. December 8th will either physically wound me or drop my GPA by a full point depending on my priorities.

qualitydisc · Dec 5, 2015

I started with 3 and love it. I know I'm missing big chunks of the story but it still impressed me.

brianjones · Dec 5, 2015

very useful thread thanks

might have to dig out my ps2 if I can find it lol

can't even remember if I sold it or not at this point

Trace · Dec 5, 2015

I started on 4, and between the cutscenes that summed up the other games and the introduction of so many new characters in 4 I didn't feel like I had missed anything important to the plot.

LiquidSolid · Dec 5, 2015

I dunno, 1 is the best game to get into the franchise from a story standpoint but by far and away the worst in terms of gameplay. 2 was such an enormous improvement on it, I'd probably recommend starting with that and then hoping that the remake of 1 gets localised.

I'd also point out that any Yakuza is a decent one to start with (except maybe 3 because it's so slow at the start) because they all come with fairly detailed recaps of the previous games. No need to get scared off by jumping into a series with the fourth or fifth game.

Trace · Dec 5, 2015

Random note, even if you really like the games don't play Dead Souls.

It was a cool idea, not a good game.

CreeperBlocks · Dec 5, 2015

I played 4 before I played 3. I think I'll be alright with Yakuza 5

Acquiescence · Dec 5, 2015

Don't listen to the OP - 3 is an excellent game. Anyone interested in the series should not hesitate to play it.

2 is the best though.

OrbitalBeard · Dec 5, 2015

If 1 and 2 release on PS4, I'll jump into this series.

Ludger Kresnik · Dec 5, 2015

If you're going to jump in partway through the series, at least do it with 4. It introduces and starts you off as The Best Character In The Series.

Red Blaster · Dec 5, 2015

1 has long load times and doesn't have the freeform combat system

newcomers could easily be put off by those

RedBoot · Dec 5, 2015

Really, Y3's biggest issue is that the first 1/4 of the game is Orphan Simulator 2012. If you can get past that, it's fine. And playing 3 really helps for some of 4's story.

Let's hope that Y2 gets a PS4 classics release. That would probably make it the best starting place.

IrishNinja · Dec 5, 2015

co-signing OP from my preferences, 4 is great since 1/2 HD sadly didn't get localized....and don't forget, each chapter has catch-up videos at the start!

also loving all the Yak threads today

Acquiescence said:
Don't listen to the OP - 3 is an excellent game. Anyone interested in the series should not hesitate to play it.

2 is the best though.

3 is good and totally worth playing (love Okinawa) but plot/enemy/etc wise i do agree it's the weakest so far, still enjoyable!

Shadowman16 · Dec 5, 2015

Cross posting this form the other thread, I'd rate them:

1, 0, 4, 2 or 3, 5,

1 is the best place, its where the character development for the characters begins.

0 is a prequel so it doesn't really rely on previous knowledge of the game. You'll miss out on a few easter eggs and nods to other characters in the series but nothing you wouldn't then pick up when playing the sequels.

4 is basically a fresh start, so it does a good job of introducing 3 new characters into the mix. However there are certain plot points late in the game that tie into the first game, not to mention many of Kiryu's side stories hark back to characters featured in the first two games.

2 or 3, I can't decide. I feel 2 relies on parts of 1's story at points such as a couple of returning characters plus some of the Omi plot is oh so briefly mentioned in 2. However at the same time, you could easily go in blind and enjoy the game, especially as its got the best antagonist in the series by far, and its such a damn fun game. Pity that its a pretty rare/expensive game in the USA since its the one I'd totally recommend everyone playing solely on a gameplay level.
3 I'm not sure on. Certain points would certainly make more sense if you'd played 1 especially, but I still feel it doesn't pull on the past series stories enough to make it a bad starting point in terms of story. However its the pacing that I know people have issues with. For the record I like the down time and the orphans and that other side to Kiryu, but I know there are plenty of people who aren't fans of the slow start, and don't like the fact that the game doesn't really get "started"until chapter 4/5

5 - I'd think staring on 5 would be a huge clusterfuck to understand if your a newbie in the series. So many plot points in the game I can think of would fall flat if your not a fan of the series, or have at least played a couple of the previous games. Then again, story wise I personally feel 5 is the most difficulty to understand, what with it bouncing between 5 characters, and a few other reasons that I can't really go into without spoiling the game.

Hope that all makes sense! I'm personally hoping that Kiwami ends up getting translated (can't see why not if 0 does well) as that'd definitely help further ease fans into the series.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

One other thing I feel that I should mention is that the story in the Yakuza series is only one part of a bigger picture, and it's not even what appeals to me most about the games. With that in mind it's true you can start anywhere, but there's plenty of dramatic sequences that will be a lot more meaningful to you if you start in some places rather than others.

Acquiescence said:
Don't listen to the OP - 3 is an excellent game. Anyone interested in the series should not hesitate to play it.

2 is the best though.

I don't ever say that 3 is a bad game, just that it's the worst in the series. I really like these games, even 3. Still, think about starting with 3 from a narrative perspective. While the orphanage shows up in 4, really none of the characters and events introduced in 3 have ramifications for the other games. There's a brief episode in Saejima's segment of 4 that concerns one of the villains of 3, but that's all. 4 is a better starting point than 3 in every way, and if you're skipping the PS2 games because you don't have a PS2, IMO you should just start with 4, not 3.

AtomnayaKlubnika · Dec 5, 2015

Isn't PS2 emulation coming to PS4? They might propose 1 and 2 on the PSN at some point.
I've always been interested by this serie, will sure look it up, nice advices.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

Shadowman16 said:
Cross posting this form the other thread, I'd rate them:

1, 0, 4, 2 or 3, 5,

1 is the best place, its where the character development for the characters begins.

0 is a prequel so it doesn't really rely on previous knowledge of the game. You'll miss out on a few easter eggs and nods to other characters in the series but nothing you wouldn't then pick up when playing the sequels.

4 is basically a fresh start, so it does a good job of introducing 3 new characters into the mix. However there are certain plot points late in the game that tie into the first game, not to mention many of Kiryu's side stories hark back to characters featured in the first two games.

2 or 3, I can't decide. I feel 2 relies on parts of 1's story at points such as a couple of returning characters plus some of the Omi plot is oh so briefly mentioned in 2. However at the same time, you could easily go in blind and enjoy the game, especially as its got the best antagonist in the series by far, and its such a damn fun game. Pity that its a pretty rare/expensive game in the USA since its the one I'd totally recommend everyone playing solely on a gameplay level.
3 I'm not sure on. Certain points would certainly make more sense if you'd played 1 especially, but I still feel it doesn't pull on the past series stories enough to make it a bad starting point in terms of story. However its the pacing that I know people have issues with. For the record I like the down time and the orphans and that other side to Kiryu, but I know there are plenty of people who aren't fans of the slow start, and don't like the fact that the game doesn't really get "started"until chapter 4/5

5 - I'd think staring on 5 would be a huge clusterfuck to understand if your a newbie in the series. So many plot points in the game I can think of would fall flat if your not a fan of the series, or have at least played a couple of the previous games. Then again, story wise I personally feel 5 is the most difficulty to understand, what with it bouncing between 5 characters, and a few other reasons that I can't really go into without spoiling the game.

Hope that all makes sense! I'm personally hoping that Kiwami ends up getting translated (can't see why not if 0 does well) as that'd definitely help further ease fans into the series.

I have to confess that one reason I think people shouldn't start with 0 is then they'll have to wait another year to start Yakuza

SephLuis · Dec 5, 2015

If you have a PS2: Yakuza 1. While Yakuza 2 is much better, Y1 shouldn't be ignored. It's still a great game on it's own.

If you have a PS3: Yakuza 4. Mostly new characters and a brand new story. Don't watch the recaps in case you like the game and want to play the others, it will spoil everything.

If you are waiting for Yakuza 0, it's also another great place to start. You really don't need any previous knowledge about the series and won't miss much.

For those that are interested in Yakuza 5, I would recommend getting Y4 first. Not necessary since each game is standalone, but a few things are better explained in Y4 and are only remembered in Y5.

brianjones · Dec 5, 2015

might just dip my toes in with 4 to start.. then 5 presumably

ill stay hoping for the remasters to come over .. can't find my ps2

dallow_bg · Dec 5, 2015

Man I wish 1 and 2 HD made it here.
I'd even play them on Wii U.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

brianjones said:
might just dip my toes in with 4 to start.. then 5 presumably

ill stay hoping for the remasters to come over .. can't find my ps2

you'll like 5 a lot more if you play 4 first. plus, 4 is terrific!

Arzehn · Dec 5, 2015

It's best to start from the beginning, but if you can't then just get 4 from PSN and watch the recaps. I'm not sure how in depth they are as I never had to watch them but at this point it might just be "too much" to play them all from start to finish for most people.

I heard 5 doesn't have the recaps which would be a shame. If it does then I'd recommend just starting there.

Enjoy.

kadotsu · Dec 5, 2015

I hope Y2 makes it to the Arrogant Sony is Back PS2 Backwards Conpatability so I can play it with hopefully reduced load times.

Laevateinn · Dec 5, 2015

Having not had a PS2, I started with three and just watched the summaries of the first two games. Yakuza's still one of my favorite modern series. I think you could probably start anywhere but it's definitely important to have an idea about the story leading up to the point you jump in before-hand.

If you're starting with 5, just knowing that Aki is a pimp and Majima is God is probably enough IMO. Although, I don't know how much Majima is in 5.

Mikey Jr. · Dec 5, 2015

I'm confused....

Why are you jumping around all over the place?

Pie and Beans · Dec 5, 2015

2 and 4 are the best jump ons because they are the best.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

Mikey Jr. said:
I'm confused....

Why are you jumping around all over the place?

because it's not an order in which to play the games, it's a ranking of how well-suited each game is as an entry point to Yakuza.

Guymelef · Dec 5, 2015

If SEGA is intelligent (I don't think so) they would release Yakuza 1 and 2 PS2 version for PS4.

Shadowman16 · Dec 5, 2015

oneida said:
I have to confess that one reason I think people shouldn't start with 0 is then they'll have to wait another year to start Yakuza

Very true, I was basing my opinion on plot only. I can't stand waiting, which is why I import each game day 1 from Japan (and hope for English releases), I'm that impatient!

Shadowman16 · Dec 5, 2015

kadotsu said:
I hope Y2 makes it to the Arrogant Sony is Back PS2 Backwards Conpatability so I can play it with hopefully reduced load times.

Sega should have really released the HD versions of 1 and 2. It added little bits here and there but one big fix was fixing the damn load times on the first two games so fights start almost immediately, as opposed to taking several seconds (at least) to load each random battle.

Hopefully Yakuza 2 gets the same treatment that Kiwami is getting, a version of 2 that uses the newer game engine would be amazing.

TheDarkKnight774 · Dec 5, 2015

Man I'd love to get yakuza remake stateside too. I hate that my only option to play yakuza 1 in the US is with the dub. This series should only be played in subtitles with the original VAs (IMO)

Laputa_94 · Dec 5, 2015

Guymelef said:
If SEGA is intelligent (I don't think so) they would release Yakuza 1 and 2 PS2 version for PS4.

I've been hoping for at least PS2 classics on PS3. I'd just not rather go and buy 1 and 2 off eBay, but at this rate I will probably have too.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

gketter said:
Man I'd love to get yakuza remake stateside too. I hate that my only option to play yakuza 1 in the US is with the dub. This series should only be played in subtitles with the original VAs (IMO)

The NA script is recognizably worse than the translated later games, but Yakuza 1 is still a terrific game and if you have the means to play it, don't wait for the remake! Even with the NA script it's the best place to start the series.

And Mark Hamill's Majima is a thing that happened!

Mubbed · Dec 5, 2015

I feel the first three titles in the series have a natural progression. Yakuza 4 feels like an entirely different entity. If anyone is waiting for PS4 compatibility I would suggest starting with Yakuza 0 and then waiting for either the remake of the first title or the PS2 version to pop up on psn (i'm sure one or the other will happen if 0 sells well).

Zach · Dec 5, 2015

Not to undermine your suggestions -- and you're probably right -- but I started on Yakuza 3 and loved it.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

Zach said:
Not to undermine your suggestions -- and you're probably right -- but I started on Yakuza 3 and loved it.

I know a few people who have started with 3, but do you disagree that 4 is a better starting point in every single way?

GodzillaDB · Dec 5, 2015

Does anyone know whether there's an archive of KHHsubs' text walkthrough for Japanese copies of Yakuza 5? I'm a strict collector of physical media for video games so I imported a copy about a year ago, but the author(s) immediately nuked all their content in response to the Western localization announcement. I know some documents exist on GameFAQs, but they don't contain any English translation for the story content which hurts a largely appealing point for the franchise. Am I completely out of luck finding this material or would it just be best to wait for a complete playthrough on YouTube for the digital release at this point?

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

GodzillaDB said:
Does anyone know whether there's an archive of KHHsubs' text walkthrough for Japanese copies of Yakuza 5? I'm a strict collector of physical media for video games so I imported a copy about a year ago, but the author(s) immediately nuked all their content in response to the Western localization announcement. I know some documents exist on GameFAQs, but they don't contain any English translation for the story content which hurts a largely appealing point for the franchise. Am I completely out of luck finding this material or would it just be best to wait for a complete playthrough on YouTube for the digital release at this point?

is there a reason you can't just play the localized version? you could even leave the JP disc in your PS3 and pretend!

Anyway, best asking here

TerminalDogma · Dec 5, 2015

This thread is actually pretty helpful, since after seeing that trailer for Yakuza 0 I got pretty interested in the games. Only have a PS4 though, so looks like I'm just waiting for 0 to come out.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

TerminalDogma said:
This thread is actually pretty helpful, since after seeing that trailer for Yakuza 0 I got pretty interested in the games. Only have a PS4 though, so looks like I'm just waiting for 0 to come out.

Unfortunately that also means you'll likely never get to play 3,4 or 5. if we're lucky, 1&2 will hit PS2 classics, but I don't see a Yakuza Collection ever happening.

Son Of Sparda · Dec 5, 2015

To all newcomers who are interested in trying the series after tonight's announcement, Yakuza 0 is the best place to start the series.

Yes it would be great if everyone could play the games in the order that they got released but if you don't have access to your old systems there is absolutely no reason to give up on the series cause you'll be perfectly fine if you start with Yakuza Zero, since that game is a prequel to the entire series.

And I'd like to highlight the fact that Zero was the game that Sega made to introduce Yakuza in new markets like China so the game has been designed with the mindset of bringing newcomers to the series and by looking at how it sold in those markets, it actually succeeded in doing so.

So in short, it would be great if you guys could play the original series in the order that it was released BUT you'll be perfectly fine if you start with Yakuza Zero.

Yeah, I know I said that twice.

Zach · Dec 5, 2015

oneida said:
I know a few people who have started with 3, but do you disagree that 4 is a better starting point in every single way?

Yeah, I'd probably say it'd be a better first game.

qualitydisc · Dec 5, 2015

Trace said:
Random note, even if you really like the games don't play Dead Souls.

It was a cool idea, not a good game.

Oh. Is it really that bad? I was thinking about playing it just for fun. I know it's non-canon. Used copies are certainly cheap enough.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

Son Of Sparda said:
Kinda cross posting as well.

I disagree oneida, I think for all PS4 newcomers that want to play Yakuza series, the best place to start is with Yakuza 0.

Yes it would be great if everyone could play the games in the order that they got released but if you don't have access to your old systems there is absolutely no reason to give up on the series cause you'll be perfectly fine if you start with Yakuza Zero, since that game is a prequel to the entire series.

And I'd like to highlight the fact that Zero was the game that Sega made to introduce Yakuza in new markets like China so the game has been designed with the mindset of bringing newcomers to the series and by looking at how it sold in those markets, it actually succeeded in doing so.

So in short, it would be great if you guys could play the original series in the order that it was released BUT you'll be perfectly fine if you start with Yakuza Zero

Yeah, I know I said that twice.

the only problem is you have to wait a year and then when you're done, none of the other games in the series will be available on the platform. I guess i'm kind of "living in the now" recommending 4 over 0, because once you're done with 4, you've met a lot of the characters you'll need to know to play 5. know what I mean? I would concede that 0 is a better place to start than 2, I just like 2 so damn much and want everyone to play it.

AgentOtaku · Dec 5, 2015

I found I was completely fine when I played/beat 1, skipped 2, and went into 3

Not to mention 3 has a pretty good in-game recap option.

oneida · Dec 5, 2015

AgentOtaku said:
I found I was completely fine when I played/beat 1, skipped 2, and went into 3

Not to mention 3 has a pretty good in-game recap option.

you started with the right game, then skipped the best game!
but yes, story-wise 2 is mostly inconsequential. it does reiterate lots of stuff about the first game, so it's not a bad place to start.

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