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Can I skip Yakuza 3

hampig said:
As somebody who is just maybe an hour in to 3 this confuses and excites me.

I think 4-5 skyscrapers get blown up in just the first two games, and there has to be at least 3 double betrayals. I hear you fight tigers as well.

It's more ridiculous than that?
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If you thought fighting tigers was bad ass, has Yakuza 5 ever got an animal showdown for you.

But I won't get into it any more than that.

But yeah, my biggest issue with Yakuza 5 is sometimes the twists felt a bit forced, where situations would get railroaded into some pretty amazing/ridiculous confrontations where everyone seems to agree there was no way to avoid this, but there were plenty of ways. It's just that the plot didn't want to go there.

On the one hand, some of the stuff was so magnificently ridiculous I just had to shake my head, clap and accept it. Other times I went "Nope.., I can't follow where you just went."
 
You should decide on which Yakuza games you actually want to play first before letting them all pile into the backlog.

It would likely make more sense to start the series at 3 instead of 4.
 
Im just now looking up how much the first 2 games cost...........wow

I lucked out and got them new for cheap
 
dreamlongdead said:
You should decide on which Yakuza games you actually want to play first before letting them all pile into the backlog.

It would likely make more sense to start the series at 3 instead of 4.
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I already have 4 downloaded, and a friend if mine said he had no probs with starting 4 and going to 5.

I know it is crazy, but I am going for it
 
TheFlow said:
you are a good person.


I will just start 4 now and let you guys know how I feel later this week.
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I think it does work well starting with 4 because a lot of new important characters get introduced in this game, and their development is spread over Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5. Since these characters are meeting the old characters for the first time, you get to learn about them through their eyes (and you also have an impression of them from the catch-up of the first three games you watch before you start playing).

I hope you enjoy them. Yakuza fast became one of my favourite video game series once I gave it a chance.
 
Having played 1-4, Dead Souls and still playing 5, i'd suggest avoiding 3 like the plague. Only game worse than it is Dead Souls.
 
OP do whatever is more convenient for you.

I have played every home console game in the series
(bar Yakuza 2 and Yakuza 0 - which I will buy when the localized version comes out in January)
and I think Yakuza 4 is a great place to start getting into Yakuza, since it introduces three new protagonists
and starts off with the GOAT Shun Akiyama.

Just watch the recap videos in the main menu first to get a feel of some of the characters and their history.
 
TheFlow said:
don't watch the recap videos? you sure
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Each game is, mostly, a self-contained story and that's especially true in Y4.

Yakuza 4 has four protagonists, one of them being the main character for the series. Without watching the videos you won't lose much on the story (they are self contained) and you won't be spoiled if you decide to play the first three games.
 
Don't have the time at the moment, but definitely next year and have never played a Yakuza game. Is it a good idea to start with 0 in January?
 
No, don't skip 3. It's a great game despite the slow start. Personally I like it more then 4 or 5. There is a pretty good story, focus on single char (mostly) is great and it makes a good transition to multi char games like 4&5.

Plus Kyriu is best Yakuza char and you get to appreciate him more. Also, if you can manage to swim got, play 2. It has the best story, scenes and great gameplay.
 
SephLuis said:
Each game is, mostly, a self-contained story and that's especially true in Y4.

Yakuza 4 has four protagonists, one of them being the main character for the series. Without watching the videos you won't lose much on the story (they are self contained) and you won't be spoiled if you decide to play the first three games.
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I kinda disagree on the second part of your post. Sure the game has a self contained story, but knowing who and how important Kazuma is makes a lot of the scenes much more impactful and enjoyable.

Like SPOILERS from later parts of Yakuza 4
that one scene when he beats both Akiyama and that cop dude or when he fights with Saejima.
You really feel like you are seeing a living legend which is something that will be lost to those scenes if you play it without watching the recaps and knowing who Kazuma Kiryu is.

kvn said:
Don't have the time at the moment, but definitely next year and have never played a Yakuza game. Is it a good idea to start with 0 in January?
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Yes it is. It's a prequel to the entire series which was made with the mindset of bringing in new fans to the series from eastern Asia (and it succeed)

I feel like I need to make a stock answer for this question so I can just copy & paste that each time :)
 
Son Of Sparda said:
I kinda disagree on the second part of your post. Sure the game has a self contained story, but knowing who and how important Kazuma is makes a lot of the scenes much more impactful and enjoyable.

Like SPOILERS from later parts of Yakuza 4
that one scene when he beats both Akiyama and that cop dude or when he fights with Saejima.
You really feel like you are seeing a living legend which is something that will be lost to those scenes if you play it without watching the recaps and knowing who Kazuma Kiryu is.
Click to expand...

I usually recommend people to skip the recaps so that they can eventually play the titles themselves. Yakuza 4 will say who Kiryu is and his reputation, but it won't have that much impact in a few scenes. However, he can experience the whole Kiryu saga without any spoilers, so I guess it's a fair trade.

However, if he has no plans to ever play the old games, then go ahead and watch. Yakuza 1 just got a remake which I hope it will be localized. Yakuza 2, even being a PS2 games, still holds up pretty well and Yakuza 3 is still a great game too.

TheFlow said:
I am already playing 4 guys. Decided to skip the recap stuff.
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=)

I surely hope you enjoy the game. It's one of my favorite series.
Take your time, check the city and the side quests you can find. Play the mini games.
 
You can skip it in the sense that it is a video game and nobody is forcing you to play it. If it is your job to play Yakuza games and you want to get home early, then you can probably just watch the in-game recap. If, however, you are playing the game because you actually enjoy video games, and specifically Yakuza games, then of course don't pass it up as it is a great game. The same goes for 1 and 2—if you are a fan of the series then definitely give them a playthrough at some point. The combat is admittedly less developed (especially in the original), but they are still a lot of fun to play.
 
Son Of Sparda said:
Yes it is. It's a prequel to the entire series which was made with the mindset of bringing in new fans to the series from eastern Asia (and it succeed)

I feel like I need to make a stock answer for this question so I can just copy & paste that each time :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, so much looking forward to it.
 
Can't understand the hate towards 3, I absolutely loved it! I'd say play the earliest you can get your hands on and go from there.
 
I would not suggest skipping 3. It's my personal favorite in the series and the first game I platinumed. Technically, you CAN start Yakuza at pretty much any point and watch the recap movies, but I wouldn't recommend that, because all are worth playing and they all connect together.
 
oneida said:
you can and should skip yakuza 3
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ahjuy8.gif
 
SephLuis said:
I usually recommend people to skip the recaps so that they can eventually play the titles themselves. Yakuza 4 will say who Kiryu is and his reputation, but it won't have that much impact in a few scenes. However, he can experience the whole Kiryu saga without any spoilers, so I guess it's a fair trade.

However, if he has no plans to ever play the old games, then go ahead and watch. Yakuza 1 just got a remake which I hope it will be localized. Yakuza 2, even being a PS2 games, still holds up pretty well and Yakuza 3 is still a great game too.
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I see your point but OP has already stated that he won't be playing the older games and (hopefully) will continue on to Yakuza 5 after he is done with 4. So I think in his case, he should definitely watch the recaps.

TheFlow said:
I am already playing 4 guys. Decided to skip the recap stuff.
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Ugh... it's great to see that you are giving the series a shot (and Yakuza 4 is great entry point) but I really think you should watch the recaps first. At least do the Yakuza 1 and 2 since they are quite short and give you some idea about Kazuma and what he has been through. (and you kinda need a little background for 5)

At any rate, don't rush yourself. Play it at your own pace and enjoy the game and its world as much as you want. I really hope you like it.
 
Big_Al said:
Why would you skip 3 after playing all the others out of curiosity ?
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Well I played Y1 and Y2 on PS2, and then forgot about the franchise. Came back when Sega released Yakuza 4 on PSN last year (or was it 2014?), and then they released Yakuza 5 on PSN too. Yakuza 3 was never on PSN.
 
Don't skip it! Yakuza 3 is hands down amazing. Had one of the most emotional scenes in gaming I've ever seen.
 
Yakuza 3 had a slow start. Even boring some might say, but man the later half of that game is incredible. I would recommend NOT skipping 3.
 
On the same note as the OP, would you guys recommend starting the series from 1? Or from some other title? I know 1 - 3 are really hard to find and play, which makes me wonder if they're really worth the effort
 
-Mutsukki- said:
On the same note as the OP, would you guys recommend starting the series from 1? Or from some other title? I know 1 - 3 are really hard to find and play, which makes me wonder if they're really worth the effort
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It really depends on whether you're in it for the plot or the characters. If you just want amazing, ridiculous organized crime conspiracies with lots of drama and twists, you might be fine starting with almost any Yakuza game.

If you're a fan of Kiryu Kazuma in particular, you're probably better of starting as early as possible to get "the full experience." Yakuza 1-3 are essentially his stories. He's still an important cast member in 4 and 5, but he's understandably marginalized in order to give the other characters a chance to shine in their own stories.
 
Shoeless said:
It really depends on whether you're in it for the plot or the characters. If you just want amazing, ridiculous organized crime conspiracies with lots of drama and twists, you might be fine starting with almost any Yakuza game.

If you're a fan of Kiryu Kazuma in particular, you're probably better of starting as early as possible to get "the full experience." Yakuza 1-3 are essentially his stories. He's still an important cast member in 4 and 5, but he's understandably marginalized in order to give the other characters a chance to shine in their own stories.
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tbh my only exposure to Kiryu has been Project X Zone 2 so far, but he seems like a cool character. I also like the idea of the "full experience" if it's good enough for people to like it that much. I just really wish those 3 games were easier to find...
 
-Mutsukki- said:
tbh my only exposure to Kiryu has been Project X Zone 2 so far, but he seems like a cool character. I also like the idea of the "full experience" if it's good enough for people to like it that much. I just really wish those 3 games were easier to find...
Click to expand...

Yakuza 1 has been remastered for the PS4 in Japan, so there's a chance it might get localized for English since all the others did too. There's a chance the same might happen for Yakuza 2. As for Yakuza 3... okay, that will be tricky, since there wasn't a digital version of that, so you'll need to track down a disc somewhere.
 
-Mutsukki- said:
On the same note as the OP, would you guys recommend starting the series from 1? Or from some other title? I know 1 - 3 are really hard to find and play, which makes me wonder if they're really worth the effort
Click to expand...

If you have the means and patience (cause the first two games have not aged well, especially the first one) then sure, it's best to play them all.

But if you can't, then get Yakuza 4, watch the recaps and then start from there. Also, if you are a PS4 only player then you can wait for Yakuza 0 which comes out in January. Though if you don't mind playing with PS3 then I would strongly recommend you to start with 4 cause all of the games in the series are really good and deserve to be played.
 
Finished yakuza 3 myself early this year and it was a decent ride. As mentioned, it starts off exceptionally slowly as you develop relationships with key cast members at a glacial pace that ultimately will pay off, but is very demanding of patience and motivation for newcomers.

It's a massive game, and expecting to see as much as possible within yakuza 3 will burn you out long before jumping into Y4 and 5. Expect to take a long break between games, even if just playing the critical path and ignoring the dense amount of side content.
 
I played 4 -> 5 -> 3. Personally I think it was a good way to play the games. By the time I got to 3 I was in love anyways.
 
I started straight with Yakuza 5. I did put a few hours into 4 some years ago, and watched the story recaps. But I basically jumped right into 5 after reading wiki story recaps and I'm having a blast (about 12 hrs in ).
 
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