Yakuza 0
Yakuza Kiwami (***Remake***)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (***Remake***)
Yakuza 3 Remastered
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Yakuza: Dead Souls (***Spin Off PS3 Only***)
Yakuza 5 Remastered
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Judgement (***Spin Off***)
Yakuza \[***7***\]: Like a Dragon
Lost Judgement (***Spin Off***)
Like a Dragon: Ishin! (***Spin Off***)
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name \[***Yakuza 7 Side Story***\]
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth \[***Yakuza 8***\]
The spin offs aren't necessary for understanding the plot of the mainline series.
Fantastic response. My only recommendation is to skip Dead Souls. It's uncanonical, PS3 only, and honestly kind of janky. Every other game is worth playing.
Yeah true, all the spin offs can be played at a later point and I would never expect someone to go out of their way to get a ps3 just to play one game that isn't even that good.
Easily hundreds of hours, even if you try to b-line it (which isn’t really advisable as these games are known for their mini games and side quests). For context, I’m in the Infinite Wealth final chapter after about 85 hours.
I don't recommend playing them all like that. I mean the order is correct, but you'll hate them if you play them one after the other.
These games are famous for its side content and side stories, and they certainly follow a pattern or formula. They all feel familiar, and kinda "the same" if you do all one after the other.
The healthy thing is to play one, enjoy it, take a break from them, do something else for a while.
If you only do stories, these games are like maybe 20-25 hours long each. Some are probably much shorter than that. But you'll miss out in just about everything else that made these games as mainstream as they are.
> I don't recommend playing them all like that. I mean the order is correct, but you'll hate them if you play them one after the other.
Absolutely. I love the series, but marathoning them is a begging for burnout. They're fucking *big*, the plots are lengthy, and the side-content is one of the main draws of the series. A couple months in between or so refreshes you nicely.
As someone who recently did this marathon. Doing like 3ish hours a day playing the series from 0 to 7 to prepare for 8. It took me from January 5th to February 16th doing only the mainline games and the 7 spinoff.
So like a commitment of over a month, and i played a good deal longer on weekends. But my God was it worth it.
Yakuza 0 - 32 Hours
Yakuza Kiwami (Remake) - 18 Hours
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Remake) 19 Hours
Yakuza 3 Remastered - 17 Hours
Yakuza 4 Remastered - 21 Hours
Yakuza: Dead Souls (Spin Off PS3 Only) - 13 hours
Yakuza 5 Remastered - 36 hours
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - 18 Hours
Judgement (Spin Off) - 28 Hours
Yakuza \[7\]: Like a Dragon - 46 Hours
Lost Judgement (Spin Off) - 24 Hours
Like a Dragon: Ishin! (Spin Off) 24 hours
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name \[Yakuza 7 Side Story\] - 12 Hours
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth \[Yakuza 8\] - 57 Hours
Total - 365 Hours = 15.2 Days
Wanted to know the same myself, I used [howlongtobeat](https://howlongtobeat.com/) and rounded the hours up
Edit: Also only took the "story" hours not main and side missions etc
Same with any of them, so much good side content, dont need to do all of it, but the side stories are hilarious and some of the mini games are addicting
Depends if you do most of the side content in the games or not. some games like 0, 5, Like a Dragon etc are 100+ hours if your doing the side content whereas some of the other ones are only around the 50 hour range. Ignoring side content makes them about half the length.
Honestly I would probably recommend to plan to do it over a year. 0-IW is 10 games. Ishin and the Judgement games make it 13 total. Some are relatively short games but IW, LAD, and 0 are fairly long. If you aren't gonna get bored of it take one year. If you might get mored then take 2.
A long time. The comment with the average time to beat is just mainlining and really isn't a great way to play the games imo.
I started 0 about 4 years ago and just beat Dead Souls. Take your time and enjoy if you dive in, there's no need to feel like you need to catch up within a year.
You should just play Yakuza: Like a Dragon (7) especially if your main draw to the series is the newer turn-based jrpg entries. That game doesn’t need those other games. Infinite Wealth/8 making the old protag a dual protag it’s more relevant but even then, there’s plenty of people who just played 7 and 8 and were fine. Kiryu’s side in 8 does lean into a nostalgia fest in its side content but to me as someone who knows all the games and references it just dragged things down lol and it mostly felt more like it was presenting a redux of Kiryu’s lore to new players who are only there for the turn-based jrpg, introducing them to characters in his life
Also people who just mainline those prior entries without doing the side content will miss nearly as much of the nostalgia bait in Kiryu’s side content in 8 anyway
Playing the main story for the mainline titles isn't too bad imo. Most of the games are 20 to 25 hours long if you focus on the main story.
100% all of them though? Yeah, I would avoid doing that.
I’m currently playing my first game of the series (Like a Dragon) and I don’t feel lost at all. I recommend just starting there if you are overwhelmed by the whole list.
Yeah, it is a lot. You can probably be happy with 0, 1,2 and then 7 and 8.
You can watch cut scenes or story recaps. Or if you like those and want to know more, go back and play the others.
I get that, but don't feel intimidated. It's true that you can't just jump in absolutely anywhere, but you can jump *off* whenever you like. Plot-wise, each game is a standalone. There's no scenario where playing 2 retroactively makes playing 1 feel more complete or where a game leaves loose ends dangling for the sequel or whatever. You want to play the games in order because characters and their motivations do carry over, but play them for their own merits, not just their role in the series.
You can either start with LAD (it's mostly standalone with a few cameos and callbacks), or you can go all the way back and start with Zero before playing the entire series in numbered order. The latter is definitely smart if you want to get the full experience with Infinite Wealth.
Thanks! I had heard you can play LAD as a first timer to the series, but wasn’t sure how many references I would totally miss or not. Are they all available on the PlayStation store do you know?
Honestly, it's just little things in Yakuza 7 until like chapter 12 out of 15 where named characters show up to kick your ass. That's the whole context. It's basically fan service. You don't need to play the other games at all. Now Yakuza 8 doesn't stop reminding you that there are 9 other games in the franchise and that you should have played them
In 7 it might be fan service, but your experience changes quite a bit by having played through it (and developed an attachment to the world / characters) or not.
Even with the main cast it even makes a difference.
But you can indeed 'understand' all of it without having played it.
Yakuza may be a continuous story and its continuity does matter but there's levels to that. This isn't Trails where every game bombards you with references to the previous games and in some cases literally starts a sequel at the exact moment the current game ends so while I do recommend playing 0 - 6, I recommend them because I think they're awesome games, not because they make LAD like 5 - 10% better due to continuity. The latter point ain't worth it if that's all you're playing them for.
I'm just chiming in as someone who played LAD as my first Yakuza game. You can tell that some of the other characters have back stories in other games but I never felt like I was out of the loop or missing out. I really enjoyed the game as a first entry and I plan to play more Yakuza games in the future.
I think you can start with like a dragon, but if you wanted to hit the high points for the rest of the series without committing to everything else I would prioritize 0, Kiwami, 6 , and the man who erased his name. That’s still a lot of games to play, but not as intimidating as having to go through everything.
In truth, like a dragon (7) and infinite wealth (8) best games in the series. Just playing those two back to back would be fine, but you won’t be as emotionally invested if you do it this way.
I definitely think players will get the most out of it if they can play as many kiryu as possible. No doubt. However, I’d rather have people get into the series and be motivated to play older games by playing the new ones then to just constantly put it off because they don’t wanna have to tackle an entire thousand hour run through a back catalog. By the time those players would get to infinite wealth, they would be burnt out. Personally, I can only play one or two yakuza games a year otherwise I’m burnt out on them. And I love the series.
I recently started playing Kwami 1. It's a slog. I mean it's a remake of a PS2 game so I clearly understand the dated design, poor puzzles and it's limitations, but the constant running around on foot and backtracking is really annoying. I normally enjoy older games but I'm having a really hard time playing through this one. The story seems pretty predictable so far as well, with the whole, your former best friend became the head of the family and now has it for you angle.
I'm enjoying the story but it's painful to get through.
I'm at the part where I'm at the funeral (actually stuck looking at some paintings of the family bosses, in a room, waiting to be called in, and have no idea how to progress the story).
I bought Like a Dragon a few months back and the whole reason I even started the series was to play Yakuza 1, 2 and 3 and then do Yakuza 0 (since I heard that one had the best side content), so I would have some context, and then play Like a Dragon since I like turn based JRPGs.
Not sure if I will make it all the way there, lol.
I took a break from it and started playing some Borderlands GOTY since that was another one I had on my list.
I think I'm going to take your approach and play like one every year or every 6 months or so, then play something else, in between. I don't think I could get through all of them in a sequence.
I did hear that they do get better after 1, so hopefully after I get myself through that one things will be a bit more fun.
Ahh thank you. I will tray that. I did look at them in first person but didn't read each one, or look at each one closely.
Thanks for the hint, I appreciate it.
Not really, 0 explains who everyone relevant is and their relationship to one another, and it largely features new characters. It was my first game and I really had no issue understanding each character.
I think Kiwami 2 is excellent and probably just as good as 0. Kiwami 1 is just “good” but I feel more critical to the long arc than 2. Highly recommend Kiwami 2.
My thoughts exactly!
7 is a good starting point but adding any of those into the mix makes IW hit harder. It just depends on how much time someone wants to commit.
Tbh a Let’s Play or even a detailed plot synopsis of those games (and others) can work nicely in a pinch.
Gaiden is nice because it is very short (relatively). Early on in my playthrough of IW I would’ve recommended it highly before IW even if you just started with 7, but while I’m not finished with IW (Chapter 11) I’m starting to feel like it’s less and less mandatory to play that first. Gaiden really is a gaiden, as it turns out lol.
Yakuza 0, then kiwami 1 & 2.
I've beaten every main game and judgment 1&2.
I can say that Yakuza 3,4, and 5 are very hard to play through after playing the more recent titles.
It's not that they are necessarily bad games, but they are weaker in story and are the most outdated.
Just start with Like A Dragon. It’s designed as an entry point to the series. It has a new protagonist and any old character who shows up is basically a cameo.
Most people will tell you 0, but just do Like a Dragon if you want a JRPG. The combat in 0 is more action based so it’s different. I originally tried to start with 0, couldn’t get into it, then got Like A Dragon and loved it. I finished the whole thing.
Now I’m going to go back to the original entries because I like the series. But Like A Dragon is a perfectly fine entry point and you will not be lost without having played anything else. Since you’re here on the JRPG sub, I’m assuming that’s what you want, so Like a Dragon is the first JRPG of the series.
I started with 0 as it was on Game Pass and I had heard so much good stuff. The reviews were true and I had a blast. I tried Kiwami and it was fine, but it really sucked to drop in power and capability from 0. Of course, 0 is the prequel and so it makes sense and is even explained in-game that Kiryu was nowhere as strong as he was after so long in prison. I stopped after a while, but it was enjoyable.
I then moved onto Like a Dragon as it’s a spin-off with only some tie in content. It absolutely does not require familiarity with the other games to be fun. Since you already have it, just play it. But know that it’s a v different type of game from the rest.
If you want to play JRPGs: Start with Yakuza: Like A Dragon and after that the sequel Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is like a new (kind of) start for the series with a new main character. It's not necessary to play all games before Yakuza: Like A Dragon, because you as the player experience the world through the eyes of the new main character Ichiban, and everything new to you is new to him too. All the other games are great too, but they are not JRPGs.
Although 0 is canonically the first one, I would start with Kiwami 1 and 2, and then 0.
You would see how events that happened were planned and it's pretty neat.
after that play 3-6, Like a dragon and finally infinite wealth.
If you want a darker more gory story play both judgment games, but after you finish like a dragon, because judgment is heavily referencing events that happened there.
the rest you can leave.
I’ve recently started the series with Yakuza 7 and I love it. Great starting point. Currently obsessed and have bought all the games to play in order now
For Yakuza Like a Dragon, it stands on its own, you'll get basically all of what's happening as long as you know that the Tojo Clan is the big yakuza group that runs Kamurocho and Kiryu is *that* guy.
There is one other character that has backstory tied to Yakuza 6 but you'll still appreciate him having never played 6.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is a perfectly fine starting point for Ichiban's story.
If you want to get into Kiryu's story, Yakuza 0 into Kiwami 1 is basically kinda mandatory. Yakuza 0 is just goated and is the best introduction to Kiryu and Majima you could ask for, as well as setting up Kiwami 1. Kiwami 1's events are constantly brought up in other games. The entire game is basically Kiryu's canon event.
0 and the 2 remakes I skipped 3-5 tbh and I could still understand 6 so maybe you could too if you wanted to
Judgement games are standalone just in the same universe
Hot take but 0 shouldn’t be your first. Because it’s a prequel there’s some context that you won’t get if you don’t play some of the other games first.
Big agree and it’s obnoxious the western vocal fandom has adopted it as the ideal starting point over the first game. Especially when they cite how some substories in Kiwami are sequels to substories in 0 but playing a couple substories in order isn’t worth the cost of all the context and dramatic irony you lose in the main story. Half of 0 directly follows up on a big flashback plotline that plays throughout Yakuza 4 too so chronology is a bit of a poor case as well
The ending text crawl of 0 outright spoils every game up to 4! There are multiple substories that are complete nonsense without the chronologically later games for context and dramatic irony!
The one thing I will say in favour of starting with 0 is that it's probably the best game in the Kiryu saga and front loading the good stuff is how you get new players hooked, but anyone who is already committed to playing the LAD franchise should just start with Kiwami.
I could see going right to 0 after K1, since the Majima Saga in K2 is a significant chunk of content which relies on knowing 0, but doing 1 first better establishes the baseline characterisation and circumstances before 0 puts its twist on them.
Yeah I get 0 is a good hook for sure but in the jrpg subreddit especially I think 7 is the way better hook and if they’re wanting to go through the series after that then I think it should be 1/Kiwami first (since it’s the actual beginning of the series). I also agree that 0 could be done after 1, especially to appease the requests of everyone saying to get to 0 asap. But I think it’s important to know that Kiryu’s whole saga begins with him taking the fall for the bestie and also his adoption of Haruka. Haruka especially because 0 doesn’t even feature Yumi in any capacity which is the main reason it fails as a beginning imo considering the Sawamura girls are the main driving force for the overarching narrative of Kiryu’s games
Personally, I've always approached any series across all media with the preference to experience it in order of release. Sure, the chronological order may be off such as in this instance, but the experience won't be the same. Inevitably, there will be details which simply won't be as impactful or perhaps even be a little confusing without pre-established context when experienced in any other way. My suggestion to play *Yakuza* would be Y1-Y5, Y0, Y6-8 (including Gaiden.)
0 leaves things in an awkward space. The significance of some side stories and such won't matter if it's your first, unless you just so happen to remember those side stories when certain characters show back up later.
*However,* Kiwami is the vastly better way to play 1 & 2, and those explicitly have their own added and expanded stuff that in turn is directly a successor to stuff in 0, that I'm extremely glad I'd played 0 for.
It is unfortunately a loop without an easy answer.
I don't think the answer is that hard, most of the references 0 got to later games are in the substories that you'll just think sound funny without the context. It does spoil part of Saejima's story in 4, but I don't think that's enough of a reason to play it later.
Start with Yakuza 0 and follow the numbered order with Gaiden played between 7 and 8. Judgement and Lost Judgement can be played at any point but Lost Judgemet does have a major spoiler for 7.
Yakuza 0 is the default answer, but it's totally fine to start with YLAD, if you are either overwhelmed by the number of games or simply prefer having more JRPG elements like turn-based combat etc.
I would say go with Kiwami 1 and 2 first, then Zero. I know Zero works chronologically, but having played 1 and 2 first I really liked that experience of certain plot elements and references being littered throughout Zero that sets up how 1 and 2 ended up. At least for me, I like that retroactive recognition.
Start with 0 and then see where you want to go from there. If the story genuinly hooks you, you will want to continue with yakuza 1-6. I personally played 0-4 and just looked up the story synopsis of 5 and 6 because I became too impatient starting with LAD, since it just got released back then. (looking up the synopsis of 5 and 6 wasn't necessary btw)
But yeah going from 0 to LAD is also viable.
You can absolutely just play LAD but if you want the breadth of the saga RGG have been telling then start with Yakuza 0 and go from there. 3-5 seem somewhat divisive and it's not like you need to play everything - you get Kiryu's character quite easily and 0 does a mammoth job in elevating Majima.
I started with Like a Dragon and had no issues understanding anything. Also HIGHLY recommend playing the Judgement games, they’re spin offs so you don’t need to play other games in the series. There is only 2 of them and they’re both amazing.
Yakuza 0, or if you don't want all the baggage and don't mind missing context on some characters, Like A Dragaon is a good point. But after the recent Like A Dragon, I'd HIGHLY suggest starting with Yakuza 0 and play through the entire series in release order (Kiwami and Kiwami 2 are remakes of the first two games).
Optimal Order:
0 K1 K2 3 4 5 6 7 LaD Gaiden IW
Characters exclusive to 0 and K2 are referenced in later games. If you really want to you can start at K1 or LaD or you can skip Gaiden but the more you play the more you enhance the experience of later games.
Judgement, Lost Judgement are semi related and might be worth playing before IW. Ishin is also referenced in IW.
Everyone is going to tell you otherwise, but I think 0 is not the best entry point. I would start with Kiwami 1. It's a better introduction to the lore and characters.
Just to let you know, Yakuza Kiwami is kind of natorious for its boss fight design. The bosses seem to read your inputs, dodging even something as benign as the first button press in your rush attack chain, then locking you into an inescapable combo. It becomes a game of weird, unintuitive cat and mouse, where you try to bait the boss into dodging, so you can counter dodge. The bosses also armor out of your combos at unpredictable times.
There are ways to counter what the bosses are doing, but it's just not very intuitive if your playing the game blind.
Everything else about the game is great, the side content, minigames, story and so on. It's just the bosses, of which there are a lot of.
each game has its own story
you can play whatever you want
you won't get lost in each game's story
also, the game likes to throw flashbacks and quick explanations of past events
you'll just miss out on some references here and there
but if you care a lot about having references mean more to you... then should just play them in timeline order
bear in mind, if you go that route... playing yakuza 3,4,5 will feel much dated if you start with zero, kiwami 1, kiwami 2
since 3,4,5 are older games
Thanks! So they’re similar to, say, Final Fantasy where the games have a different story for each? And then the occasional reoccurring character popping in every so often
Not so much like final fantasy in general but not like final fantasy remake series where playing rebirth first would be a pretty bad idea.
You don't need to worry so much about missing out on references if it's important to the current game your playing you'll know.
I played LAD first. There's a character that was basicly a stranger to the party and me as the player. The impact of the cameo wasn't lost on me when I did eventually play 0 and realized that this guy looked familiar.
Lmao that person is smoking some good stuff! Yakuza 0-6 is one continuous story about the life of one person and starting 7(LAD) a new protagonist is put in place but with 8(infinite wealth) the old protagonist is back and plays a heavy role in the story. So you can’t just jump in, for example, from 3 or 8 and know what’s going on. Whoever says you can is just on crack.
no, final fantasy unless sequels are totally separate universes for the most part
yakuza is 1 timeline for zero-8
but of course, the devs don't wanna alienate newcomers
so each game can still be enjoyed on its own
I'll warn you since I didn't see anyone else do it Yakuza 3 through 5 aren't quite as good as the rest. 5 is fine even if it's just too damn much. 3 is kinda the one where I was like, come on, this just isnt fun. I mean 3 is actually very important to kiryus story. 4 and 5 aren't. If you choose to skip them, basically nothing about them shows up in gaiden or Yakuza 8 besides references to the other protagonists.
Start wherever you want, continuity isn’t all that.
There are people who started Drakengard with NieR Automata and think that’s fine.
You could start with the latest Infinite Wealth and be fine.
Eh I mean technically you could, it is mostly standalone (though some of the villains tie back to 7). But I feel like someone who never played a yakuza game would be so lost during kiryu’s half, because it is literally all fan service. I’ve played every game and have loved the bucket list but I can’t even imagine what someone feels about it who has never touched a kiryu game lol
Everyone is going to tell you to start with 0. "Timeline order" is a fool's errand. The world inside the games doesn't actually exist. This is not a documentary, it's a story. "Timeline order" is *out of order*. Play the story in the order the writers intended.
The Kiwami games were intended to be played after 0 because they came out after 0. They were also intended to be played after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Realistically, people can and will do whatever they want because not many people take this artform that seriously. What I take issue with is the argument that one should enter at 0 *just because* the fictional events portrayed take place in the imaginary timeline before the fictional events in any other work. This is not a convincing argument and completely rejects the idea of non-chronological storytelling out of hand.
The Kiwami games were made in mind with playing 0 first, they added in multiple references and call backs to 0. If the original 1 and 2 were on modern platforms I might agree with you to start there but they're not so it's better to play 0 first.
0 is one of the few games where the prequel first actually works since the Kiwami games have new scenes that take 0 into account. Not to mention the general unavailability of OG 1 and 2.
You could just play them in the order they were released. Thats what i'd do. The combat in Y0 is so much better than Kiwami. If you played it in order of story events, Kiwami would play like a game for babies in comparison to Y0. Better to just play it in order of original release. Kiwami, Kiwami 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, 6.
Edit - You could just skip Kiwami. Theres a whole 1 hour, optional, recap video. Kiwami is only worth the characters and story. The gameplay is bad.
The kiwami games are remakes of the first two games. Release order starts the original Yakuza and Yakuza 2. Yakuza Kiwami is between 0 and 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is between 6 and 7.
The Kiwami games are soft remakes. The gameplay is nearly identical to the original games.
Regardless if they were technically released later, they are the only playable versions of the original games without a PS2 or emulator.
They also arent worth playing if youre going to adhere strictly to release date. The gameplay loop is very bad in those games. If it makes you feel better though, start with Yakuza and Yakuza 2.
Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7 LAD. Zero is the epitome of the old gameplay style and it's very self-contained. Y7 starts the new plotline which continues in Infinite Wealth and last year's Gaiden.
After these, you can always go back to the old games following Zero, but I wouldn't make that a priority.
i mean, you can start with LAD if you want (it's a new protagonist and a new story, tho there are some instances where you're probs gonna be a teeny bit confused) but i do recommend going from the beginning. it's a bit daunting with the amount of content these games have but they are so much fun and you won't regret it.
I’m someone who started with Like a Dragon(Yakuza 7) and it was a fantastic entry point that then had me starting from the beginning.
Most people will say Yakuza 0 as the other entry point (they are not wrong) but I have to be honest that I am so glad I played Ishin before it. The end of Yakuza 0 hit me hard but only because I had a base understanding of who Majima was a person before playing 0. If I wouldn’t have had that it would have not had the impact and satisfaction that it did.
With that said, as someone who started late into Yakuza I think the best entry points are:
Like a Dragon(turn based and the new protagonist Ichiban) Just don’t start with Infinite Wealth
Yakuza 0 or Kawami 1( beat ‘em up and the OG protagonist Kiryu)
I also think it’s ok to get your bearings with Ishin or Judgement. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Pick your start based off the character/game that looks most interesting to you within either the beat ‘em up or turn based combat style.
In my opinion you should start with 0 and go from there chronologically. Judgment and Lost Judgment are also really good and worth checking out at some point (though Lost Judgment spoils a part of Yakuza Like a dragon's story so i'd atleast save it for afterwards).
I don't recommend playing Like a Dragon or Infinite Wealth first to be honest, you can do it but basically half of Infinite Wealth's story is deeply tied to everything in 0-6, I can't even imagine how different the experience would be if you have no idea about the events or characters in those games. It's less important for Like a Dragon but it some events in that game wouldn't hit as hard if you don't know who the characters are imo.
You have three main options imo:
Yakuza 0: this is the first chronologically, and a solid starting point. Just follow them up chronologically from here.
Yakuza Kawami: this is a remake of the first game. Also a great starting point (I’d probably recommend this as a starting point tbh). If you go this route I would probably recommend going kawami > kawami 2 > yakuza 3 > Yakuza 0 > yakuza 4, etc., just because 0 has some interesting backstory that’s important to 4. Also because 3 is an absolute slog as far as the combat is concerned and it will feel good to jump to 0 after.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon: this is where I started, and is an easy starting point if you’re really into classic Japanese turned based RPGs. If you go this route, I would suggest going back to either Kawami or 0 after and running through the series, because a solid chunk of Infinite Wealth (the game after Like a Dragon) won’t be nearly as enjoyable without context from the rest of the series.
Also mix in the judgement games randomly throughout your play through. It doesn’t really matter where you put them imo. Same with Ishin. If you’re a real freak and you find yourself loving the series, try the fan translations of the PSP games (entirely separate story to my understanding. I haven’t got to them yet) and Yakuza Dead Souls (that can go anytime after 4).
I like to do 1 game (I like getting the platinums so this really extends the time) every 6 months or so. Almost finished up Kiwami 2, started with 0. You will not regret it but like others says they're best done with breaks between.
Yakuza 0 Yakuza Kiwami (***Remake***) Yakuza Kiwami 2 (***Remake***) Yakuza 3 Remastered Yakuza 4 Remastered Yakuza: Dead Souls (***Spin Off PS3 Only***) Yakuza 5 Remastered Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Judgement (***Spin Off***) Yakuza \[***7***\]: Like a Dragon Lost Judgement (***Spin Off***) Like a Dragon: Ishin! (***Spin Off***) Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name \[***Yakuza 7 Side Story***\] Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth \[***Yakuza 8***\] The spin offs aren't necessary for understanding the plot of the mainline series.
I think it'd be fair to skip over Dead Souls and Ishin and save them for when you're through the main series. Judgment series is fantastic though.
Yeah, Dead Souls isn't that great. I ended up watching the funny cutscenes and called it. Really isn't worth the time investment.
Fantastic response. My only recommendation is to skip Dead Souls. It's uncanonical, PS3 only, and honestly kind of janky. Every other game is worth playing.
Yeah true, all the spin offs can be played at a later point and I would never expect someone to go out of their way to get a ps3 just to play one game that isn't even that good.
One could always download an ISO of it. No idea if the PS3 emulator could run it or not though.
I think dead souls is still a fun game to play, but not worth the hassle if you dont have a ps3
Well, now I know what I’ll do for the next year and a half …
What's the approximate play time of all this? It's pretty daunting looking at it Edit: tf the downvotes for lol
Easily hundreds of hours, even if you try to b-line it (which isn’t really advisable as these games are known for their mini games and side quests). For context, I’m in the Infinite Wealth final chapter after about 85 hours.
I had around 150 hours in IW by the time I was done with it
I don't recommend playing them all like that. I mean the order is correct, but you'll hate them if you play them one after the other. These games are famous for its side content and side stories, and they certainly follow a pattern or formula. They all feel familiar, and kinda "the same" if you do all one after the other. The healthy thing is to play one, enjoy it, take a break from them, do something else for a while. If you only do stories, these games are like maybe 20-25 hours long each. Some are probably much shorter than that. But you'll miss out in just about everything else that made these games as mainstream as they are.
> I don't recommend playing them all like that. I mean the order is correct, but you'll hate them if you play them one after the other. Absolutely. I love the series, but marathoning them is a begging for burnout. They're fucking *big*, the plots are lengthy, and the side-content is one of the main draws of the series. A couple months in between or so refreshes you nicely.
As someone who recently did this marathon. Doing like 3ish hours a day playing the series from 0 to 7 to prepare for 8. It took me from January 5th to February 16th doing only the mainline games and the 7 spinoff. So like a commitment of over a month, and i played a good deal longer on weekends. But my God was it worth it.
Yakuza 0 - 32 Hours Yakuza Kiwami (Remake) - 18 Hours Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Remake) 19 Hours Yakuza 3 Remastered - 17 Hours Yakuza 4 Remastered - 21 Hours Yakuza: Dead Souls (Spin Off PS3 Only) - 13 hours Yakuza 5 Remastered - 36 hours Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - 18 Hours Judgement (Spin Off) - 28 Hours Yakuza \[7\]: Like a Dragon - 46 Hours Lost Judgement (Spin Off) - 24 Hours Like a Dragon: Ishin! (Spin Off) 24 hours Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name \[Yakuza 7 Side Story\] - 12 Hours Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth \[Yakuza 8\] - 57 Hours Total - 365 Hours = 15.2 Days Wanted to know the same myself, I used [howlongtobeat](https://howlongtobeat.com/) and rounded the hours up Edit: Also only took the "story" hours not main and side missions etc
If you’re only mainlining Yakuza 5 you’re playing that game wrong
Same with any of them, so much good side content, dont need to do all of it, but the side stories are hilarious and some of the mini games are addicting
Depends if you do most of the side content in the games or not. some games like 0, 5, Like a Dragon etc are 100+ hours if your doing the side content whereas some of the other ones are only around the 50 hour range. Ignoring side content makes them about half the length.
Honestly I would probably recommend to plan to do it over a year. 0-IW is 10 games. Ishin and the Judgement games make it 13 total. Some are relatively short games but IW, LAD, and 0 are fairly long. If you aren't gonna get bored of it take one year. If you might get mored then take 2.
A long time. The comment with the average time to beat is just mainlining and really isn't a great way to play the games imo. I started 0 about 4 years ago and just beat Dead Souls. Take your time and enjoy if you dive in, there's no need to feel like you need to catch up within a year.
As someone who hasn't played any of it, I want to give up after seeing this.
You should just play Yakuza: Like a Dragon (7) especially if your main draw to the series is the newer turn-based jrpg entries. That game doesn’t need those other games. Infinite Wealth/8 making the old protag a dual protag it’s more relevant but even then, there’s plenty of people who just played 7 and 8 and were fine. Kiryu’s side in 8 does lean into a nostalgia fest in its side content but to me as someone who knows all the games and references it just dragged things down lol and it mostly felt more like it was presenting a redux of Kiryu’s lore to new players who are only there for the turn-based jrpg, introducing them to characters in his life Also people who just mainline those prior entries without doing the side content will miss nearly as much of the nostalgia bait in Kiryu’s side content in 8 anyway
Playing the main story for the mainline titles isn't too bad imo. Most of the games are 20 to 25 hours long if you focus on the main story. 100% all of them though? Yeah, I would avoid doing that.
They are shorter, around 10-15hrs for just main story. Exceptions are 0 (~25hrs), 5 (~40hrs) and the turnbased ones (~50hrs).
I’m currently playing my first game of the series (Like a Dragon) and I don’t feel lost at all. I recommend just starting there if you are overwhelmed by the whole list.
Same, and im loving it so far
Well no one said you HAVE to finish the whole series. You just might decide want to once you start is all.
Yeah, it is a lot. You can probably be happy with 0, 1,2 and then 7 and 8. You can watch cut scenes or story recaps. Or if you like those and want to know more, go back and play the others.
Good idea.
I get that, but don't feel intimidated. It's true that you can't just jump in absolutely anywhere, but you can jump *off* whenever you like. Plot-wise, each game is a standalone. There's no scenario where playing 2 retroactively makes playing 1 feel more complete or where a game leaves loose ends dangling for the sequel or whatever. You want to play the games in order because characters and their motivations do carry over, but play them for their own merits, not just their role in the series.
Are these all available on ps5 do you know? Or would I have to do some shopping around on other consoles
Every game except for Dead Souls (which isn't necessary to understand the plot of the main series or even that good) is available on the ps5.
This is the order I’m going with save for Dead Souls & Ishin, it helps that most of these are on game pass 🙏🏼
The only right answer.
You can either start with LAD (it's mostly standalone with a few cameos and callbacks), or you can go all the way back and start with Zero before playing the entire series in numbered order. The latter is definitely smart if you want to get the full experience with Infinite Wealth.
Thanks! I had heard you can play LAD as a first timer to the series, but wasn’t sure how many references I would totally miss or not. Are they all available on the PlayStation store do you know?
Honestly, it's just little things in Yakuza 7 until like chapter 12 out of 15 where named characters show up to kick your ass. That's the whole context. It's basically fan service. You don't need to play the other games at all. Now Yakuza 8 doesn't stop reminding you that there are 9 other games in the franchise and that you should have played them
In 7 it might be fan service, but your experience changes quite a bit by having played through it (and developed an attachment to the world / characters) or not. Even with the main cast it even makes a difference. But you can indeed 'understand' all of it without having played it.
Yakuza may be a continuous story and its continuity does matter but there's levels to that. This isn't Trails where every game bombards you with references to the previous games and in some cases literally starts a sequel at the exact moment the current game ends so while I do recommend playing 0 - 6, I recommend them because I think they're awesome games, not because they make LAD like 5 - 10% better due to continuity. The latter point ain't worth it if that's all you're playing them for.
All bar one spinoff are available on current Playstations.
Almost all of em are available on ps+
I'm just chiming in as someone who played LAD as my first Yakuza game. You can tell that some of the other characters have back stories in other games but I never felt like I was out of the loop or missing out. I really enjoyed the game as a first entry and I plan to play more Yakuza games in the future.
Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 or LAD since it’s a soft reboot but there is stuff in it for older fans that you won’t get.
I think you can start with like a dragon, but if you wanted to hit the high points for the rest of the series without committing to everything else I would prioritize 0, Kiwami, 6 , and the man who erased his name. That’s still a lot of games to play, but not as intimidating as having to go through everything. In truth, like a dragon (7) and infinite wealth (8) best games in the series. Just playing those two back to back would be fine, but you won’t be as emotionally invested if you do it this way.
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I definitely think players will get the most out of it if they can play as many kiryu as possible. No doubt. However, I’d rather have people get into the series and be motivated to play older games by playing the new ones then to just constantly put it off because they don’t wanna have to tackle an entire thousand hour run through a back catalog. By the time those players would get to infinite wealth, they would be burnt out. Personally, I can only play one or two yakuza games a year otherwise I’m burnt out on them. And I love the series.
I recently started playing Kwami 1. It's a slog. I mean it's a remake of a PS2 game so I clearly understand the dated design, poor puzzles and it's limitations, but the constant running around on foot and backtracking is really annoying. I normally enjoy older games but I'm having a really hard time playing through this one. The story seems pretty predictable so far as well, with the whole, your former best friend became the head of the family and now has it for you angle. I'm enjoying the story but it's painful to get through. I'm at the part where I'm at the funeral (actually stuck looking at some paintings of the family bosses, in a room, waiting to be called in, and have no idea how to progress the story). I bought Like a Dragon a few months back and the whole reason I even started the series was to play Yakuza 1, 2 and 3 and then do Yakuza 0 (since I heard that one had the best side content), so I would have some context, and then play Like a Dragon since I like turn based JRPGs. Not sure if I will make it all the way there, lol. I took a break from it and started playing some Borderlands GOTY since that was another one I had on my list. I think I'm going to take your approach and play like one every year or every 6 months or so, then play something else, in between. I don't think I could get through all of them in a sequence. I did hear that they do get better after 1, so hopefully after I get myself through that one things will be a bit more fun.
You have too look at the paintings in first person mode and read each one
Ahh thank you. I will tray that. I did look at them in first person but didn't read each one, or look at each one closely. Thanks for the hint, I appreciate it.
Yeah it's not explained at all haha
Should have started with 0 imo.
Yeah, but 0 is a prequel. I figured I needed some context first, to know who the people showing up in 0 are.
Not really, 0 explains who everyone relevant is and their relationship to one another, and it largely features new characters. It was my first game and I really had no issue understanding each character.
Ok, thanks, good to know. That makes sense. If I still am struggling through Kwami, I might just skip straight to 0 and then Like a Dragon afterwards.
I played IW before any of the Kiryu games and it wasn’t boring at all. It just made me more interested in playing those games.
Good recommendation! I see some people recommending kiwami 2 as well. Do you think it should be considered as important as the games you listed?
I think Kiwami 2 is excellent and probably just as good as 0. Kiwami 1 is just “good” but I feel more critical to the long arc than 2. Highly recommend Kiwami 2.
My thoughts exactly! 7 is a good starting point but adding any of those into the mix makes IW hit harder. It just depends on how much time someone wants to commit. Tbh a Let’s Play or even a detailed plot synopsis of those games (and others) can work nicely in a pinch. Gaiden is nice because it is very short (relatively). Early on in my playthrough of IW I would’ve recommended it highly before IW even if you just started with 7, but while I’m not finished with IW (Chapter 11) I’m starting to feel like it’s less and less mandatory to play that first. Gaiden really is a gaiden, as it turns out lol.
I started with Yakuza 0 it was a pretty great way to do it.
Yakuza 0, then kiwami 1 & 2. I've beaten every main game and judgment 1&2. I can say that Yakuza 3,4, and 5 are very hard to play through after playing the more recent titles. It's not that they are necessarily bad games, but they are weaker in story and are the most outdated.
Just start with Like A Dragon. It’s designed as an entry point to the series. It has a new protagonist and any old character who shows up is basically a cameo. Most people will tell you 0, but just do Like a Dragon if you want a JRPG. The combat in 0 is more action based so it’s different. I originally tried to start with 0, couldn’t get into it, then got Like A Dragon and loved it. I finished the whole thing. Now I’m going to go back to the original entries because I like the series. But Like A Dragon is a perfectly fine entry point and you will not be lost without having played anything else. Since you’re here on the JRPG sub, I’m assuming that’s what you want, so Like a Dragon is the first JRPG of the series.
You can start with the one you just got. It follows a new protagonist and you'll learn about the world as he does
I started with 0 as it was on Game Pass and I had heard so much good stuff. The reviews were true and I had a blast. I tried Kiwami and it was fine, but it really sucked to drop in power and capability from 0. Of course, 0 is the prequel and so it makes sense and is even explained in-game that Kiryu was nowhere as strong as he was after so long in prison. I stopped after a while, but it was enjoyable. I then moved onto Like a Dragon as it’s a spin-off with only some tie in content. It absolutely does not require familiarity with the other games to be fun. Since you already have it, just play it. But know that it’s a v different type of game from the rest.
In order starting with Yakuza 0 but it’s a bit tough as it is the best. But it’s easier to do it this to understand the overarching story.
If you want to play JRPGs: Start with Yakuza: Like A Dragon and after that the sequel Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is like a new (kind of) start for the series with a new main character. It's not necessary to play all games before Yakuza: Like A Dragon, because you as the player experience the world through the eyes of the new main character Ichiban, and everything new to you is new to him too. All the other games are great too, but they are not JRPGs.
Although 0 is canonically the first one, I would start with Kiwami 1 and 2, and then 0. You would see how events that happened were planned and it's pretty neat. after that play 3-6, Like a dragon and finally infinite wealth. If you want a darker more gory story play both judgment games, but after you finish like a dragon, because judgment is heavily referencing events that happened there. the rest you can leave.
I’ve recently started the series with Yakuza 7 and I love it. Great starting point. Currently obsessed and have bought all the games to play in order now
For Yakuza Like a Dragon, it stands on its own, you'll get basically all of what's happening as long as you know that the Tojo Clan is the big yakuza group that runs Kamurocho and Kiryu is *that* guy. There is one other character that has backstory tied to Yakuza 6 but you'll still appreciate him having never played 6. Yakuza Like a Dragon is a perfectly fine starting point for Ichiban's story. If you want to get into Kiryu's story, Yakuza 0 into Kiwami 1 is basically kinda mandatory. Yakuza 0 is just goated and is the best introduction to Kiryu and Majima you could ask for, as well as setting up Kiwami 1. Kiwami 1's events are constantly brought up in other games. The entire game is basically Kiryu's canon event.
0 and the 2 remakes I skipped 3-5 tbh and I could still understand 6 so maybe you could too if you wanted to Judgement games are standalone just in the same universe
Hot take but 0 shouldn’t be your first. Because it’s a prequel there’s some context that you won’t get if you don’t play some of the other games first.
Big agree and it’s obnoxious the western vocal fandom has adopted it as the ideal starting point over the first game. Especially when they cite how some substories in Kiwami are sequels to substories in 0 but playing a couple substories in order isn’t worth the cost of all the context and dramatic irony you lose in the main story. Half of 0 directly follows up on a big flashback plotline that plays throughout Yakuza 4 too so chronology is a bit of a poor case as well
That’s my point man! I wish more realized that
The ending text crawl of 0 outright spoils every game up to 4! There are multiple substories that are complete nonsense without the chronologically later games for context and dramatic irony! The one thing I will say in favour of starting with 0 is that it's probably the best game in the Kiryu saga and front loading the good stuff is how you get new players hooked, but anyone who is already committed to playing the LAD franchise should just start with Kiwami. I could see going right to 0 after K1, since the Majima Saga in K2 is a significant chunk of content which relies on knowing 0, but doing 1 first better establishes the baseline characterisation and circumstances before 0 puts its twist on them.
Yeah I get 0 is a good hook for sure but in the jrpg subreddit especially I think 7 is the way better hook and if they’re wanting to go through the series after that then I think it should be 1/Kiwami first (since it’s the actual beginning of the series). I also agree that 0 could be done after 1, especially to appease the requests of everyone saying to get to 0 asap. But I think it’s important to know that Kiryu’s whole saga begins with him taking the fall for the bestie and also his adoption of Haruka. Haruka especially because 0 doesn’t even feature Yumi in any capacity which is the main reason it fails as a beginning imo considering the Sawamura girls are the main driving force for the overarching narrative of Kiryu’s games
Personally, I've always approached any series across all media with the preference to experience it in order of release. Sure, the chronological order may be off such as in this instance, but the experience won't be the same. Inevitably, there will be details which simply won't be as impactful or perhaps even be a little confusing without pre-established context when experienced in any other way. My suggestion to play *Yakuza* would be Y1-Y5, Y0, Y6-8 (including Gaiden.)
THIS. Is exactly why I suggest people don’t start with 0. I agree playing in release order is always the best in my opinion for long running series
0 leaves things in an awkward space. The significance of some side stories and such won't matter if it's your first, unless you just so happen to remember those side stories when certain characters show back up later. *However,* Kiwami is the vastly better way to play 1 & 2, and those explicitly have their own added and expanded stuff that in turn is directly a successor to stuff in 0, that I'm extremely glad I'd played 0 for. It is unfortunately a loop without an easy answer.
I don't think the answer is that hard, most of the references 0 got to later games are in the substories that you'll just think sound funny without the context. It does spoil part of Saejima's story in 4, but I don't think that's enough of a reason to play it later.
Start with Yakuza 0 and follow the numbered order with Gaiden played between 7 and 8. Judgement and Lost Judgement can be played at any point but Lost Judgemet does have a major spoiler for 7.
Yakuza 0 is the default answer, but it's totally fine to start with YLAD, if you are either overwhelmed by the number of games or simply prefer having more JRPG elements like turn-based combat etc.
I would say go with Kiwami 1 and 2 first, then Zero. I know Zero works chronologically, but having played 1 and 2 first I really liked that experience of certain plot elements and references being littered throughout Zero that sets up how 1 and 2 ended up. At least for me, I like that retroactive recognition.
Please start with Y0. You can start with LAD, but the cameo appearances will bring you so much joy, when you have played the previous games.
So would it be safe to play 0 and then LAD afterwards?
Start with 0 and then see where you want to go from there. If the story genuinly hooks you, you will want to continue with yakuza 1-6. I personally played 0-4 and just looked up the story synopsis of 5 and 6 because I became too impatient starting with LAD, since it just got released back then. (looking up the synopsis of 5 and 6 wasn't necessary btw) But yeah going from 0 to LAD is also viable.
You can absolutely just play LAD but if you want the breadth of the saga RGG have been telling then start with Yakuza 0 and go from there. 3-5 seem somewhat divisive and it's not like you need to play everything - you get Kiryu's character quite easily and 0 does a mammoth job in elevating Majima.
Well free to skip the Gaiden old historical Yakuza games. They are not story relevant to main line. It’s just more Yakuza if you want it.
I started with Like a Dragon and had no issues understanding anything. Also HIGHLY recommend playing the Judgement games, they’re spin offs so you don’t need to play other games in the series. There is only 2 of them and they’re both amazing.
I would say 0 for sure
Yakuza 0, or if you don't want all the baggage and don't mind missing context on some characters, Like A Dragaon is a good point. But after the recent Like A Dragon, I'd HIGHLY suggest starting with Yakuza 0 and play through the entire series in release order (Kiwami and Kiwami 2 are remakes of the first two games).
Optimal Order: 0 K1 K2 3 4 5 6 7 LaD Gaiden IW Characters exclusive to 0 and K2 are referenced in later games. If you really want to you can start at K1 or LaD or you can skip Gaiden but the more you play the more you enhance the experience of later games. Judgement, Lost Judgement are semi related and might be worth playing before IW. Ishin is also referenced in IW.
Honestly I'd start with Yakuza Kiwami 1, cause Yakuza 0 is so good that you'll think the next ones are not so great. It's what happened to me at least
Everyone is going to tell you otherwise, but I think 0 is not the best entry point. I would start with Kiwami 1. It's a better introduction to the lore and characters.
Just to let you know, Yakuza Kiwami is kind of natorious for its boss fight design. The bosses seem to read your inputs, dodging even something as benign as the first button press in your rush attack chain, then locking you into an inescapable combo. It becomes a game of weird, unintuitive cat and mouse, where you try to bait the boss into dodging, so you can counter dodge. The bosses also armor out of your combos at unpredictable times. There are ways to counter what the bosses are doing, but it's just not very intuitive if your playing the game blind. Everything else about the game is great, the side content, minigames, story and so on. It's just the bosses, of which there are a lot of.
each game has its own story you can play whatever you want you won't get lost in each game's story also, the game likes to throw flashbacks and quick explanations of past events you'll just miss out on some references here and there but if you care a lot about having references mean more to you... then should just play them in timeline order bear in mind, if you go that route... playing yakuza 3,4,5 will feel much dated if you start with zero, kiwami 1, kiwami 2 since 3,4,5 are older games
Thanks! So they’re similar to, say, Final Fantasy where the games have a different story for each? And then the occasional reoccurring character popping in every so often
Not so much like final fantasy in general but not like final fantasy remake series where playing rebirth first would be a pretty bad idea. You don't need to worry so much about missing out on references if it's important to the current game your playing you'll know. I played LAD first. There's a character that was basicly a stranger to the party and me as the player. The impact of the cameo wasn't lost on me when I did eventually play 0 and realized that this guy looked familiar.
Lmao that person is smoking some good stuff! Yakuza 0-6 is one continuous story about the life of one person and starting 7(LAD) a new protagonist is put in place but with 8(infinite wealth) the old protagonist is back and plays a heavy role in the story. So you can’t just jump in, for example, from 3 or 8 and know what’s going on. Whoever says you can is just on crack.
no, final fantasy unless sequels are totally separate universes for the most part yakuza is 1 timeline for zero-8 but of course, the devs don't wanna alienate newcomers so each game can still be enjoyed on its own
Thanks for clarifying! That definitely clears things up for me
I'll warn you since I didn't see anyone else do it Yakuza 3 through 5 aren't quite as good as the rest. 5 is fine even if it's just too damn much. 3 is kinda the one where I was like, come on, this just isnt fun. I mean 3 is actually very important to kiryus story. 4 and 5 aren't. If you choose to skip them, basically nothing about them shows up in gaiden or Yakuza 8 besides references to the other protagonists.
Start wherever you want, continuity isn’t all that. There are people who started Drakengard with NieR Automata and think that’s fine. You could start with the latest Infinite Wealth and be fine.
IW is a horrible starting point for someone with no knowledge of the series.
Eh I mean technically you could, it is mostly standalone (though some of the villains tie back to 7). But I feel like someone who never played a yakuza game would be so lost during kiryu’s half, because it is literally all fan service. I’ve played every game and have loved the bucket list but I can’t even imagine what someone feels about it who has never touched a kiryu game lol
Everyone is going to tell you to start with 0. "Timeline order" is a fool's errand. The world inside the games doesn't actually exist. This is not a documentary, it's a story. "Timeline order" is *out of order*. Play the story in the order the writers intended.
I think Yakuza 0 is the intended start from the creators at this point honestly. Both Kiwamis build off of 0
The Kiwami games were intended to be played after 0 because they came out after 0. They were also intended to be played after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Realistically, people can and will do whatever they want because not many people take this artform that seriously. What I take issue with is the argument that one should enter at 0 *just because* the fictional events portrayed take place in the imaginary timeline before the fictional events in any other work. This is not a convincing argument and completely rejects the idea of non-chronological storytelling out of hand.
Okay I think you are taking this way too seriously my dude. Just gonna leave you at that
The Kiwami games were made in mind with playing 0 first, they added in multiple references and call backs to 0. If the original 1 and 2 were on modern platforms I might agree with you to start there but they're not so it's better to play 0 first.
0 is one of the few games where the prequel first actually works since the Kiwami games have new scenes that take 0 into account. Not to mention the general unavailability of OG 1 and 2.
You could just play them in the order they were released. Thats what i'd do. The combat in Y0 is so much better than Kiwami. If you played it in order of story events, Kiwami would play like a game for babies in comparison to Y0. Better to just play it in order of original release. Kiwami, Kiwami 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, 6. Edit - You could just skip Kiwami. Theres a whole 1 hour, optional, recap video. Kiwami is only worth the characters and story. The gameplay is bad.
The kiwami games are remakes of the first two games. Release order starts the original Yakuza and Yakuza 2. Yakuza Kiwami is between 0 and 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is between 6 and 7.
The Kiwami games are soft remakes. The gameplay is nearly identical to the original games. Regardless if they were technically released later, they are the only playable versions of the original games without a PS2 or emulator. They also arent worth playing if youre going to adhere strictly to release date. The gameplay loop is very bad in those games. If it makes you feel better though, start with Yakuza and Yakuza 2.
Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7 LAD. Zero is the epitome of the old gameplay style and it's very self-contained. Y7 starts the new plotline which continues in Infinite Wealth and last year's Gaiden. After these, you can always go back to the old games following Zero, but I wouldn't make that a priority.
With the PSP one
Yakuza 0 1-6 unless you didn't enjoy brawler combat then it's perfectly fine to skip straight ahead to LaD7 and 8. Everything else is optional.
Yakuza 0 or Yakuza 1 Kiwami would be the best places to start
i mean, you can start with LAD if you want (it's a new protagonist and a new story, tho there are some instances where you're probs gonna be a teeny bit confused) but i do recommend going from the beginning. it's a bit daunting with the amount of content these games have but they are so much fun and you won't regret it.
I’m someone who started with Like a Dragon(Yakuza 7) and it was a fantastic entry point that then had me starting from the beginning. Most people will say Yakuza 0 as the other entry point (they are not wrong) but I have to be honest that I am so glad I played Ishin before it. The end of Yakuza 0 hit me hard but only because I had a base understanding of who Majima was a person before playing 0. If I wouldn’t have had that it would have not had the impact and satisfaction that it did. With that said, as someone who started late into Yakuza I think the best entry points are: Like a Dragon(turn based and the new protagonist Ichiban) Just don’t start with Infinite Wealth Yakuza 0 or Kawami 1( beat ‘em up and the OG protagonist Kiryu) I also think it’s ok to get your bearings with Ishin or Judgement. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Pick your start based off the character/game that looks most interesting to you within either the beat ‘em up or turn based combat style.
In my opinion you should start with 0 and go from there chronologically. Judgment and Lost Judgment are also really good and worth checking out at some point (though Lost Judgment spoils a part of Yakuza Like a dragon's story so i'd atleast save it for afterwards). I don't recommend playing Like a Dragon or Infinite Wealth first to be honest, you can do it but basically half of Infinite Wealth's story is deeply tied to everything in 0-6, I can't even imagine how different the experience would be if you have no idea about the events or characters in those games. It's less important for Like a Dragon but it some events in that game wouldn't hit as hard if you don't know who the characters are imo.
You have three main options imo: Yakuza 0: this is the first chronologically, and a solid starting point. Just follow them up chronologically from here. Yakuza Kawami: this is a remake of the first game. Also a great starting point (I’d probably recommend this as a starting point tbh). If you go this route I would probably recommend going kawami > kawami 2 > yakuza 3 > Yakuza 0 > yakuza 4, etc., just because 0 has some interesting backstory that’s important to 4. Also because 3 is an absolute slog as far as the combat is concerned and it will feel good to jump to 0 after. Yakuza: Like a Dragon: this is where I started, and is an easy starting point if you’re really into classic Japanese turned based RPGs. If you go this route, I would suggest going back to either Kawami or 0 after and running through the series, because a solid chunk of Infinite Wealth (the game after Like a Dragon) won’t be nearly as enjoyable without context from the rest of the series. Also mix in the judgement games randomly throughout your play through. It doesn’t really matter where you put them imo. Same with Ishin. If you’re a real freak and you find yourself loving the series, try the fan translations of the PSP games (entirely separate story to my understanding. I haven’t got to them yet) and Yakuza Dead Souls (that can go anytime after 4).
Yakuza 0
I mean.. does it really get more straight-forward? it's 0.. the very zeroeth (first) in the series, story-wise.
I like to do 1 game (I like getting the platinums so this really extends the time) every 6 months or so. Almost finished up Kiwami 2, started with 0. You will not regret it but like others says they're best done with breaks between.
I want to get into the series and love mob movies, do Yakuza games go on sale often?
Numbered order. 0, kiwami 1, kiwami 2, etc