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New to the Yakuza series: should I play Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami first?

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Deleted member 801069

Unconfirmed Member
both are on gamepass so I thought I would give them a go

I realize chronologically, Yakuza 0 takes place first, but I’m sure it might be fun to go back to Yakuza 0 and see the characters in younger rolls/different time period after I become acquainted with them?

also I hear Yakuza 0 is arguably the best Yakuza title? Kinda worried that Yakuza Kiwami will feel like a major letdown if I play it after Yakuza 0
 
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Barnabot

Member
if you wanna go to the ideal path then 0. Or else just do like me and play the Yakuza 6 and then 0 'cause fuck yeah.
 
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Arkam

Member
Was in the same boat OP, I have chosen to go the Kiwami path myself. Something about the visual effects in zero had me hesitant. Time will tell me if I chose poorly.
 

RaZoR No1

Member
Start with 0
If you start with Kiwami, you will not get most talk they have, because a lot of them is introduced in 0.

Even after playing 0 and then Kiwami 1 the story of Kiwami 1 is.. Pretty fast and not that easy to follow IMO.
Therefore to understand everything, start with 0

Game wise, 0 is better than Kiwami (didn't played Kiwami 2 yet)
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
There are two good starting points now Honestly Zero or Like a Dragon, with Zero being the flat out best if you plan on doing every single game.
 
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Start with 0. They wrote it so that it could be the first Yakuza game you play, and they added references to 0 in Kiwami 1 and 2 that didn't exist in the original games with the assumption that you played 0 before them.

I've said this before on here, but I am almost 100% for playing games in release order. This is an exception because it's how the developers designed it.

Also 0 is really fucking good.
 

shoplifter

Member
I feel like you get more out of 0
(especially Majima)
having played the others, but as a new player I don't think it's really going to matter long term.
 

Fbh

Member
Zero is a great introduction to the world and characters of Yakuza.
Keep in mind though, that if you then go on to play Kiwami it will feel a bit more basic and scaled back since you'll essentially be moving from the sixth mainline entry in the franchise to a remake of the very first one. Zero basically has 10 years worth of improvements and refinements, and not all of them are carried over to Kiwami
 
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LordCBH

Member
Start with 0. Kiwanis combat even assumes you’ve played 0 considering it hits the ground running a lot quicker than 0 does
 

Chukhopops

Member
Zero is amazing, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and ultimately it will turn you into a man.

You will experience a rollercoaster of emotions in one of the best stories ever told in a videogame, with unforgettable characters.

Kiwami is waaay less good and it’s also frustratingly hard compared to 0.
 
I'd play Kiwami first, it makes 0 more impactful. 0 is the better game, but Kiwami is awesome and it won't feel like a letdown if you go 0 first.
 

Shouta

Member
Either is fine but starting with Zero gives more context to Kiwami 1 which makes that story better IMO. However, K1 has less overall content so it's not quite as good as a general gane
 

TonyK

Member
I just finished 0 some days ago and now I'm playing Kiwami. 0 is a bit better and story occurs (obviously) before and gives context to key characters in Kiwami, so I suggest playing 0 before Kiwami.
 

Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Release order is always the intended order even if we consider remakes. Playing newer titles will make you unable to go back to the older ones.
 

LectureMaster

Gold Member
If you want to play both, play 0 first. If you just want to play one to get into the series and then hop on to like a dragon, play Kiwami to get the overall arch of the franchise.

Majima story is really good in 0 though.
 

Mhmmm 2077

Member
Start with Yakuza 0, if you are afraid that Kiwami is gonna suck after that, just take a few weeks break. Kiwami feel very samey, because it's on the same engine, using mostly the same assets and has a 2005 video game design. It's a good game, but after a masterpiece, everything will feel quite shit.
 

Bridges

Member
When you get to Kiwami, think of it less as the next entry and more like an expansion to 0, it will make the transition much easier, since as others had mentioned it's shorter and generally not as good. Worth it to get to Kiwami 2 though
 

Ozrimandias

Member
I want to be very emphatic, you must first play zero and then kiwami. At first it will probably be difficult for you to understand the saga, but you must continue until the story catches you, you must give it a try. Once the story has caught you, you simply finish Zero and continue immediately with Kiwami, Kiwami is devastating after the events of Zero. Kiwami's story is much better thanks in large part to what you live in Zero.
 
Yakuza: 0 would be your best bet and for two reasons:

1. If you finish it and choose to no longer continue the series then congrats. At least you played the best one and was able to experience a lot of the Yakuza nonsense including its overall goofiness and anime-esque drama.

2. It's not just an amazing Yakuza game. It's an amazing game in general.

Just some advice though: Never play another Yakuza game directly after finishing another without a palate cleanser game in between. You'll get burnt out due to the lengthy cutscenes and the fact that they all take place in Kamurocho. I'd say stick with 0, Kiwami, then 6 if you were only going to play a few games in the series.
 
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Always play games in release order. IE do not play 0 first. It's the 6th game in the series and It's full of gameplay improvements, mechanics and story content that rely on your knowlege of the previous games.
You're gonna screw up the rest of the series if you play 0 first, ESPECIALLY when you get to 3, 4 and 5 and the horrible realisation that they're decades old and you've played them all out of the intended order is going to hit you like a truck.
 
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Skifi28

Member
I actually couldn't get into zero, it seemed to reaaaaally drag at the begginning. I went with kiwami first and It's much more compact and easier to digest. Now on kiwami 2, I really wanted to see the new engine and new combat system. I'l try zero again after that.
 

00_Zer0

Member
I own Zero and Kiwami 1 on Steam, but they are in my backlog unplayed. I have a question about all the arcade games playable in all the Yakuza games. Are these arcade games just incomplete mini game versions or the full arcade experience? I was hoping they weren't altered from the full arcade experience, but I can understand if Sega decided to cut them down to smaller experiences within the main games.
 
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ISubZBR

Member
I own Zero and Kiwami 1 on Steam, but they are in my backlog unplayed. I have a question about all the arcade games playable in all the Yakuza games. Are these arcade games just incomplete mini game versions or the full arcade experience? I was hoping they weren't altered from the full arcade experience, but I can understand if Sega decided to cut them down to smaller experiences within the main games.

They are full arcade experience


About thread:
Start from 0. Kiwami 1 isnt só good as 0. It feels like a dlc.
Its more harder, shorter and majima encounters are pain in the ass.
 

Isa

Gold Member
Kind of a tough one. 0 is amazing, I love it. But I played them in release order from PS2 up. Honestly I've been in love with Like a Dragon, its freaking great. If there's one thing I love about this studio is their ability to tell a story and craft characters I care about. To be able to capture the audience in the beginning and keep them invested is a key element to good storytelling. Combine it with fun diverse gameplay and its a recipe for success. L8er, gonna go play some more Yakuza. Ichiban has really grown on me.
 

GeorgPrime

Banned
both are on gamepass so I thought I would give them a go

I realize chronologically, Yakuza 0 takes place first, but I’m sure it might be fun to go back to Yakuza 0 and see the characters in younger rolls/different time period after I become acquainted with them?

also I hear Yakuza 0 is arguably the best Yakuza title? Kinda worried that Yakuza Kiwami will feel like a major letdown if I play it after Yakuza 0

Zero first and then yakuza 1-5. They are not as good as 0 but they are older games.
 

sn0man

Member
Start with 0. They wrote it so that it could be the first Yakuza game you play, and they added references to 0 in Kiwami 1 and 2 that didn't exist in the original games with the assumption that you played 0 before them.

I've said this before on here, but I am almost 100% for playing games in release order. This is an exception because it's how the developers designed it.

Also 0 is really fucking good.
You just convinced me. I’ll start with 0.
 
You just convinced me. I’ll start with 0.
This is such a good series, I'm glad more people are getting into it. But do keep in mind that like people said, Kiwami feels almost like a step down once you play 0. But it is still good and the series only ramps up from there. 0 is probably the "best," but I've never been disappointed playing a Yakuza game.
 

PooBone

Member
I had this same question a year or so ago. I started without 0 and it feels like it was the right choice. I finished 6 and moved on to Judgment. 0 is still my favorite story of them all.
 
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Deleted member 801069

Unconfirmed Member
0 assumes you’ve played the other games in the series.
But Kiwami assumes you’ve played 0.
So just start with 0.

tenor.gif
 

lachesis

Member
Wish I read this thread first. LOL...

I played original Ryuga Gotoku, and US version of Yakuza on PS2 long time ago - so I began with Kiwami. Well, it's only 1st chapter, so I may just jump to 0....
 
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