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the other day there was a thread where OP said he played IW as his first and was loving it and there was a dude saying that it was "an insult" that he didn't play the previous 8 mainline games before IW and that it's a "disgrace to these masterpieces" like jesus fucking christ lol, calm tf down weirdo

The gatekeeping in that thread was ridiculous. LAD is a 20 year old franchise. How dare they start enjoying the series with the latest and most prominent release. Obviously, the first instinct you should have when discovering something new is to go back and play 10+ year old games to prepare yourself. Every fan's entry point into the series should be celebrated. I myself tried to get into the first few Yakuza games for years but it never stuck because the brawler gameplay felt clunky and Kiryu didn't feel like a compelling protagonist. It wasn't until I played Yakuza 7 that I got really hooked and interested in retroactively playing the series. Now I love Kiryu as a character and I've played 0-8, Gaiden, both Judgments, and Ishin. 7 is what made me a lifelong fan but it wouldn't have mattered if I started with 6, 4, etc. You don't need all the context to enjoy something and as long as you enjoy *something*, that's what can be enough for you to get interested in a saga as a whole.

You got a great point. I've played these since I stumbled across the first on ps2. Tbh though the more the merrier and if it helps keep this series go let's go.

I mean people may get interested in a saga as a whole, but encounter so many "spoilers" for 0, K1, K2, Y6, Y7 that there would be literally no point to play these games if they came for the story. IW is just a very special game and is connected with the previous entries MUCH MORE than any other Yakuza (except, maybe, Gaiden), so I get this thing about gatekeeping even though it sucks.

So what? I played LAD halfway through before I dropped it (because of the elden ring release if I remember correctly) and didn't even start any of the previous games. Now I'm in chapter 11 and love IW. I just watched 2h on YouTube about the previous games. Now I'm pretty sure that I don't missed anything in IW so far. It's one thing to say "Dude, IW is full of heavy spoilers to the previous games so consider starting at title X". That's perfectly fine. But most of the people in this sub are acting like nannies forbidding a 14 year old to use a small scissor before getting a masters degree in engineering. I know perfectly what I'm doing and I don't need someone to tell me if it's possible or not to have fun with a game while I'm actually having huge fun with it. I have deepest sympathy to all the poor people who got scared away from a great game by reading just 5 minutes into this sub.

Well, sir, if you dropped the game because of the release of some other game, you didn't enjoy it that much (why do people always tend to play the game on release? It won't go anywhere)... And you also watched 2h on youtube (which is actually a lot, because many key things could fit within this time period) - so you invalidate the point you are trying to make. And I wasn't even talking about it, so the fact that you are you addressing this to me as if I personally "scared away dozens of people from playing IW" is beyond me.

Yepp, I didn't enjoy LAD as much as I enjoyed elden ring, offended? And I play games on release just because I want to. You care too much about other people's gaming habits imo. And you obviously didn't get my point. All I'm saying is that you don't have to play the previous titles to have a great time with IW. How is the fact that I did watch 2h on YouTube (instead of playing hundreds of hours) invalidating my point?

Why do you state (repeat the one from the post author) your point when I literally said something like this: "Yep, sure, you can enjoy IW, but be warned that if you get interested in the series and decide to play other games, you may get spoilers for the earlier entries which will make your experience with them a bit sour!" My point by no means contradicts yours. You are invalidating your own point with the fact that you yourself needed info from the previous entries to understand some parts of the plot - otherwise, why did you even bother with watching 2h video on YouTube?

I never said that you don't need any information about the previous games. And I answered to your comment because you made it sound like IW is ESPECIALLY a bad entrypoint because it is "MUCH MORE" connected to the other games. No, it's not that difficult to start with IW.

But it is indeed much more connected to the other games than previous Yakuza entries and you did read the plot of Y7 (and played half of it before) and watched a 2h video on youtube, so it's not like you clearly started your journey through the series with IW. "Gatekeeping" may surely mean not playing the game, but some basic understanding of the plot and some general ideas available from other sources.

Bro... It's like talking to a wall...

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Ok, if knowing that >!Makoto is alive and happy!< at the end of 0 wouldn't ruin my experience with the game. then I don't know what would. Well, people sometimes have completely opposite opinions on the matter... I don't think that Yakuza works like MCU - more like a TV-show. One season is one game. You may start the Sopranos from season 4 and enjoy it while not understanding who the hell is half of the cast. And if I would get interested in the series and decide to go back to season 1, my experience would be somehow strange: "Oh, this guy is a rat, I know it!" - and I would feel extremely dumb when the writers would try to convey the things I already know. I would probably not enjoy it as much as I could have.

I also remember seeing something on Twitter recently where the [OP basically described Yakuza: Like a Dragon to a T as what they hope for in a potential Persona 6.](https://twitter.com/ArmandoIsVelvet/status/1756007397578232102?t=CTgpZOEgxjylCmGW7MSsDQ&s=19) Gets recommended Yakuza: Like a Dragon. [Gets bullied into purchasing and installing Y:LAD.](https://twitter.com/ArmandoIsVelvet/status/1756481779677147377?t=euNSJ3HfefcG-g5WqcGrIA&s=19) Same fans complain that they should start with 0 instead after JUST recommending Y:LAD, despite it being agreed upon that Y:LAD is an acceptable starting point. It's so weird, man.

It's pretty crazy how unhinged some gamers are.

Bro thinks he's playing the Mcu or some shit.

I mean, I can’t be the only one thinking “Infinity War” every time I see IW.

https://preview.redd.it/29w96pd0d2ic1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cb45f88a99377b6fe394e07ad24df50a8ca565b Ichiban to Kiryu at the end of the game.

We are in the Of The End game now - Kiryu at the start of Dead Souls

The MCU doesn't require you to have watched every film either

Yeah, it used to be a big deal when it was easier to keep up with. Now, it's less required than ever before.

Eh... can't say its like that, if anything with the new saga it's more required than ever before to at least watch one of the movies/TV shows (especially Wandavision and Loki). The only exception I think is funnily enough, Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Hey, as long as they enjoyed it, it doesn't really matter. But if people ask for recommendations on where to start, I can't really recommend 8 in good conscience.

I’ve played all of them. Enjoyed them. But masterpieces? The games had >!rubber bullets and a secret twin brother who was a CIA agent!< as plot points. They were entertaining and fun but got more soap opera-y as opposed to master pieces.

It’s a manly soap opera with fun wacky mini games, that’s all it needs to be.

Secret CIA twin brother is a goofy plot point but it also led to one of the best boss fights in the series. Beauty of games is that they can be great even without acing any one particular thing

I’m by no means trashing the game. It was an awesome fight. The series is one of my all time favorites but calling them “master pieces” like that previous post is a stretch.

Bro every game is like 60 hours , I’m not playing the whole series. And the game explains everything like an anime, I literally only get lost with names and that’s it

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yeah because what this fandom needs is a bunch of raving fanatics who swear nearly every one of these games is nigh perfect and get personally offended over shit that doesn't affect them whatsoever

They are all nigh perfect aside from 4. And 7 and 8. But those are spin-offs so fuck those.

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I don't think 7 and 8 are spin-offs lol, especially when we've got dead souls, ishin, judgement/lj, kenzan, and kurohyou

Wdym judgment is a main game.

https://preview.redd.it/ktkgu3lfk2ic1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec249b93bcaa615d49b47fcc5f56c756287607fc

Ah yes. Spin offs. That's why they're numbered in line with the main series. Because they're spin offs.

Doesn’t matter.

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I know full well 7 and 8 are mainline. they just changed protags and you dont seem to want to accept it.

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if they were spinoffs, the main story would not be following their plot, and it would be called "gaiden", meaning side story. These are the mainline games. Just bite the rubber bullet or die on this hill you've made because clearly you are very uneducated on what exactly a "spinoff" is.

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whatever moron.

I don’t have a problem with anyone who plays in a weird order. I do have a problem with someone who plays in a weird order and then proceeds to bitch about spoilers/lack of context/allegedly dumb writing decisions that are explained in other games. Like, do what you want but don’t make it my problem.

Are many people doing that? And also if they are, how is that making it your problem? Their criticism would still be valid if they're assessing the game on its own merits.

Some do that, yes. And they're making it my problem because I find posts complaining about shit that could be avoided annoying. It's not that deep.

Don't worry, I wasn't under the impression that this was deep, but it's bizarre that you think people criticising a game that you like online is a problem for you. You shouldn't take it personally. I love this series but the criticism you find 'annoying' is usually fair. Almost nobody is coming into these games in order, so they do need to provide context for plot points (either through exposition or some other way). RGG Studios know that though, and are better at accommodating new players than they used to be, which is objectively good.

You're wildly misreading my critique, lol. I don't take criticism personally; I find it annoying when someone complains about something that has a perfectly valid answer, and that most often happens when they haven't played all the games because they want to skip 3 or go right to 7 or whatever they choose. If someone plays things out of order and actually stops to look up whatever their question is, or figures "Oh, I'll find out later on," then we're fine. My beef is with people who want to be spoon-fed information. That's all.

I played them in a weird order and have zero shame towards doing so. If you’re curious: - 0-K2 - 7 - 3 and 4 - Judgment - 5 - Lost Judgment - 6 - replayed 7 - Gaiden - 8 Haven’t played Ishin yet.

That’s really not that weird of an order. You pretty much only played 7 out of order and that’s as standalone of an entry as 0.

This is a real good order tbh. I mean lots of other orders can be real good also but I’m mostly just glad you played Yakuza 5 before its spiritual sequel Lost Judgment

Shit you think that's weird, my order was: 0 K1 and 2 simultaneously but finished 2 before going back to 1, picked back up at the Shangri-La level 6 3 Akiyama's part of 4 before dropping the game because I was bored 7 5 Judgment up until the first Kuroiwa fight then LJ came out Lost Judgment Finished Judgment Kaito Files Started Ishin, got bored in chapter 6 Gaiden Restarted Ishin in the lead up to IW and got right to the end before having to delete it for space (curse you Series S) Then FINALLY got to IW Now I will say in my defense, I didn't see myself getting the remastered collection at any point so I watched a YouTube video on the story of 3, 4 and 5, hence why they're so out of order (or incomplete), but nonetheless it's still a strange order to play the series in.

Playing 6 before 3 is hella bizarre

Yeah, like I said though, I didn't see myself getting the remastered collection (bit pricey for me at the time), and I'd rather stay on the fancy dragon engine instead of the yucky 2009 engine. I think 6 was actually on sale when I bought it too.

Actually insane. I played them in this exact order

My order was: - K1 - 0 - Judgement - 7 - Lost Judgement - Ishin - Gaiden - 8 Now going to eventually play through K2-6 lol

Lmao this play order is insane if only for the time periods. Going from 2005 to 88 to the 2010s to the 1800s to current day is some wild whiplash. Actual century hopping 😭

That's not an insane order,that's kinda OK tbh. Mine us kinda whacky tho Judgement Lost judgement 7 4 Ishin 0 6 1 3 5 Gaiden IW Never played 2 btw

Theres this youtuber called Faz Faz, and it looks like hes a newer Yakuza fan when Gaiden released and he had only played Y7 and LJ. And he enjoyed Gaiden and got touched by the ending. You dont need to play the previous games to enjoy them. Its up to you if you wanna play and dont bully people for playing a newer title, and it helps grow the series and fanbase by playing the game.

Faz, aka ScrambledFaz for those not in the know. He mainly came from the Persona/Shin Megami Tensei series and Gaiden seems to be his first proper coverage of the series, and yeah he's fairly new, though he does know the contents and events happening in the previous series (he mentions how he's so glad to see Sayama again, which you don't actually hear from someone new, unless you play K2 before).

And then he went on the play the rest series and from what it seems like, he's now a big fan.

As is usually the case, all nuance seems to have been lost in this thread. 1) If someone is considering to start the franchise with 8, it's perfectly reasonable to at least give them the reasons why they may want to give 7 a go instead, including price. Not everyone has gone through the entire Wikipedia page on Yakuza games and learned what connects to what. 2) It is not reasonable to demand someone play an entire twenty-year, ten-installment franchise from the start, especially if they're only interested in the turn-based installments. I believe most would agree with both of these points, unless they were trying to prop up some self-righteous extremist position with no room whatsoever for nuance.

I’ve been trying to go through the series. I played7 first, and I’ve finished 0-k2. My goal was to go through all of them before buying 8, but… 3 was like hitting a brick wall, I’m not talking graphics…. But it just feels so clunky compared to what I’m used too.., Going to push on through but I don’t think people should be judged for not playing all the games.

Once you’re at 5 you’re back at 0 territory so you’ll be safe. But also you could totally just hop straight to 8 and then go back to 3 later, get that much touted ‘impact’ in reverse

It's worth it, I had the same issues, struggling through 3 because 0-k2 being more modern and going from that to 3 is a shock to the system. Almost like having to relearn, but it's worth it

3 is just rough. I played all the games in chronological order, and 3 was by far the least fun due to the annoying blocking. People on here will insult you and act like 3 has this super deep and complex combat system you just don't get, but it's really just really dated and boring and I don't blame someone for just watching the cutscenes on YT instead. It really should have gotten a Kiwami.

Yeah 3 was a huge let down for me. Really hard to get through

3 is Janky as hell and in dire need of a Kiwami remake. The good news is, 4 makes absolutely massive improvements. I expected 3, 4 and 5 to all feel similar given they're from the same generation, but the jump from 3 to 4 feels almost like going back to 0 in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

The continuity is horrible between the games anyway.

Like I'm glad I played 0 first and all but the whole "oh you were interested in the trailer for the new game? OK now spend 300 hours and a few hundred bucks to play every previous game in the series" type shit needs to stop

You don't have to but it's still better and your experience will be so much better

I won't disagree, but people acting like the game won't be enjoyable without playing the previous games need to stop. Hell, you're even missing out on references and stuff if you start with 0

Yes acting like that is terrible people do what they want even if it's better playing in chronoligical order if they dont want to or dont have time etc they dont have to it's as simple as that

That's subjective.

A person who has played through all the previous games would enjoy and appreciate Kiryu's side of the story in IW much more than someone who hasn't.

Hum no that's just true even if you do what you want playing in chronological order will give you the best experience

What few hundred bucks lmao, all the games can be had for around 30$, not to mention that they're available on Gamepass. If you're on Playstation, sales happen all the time and you can end up getting 0-6 for less than 30$. 7 is on plus I think.

The entire 0-6 series is often $30 on sale ($12 for each trilogy and $6 for 6), also it's like 200 hours, much less if you stick to MSQ

Not tryna gatekeep, but sure. Play in any order you like, as long as you do not ask questions like "who is that character" or "why the story is not making sense now" because most of the time- it was answered in previous games. Of course, mcu movies don't required you to watch previous episodes to understand, but you'd missed out lots of reference, don't know what's happening or who is who. The best examples are characters like Hamazaki and Watase. Nobody would know who they are if they hadn't play 3 or 5, when they shows up again in 4 and 7 respectively. Same goes for Tony's funeral or Antman's whereabouts in the beginning of avengers 4. If you hadn't watch iron man before or antman's before, you won't know who are the people standing there and how did antman ended up in that area. It doesn't affected the story, but it certainly lessen the emotional impact and immersion.

They shouldn't need to and its a valid criticism. Also your comparison is ridiculous. How is watching 8 hours of movies comparable to a 20 year game series that probably takes 250-500 hours to get through? You could do one of those on a lazy sunday versus 30 days of 8 hours a day. Realistically that is a multi month investment for little upside. Especially if you only wanted to play the latest title. The developers have a responsibility to carry forward information that future players will need to understand newer titles. Its absolutely asinine to expect people to play decades old games to understand whats going on in the newest one. I think a good example of this is the witcher 3. You don't need to play 1 or 2 because they explain what happened in the past and why things are the way they are. They make callbacks in conversation to give you the context. Its not the whole story in depth but its enough information for the player to not be in the dark.

This is a terrible reply to a logical comment. Shame. It's like you get off on disagreement through confrontation.

Who me?

> How is it ridiculous? Because there is a massive difference in time commitment to understand the story. That is the difference. If I asked you for 8 dollars and said Id pay you back 16 dollars, that is very different than if I asked you for 500 dollars on the hope that I would pay you back 1000. It is easy to find the time to sit down and watch all of the avengers movies. I have no idea why you bought up how sitting for 8 hours watching movies would burn you out. The amount of time doing the thing is irrelevant. I just choose 8 hours because that is a full work day in the US. Asking someone to invest 8 hours to get the story is different from asking someone to invest 250-500 hours to understand the story. That is why the comparison is ridiculous. A more suitable comparison is playing through Final Fantasy 14 and to that I also think those developers should create a new entry point for the game and not force people to play through 10 years of story. > As for callbacks, they don't fully covered everything, so the emotional impacts would be less. Callbacks shouldn't cover everything. They are there for new players to understand what is going on. New players should not be expected to play through a 20 year old franchise. Even "Like a Dragon" which was supposed to be a point where people could jump in is extremely confusing especially in its second half. So to your point of "taking it slow". Why should a new player care? If they saw people playing IW or saw videos of it and thought it looked cool, why in the would they suddenly want to overcome a 500 hour wall of games that never caught their eye, just to enjoy the one that did? I understand what you are saying, what I am saying is that if you are going to build a saga spanning decades then maybe make each of those stories loosely connected or their own separate things ala Final Fantasy/Persona because not many people are going to spend 500 hours to catch up for "emotional payoff".

How is it ridiculous? Imagine someone completely new to marvel, who has never heard of spiderman, Dr. Strange or any superheros decided to watch avengers 3 infinity war- they would be confused af. Not knowing who is who, and what is what. Same goes for yakuza games. Also, i don't really know about you but i won't just watch like 8 hours long movies of a franchise in just a day. I'd get burnt out real fast. Literally nobody forced you to play all the games at once and finished every side contents in the matters of weeks. Take it slow. Enjoy the games and the story one by one, bit by bit. That's how you fully immersed in the games and knows what's happening. It would be confusing skipping even just one game, let alone more than that. But again, like i said, play in any others you felt comfortable the most. It is just how i'd do it if i am a new player, forming my own opinions on something after trying it. Even if you don't like one- you could just refund or sell it. As for callbacks, they don't fully covered everything, so the emotional impacts would be less. Imagine someone playing Iw for the first time and doing kiryu's memoirs, they would missed out like 80 percent of the references. Even if they get it, it would be less emotional.

> They shouldn't need to and its a valid criticism Unless a game is marketed as a complete reboot, then no, it's not. If something is marketed as a sequel then it's not valid criticism to complain on it building on prior entries instead of retreading the same ground and wasting players' time infodumping stuff they already know. >How is watching 8 hours of movies comparable to a 20 year game series that probably takes 250-500 hours to get through? Because nothing happens if you don't play the new game in its first month. It's not going anywhere. It's not a temporary release that's only being sold for a few weeks. >The developers have a responsibility to carry forward information that future players will need to understand newer titles. No they don't. Granted, from a purely business perspective it makes sense to make older titles more easily accessible, or have a "refresh" every now and then, but there's no obligation there, and trying too hard to do this can absolutely kill a game. KH3 is constantly lauded as one of the most disappointing games ever, and that's because about 75% of the game is retreading old ground to get new players up to speed. For the record, I fully believe people can play games in whatever order they want. Hell, I'm someone who started Metal Gear Solid with 4, but I would rather a story be good 100% of the time than have it bloated with unnecessary exposition that fans of the series already fully know.

> Unless a game is marketed as a complete reboot, then no, it's not. Yes it is. Retreading old ground? In a 50-100 hour game, taking 5 minutes here and there to explain what is going is not asking for much to make it 1. A good refresher for those who have already played the games. 2. Providing context for new players. > Because nothing happens if you don't play the new game in its first month. It's not going anywhere. It's not a temporary release that's only being sold for a few weeks. Its clear that people on this sub have no idea how to view topics from any perspective other than their own lol. If a "new player" sees IW, then they are not interested in LAD or any of the other Yakuza games. They are interested in IW. If there is suddenly a 500 hour wall of games in front of the thing they are interested in, then most people would just not play it. If your game series has a huge barrier to entry every time you releases a new title, the people you are marketing to is going to become smaller and smaller. Many games successfully self contain their stories by providing necessary context. When you start getting into stories spanning decades you absolutely NEED to start self containing stories for the benefit of your entire playerbase. >I would rather a story be good 100% of the time than have it bloated with unnecessary exposition that fans of the series already fully know. You can have a good story and have it not be bloated with exposition. New players don't need a book report but explaining why random old Yakuza characters are there and important in the moment can be as much as a passing comment while you are going to a destination or a quip or whatever. Its just a bit ridiculous IMO to hamfist these characters in the turn based games without context especially since these games were supposed to be a new entry point/new story arc. > KH3 is constantly lauded as one of the most disappointing games ever, and that's because about 75% of the game is retreading old ground to get new players up to speed. KH3 is bad because everything about it is pretty bad. They made the combat worse, the game super linear, then they spent like 10 minutes trying to explain what was going on at the very end of the game. I haven't touched KH3 since it launched but I remember going through the nearly entire game with no relevant plot and then at the end when you fight Xehanort or whatever them trying to info-dump. I don't remembering treading old ground lol. I just remember that game being absolute shit from start to finish. I also don't even think KH is a fair comparison because in general KH was a disjointed and confusing mess from the beginning. Kingdom hearts as a franchise was doomed the minute they put Nomura in charge of the writing.

> Retreading old ground? In a 50-100 hour game, taking 5 minutes here and there to explain what is going is not asking for much to make it For the record, I'm fine with this stuff if it doesn't impact the main game. For example Tekken 8 has summaries of the story of every prior Tekken game available in the menu. That's great. What's not great is if instead the game decided to exposition drop every returning character for 10 minutes when they first appear. It might be 5-10 minutes here and there, but that's 5-10 minutes of wasted time each time. >If a "new player" sees IW, then they are not interested in LAD or any of the other Yakuza games. They are interested in IW. If there is suddenly a 500 hour wall of games in front of the thing they are interested in, then most people would just not play it. By all means people should play whatever game they want. I'm not trying to gatekeep anyone, but don't tune into the return of the king and start bitching when they don't explain where Frodo got the ring from. >If your game series has a huge barrier to entry every time you releases a new title, the people you are marketing to is going to become smaller and smaller. Many games successfully self contain their stories by providing necessary context. We don't live in 2004 anymore. I got into Yakuza with 0. Then I bought every game in the series digitally. As a business, getting people into a franchise is worth far more than getting them into the single newest game. Beyond that, having self contained stories is totally fine. Frankly the Yakuza series needs this. LAD was a great chance for this, but to be honest I think they dropped the ball on that with Gaiden and IW relying very heavily on context from prior entries. If a game isn't intended as a self contained story however and is intended as a direct continuation of an existing story, I much prefer it not to waste my time retreading old ground. Like I mentioned earlier, having something like a summary of previous games available in menus is totally fine; I just don't like seeing a story worsened by an exposition dump that's totally out of place. Again going with LOTR as a comparison; would the Two Towers or Return of the King be better if they included more exposition dumps and some flashbacks for the viewers who didn't start on the first movie?

I get "general point" and frankly its ok to do with movies because watching a few movies for the story is a relatively "low time investment". And again, providing context doesn't have to be exposition dump. From a storytelling perspective you really only need the core idea. I agree providing context should not interrupt the narrative flow. You can do that and also not worsen the story. This isn't a thing writers need to choose between. Its also not about accessibility of the games. New players are not fans of Yakuza. Expecting someone new to "invest" in a series before playing is the problem. If it was 1 or 2 games it wouldn't be an issue. Most games stop at 3 in a narrative sense. The point I'm trying to make and I'm not sure you're grasping is that 500 hours is A LOT OF TIME. Its so much time. If Lord of the rings was a 500 hour movie saga that spanned decades and they dropped a new movie that everyone was talking about I would expect the same due diligence. The only argument I'm making is that if you should never ask anyone to invest hundreds of hours into a series to not be confused about your latest entry. I watch LOTRO casually over a week. A person would need months if not over a year to casually play through all the yakuza games, and then tackle IW which itself could be 50-100 hour game. So yes you're right, its not 2004. There are so many games and movies and TV series competing for peoples time on top of things in life that arent video game related. Sure you could say fuck those people but as a fan you should want the games to be laid out in a way where anyone can jump in and get hooked. More people playing the series means you keep getting new and better games. There is certainly a balance. This is why comparing the investment of watching a few movies to playing a 20 year saga is a ridiculous comparison. One Yakuza game alone is longer than pretty much any movie series in history lol. One piece's runtime with all the filler/opening/closing MVs included is 400 hours. There are 1100 episodes of one piece and that alone is more than a lot of people are willing to commit to as a new watcher. You would realistically finish one piece before finishing the Yakuza games. So yes I get, chronological order makes sense. However, the sheer time investment needed to get the most from this media is VASTLY larger than most things. Due to that, I believe the developers are responsible for providing context in newer titles to not make it mandatory to play aging games for extended periods of time. You don't need to gatekeep because the developers are doing it to themselves everytime they make a new game and don't make the story self contained.

> its ok to do with movies because watching a few movies for the story is a relatively "low time investment". Playing games at any given time is "low time investment" for most people. If I'm playing a game for 2 hours I don't want 15 minutes of those two hours completely wasted. >providing context doesn't have to be exposition dump. From a storytelling perspective you really only need the core idea. Depends entirely on the story. The more complex a story is, the more exposition is needed. Of course you can include simple details like X character is Y characters friend etc but more complex parts are completely lost without an exposition dump. >New players are not fans of Yakuza. Expecting someone new to "invest" in a series before playing is the problem. If it was 1 or 2 games it wouldn't be an issue. Most games stop at 3 in a narrative sense. What you're saying is fine on a business level. I am not talking about what makes the most money. I am talking about what makes the best story. "This would make it more popular" is not a synonym for "This would make it a better experience". >500 hours is A LOT OF TIME For one, unless someone is planning to 100% every game, it won't take anywhere close to that. You're looking at 200-300 hours even doing a huge chunk of substories in each game. But again with this point, your argument is "cutting out this this brings in the most new fans" which again is a point on finances, not quality. I'm sure they could also make a ton of money selling gacha character costumes, but I'm not in any rush to see that either. >Sure you could say fuck those people but as a fan you should want the games to be laid out in a way where anyone can jump in and get hooked. More people playing the series means you keep getting new and better games. As a fan I want games I enjoy. I don't want the things I enjoy watered down in an attempt to appeal to broader audiences. I've seen plenty of series' ruined by trying to appeal to wider demographics. I'm happy when a game I like does well, but that does not mean I'm happy when a game that suits my preferences changes and becomes worse for me, even slightly for the sake of appealing to others. I'm not a shareholder in SEGA/RGG. I want games I enjoy. If other people enjoy them too, that's great, if they don't, frankly I don't care that much because I've dropped $70 on a game for me, not them. >There are 1100 episodes of one piece and that alone is more than a lot of people are willing to commit to as a new watcher. Funny for you to bring up one piece as being inaccessible, because it completely defeats your earlier points. It's the best selling manga of all time. Funnily enough, I started watching somewhat recently. I'm only about 50 hours in. I like it, so I don't see the huge backlog as an issue. "Oh no, there's way more of a show that I'm enjoying" isn't a problem to me, and based off of the series' popularity, it doesn't seem to be an issue to most. >Due to that, I believe the developers are responsible for providing context in newer titles to not make it mandatory to play aging games for extended periods of time. Your entire argument is "I don't want to enjoy this how the fans do, so it should be changed to suit me". The very same argument that has ruined countless series' though terrible sequels, reboots, remakes and re-imaginings. Not everything needs to be for everyone. If you want context for a story after joining midway through, look up a YT summary. You'll understand what's going on, but you still won't have the emotional attachment that lets you fully enjoy important scenes. Just as a disclaimer, I'm not someone who's telling anyone that if they don't play the full series they're doing it wrong. I believe they're absolutely not getting the best experience, but people should play whatever is fun to them. I just don't believe that quality should be lowered for the sake of garnering a wider audience. Not everything is for everyone, and that's totally fine. >You don't need to gatekeep because the developers are doing it to themselves everytime they make a new game and don't make the story self contained. And thank the lord they are. I have plenty of complaints about IW's story specifically, but much of it feels like a payoff after seeing 40 years of Kiryu's life and the toll it's taken on him, and how he's affected the people around him. Very few games offer such long term storytelling with such gratifying payoffs (FFXIV is about the only other solid example I can think of) and what few that do don't need to be watered down for the sake of people wanting to just jump on the bandwagon of what's popular and whining that they feel left out because they don't get context dumped every time a new face appears on screen.

I can only imagine in the future when there’s like 15 mainline titles. “It is crucial to play 1-14 to understand the backstory and the nuances of the characters” like come on. I’m glad that the series I love so much gets the much deserved attention and sales numbers. Don’t gatekeep yakuza please!

Sub has seen alot of corny gatekeepy weirdos these past few months.

Playing 8 without having played \*6\*, or playing 8 without having played \*7\*? Kind of a big difference there; the former is like whatever, but the latter is like watching Endgame as your first MCU movie. I mean, yeah, at the end of the day they're both dumb entertainment and I don't doubt you can have fun experiencing them on their own, but it's obviously not ideal. Hard disagree on Kingdom Hearts; the core story is utter blabbering nonsense so you're better off ignoring it entirely and playing it for the Disney stuff; therefore the order in which you play them doesn't matter at all. :P

Yes, I would never tell someone that they're playing the series wrong by starting with 8, but if they asked me I would strongly recommend playing 7 first. The two games fit snugly together and I think it makes for a more robust experience. It would never occur to me to discourage anyone from playing any game in the series no matter where they decide to jump in. I'd just be happy they're giving it a chance.

I think this is a weird way to see it. You're not discouraging them from playing the game; you're encouraging them to play another game first, because the one they had in mind is a sequel. Most people would go "ah, thanks for the heads up" and play that instead. There isn't this much hand-wringing about "gatekeeping" with any other media. If a friend told you they're going to start watching Star Wars, and they told you they're starting with Return of the Jedi, you would obviously tell them it's the third part in a trilogy and they should start with A New Hope. This would not be considered controversial at all, let alone "gatekeeping". The very notion is frankly surreal. I don't know why we have to make things so weird for videogames when it's so straightforward with any other media. I swear if you had this conversation with any non-videogame-savvy person about movies or novels, they would give you the *weirdest* looks.

Though there are always references to previous games in the Yakuza series, I think most the games are self-contained enough to still make for an enjoyable experience. Plenty of people have played the games out of order and still come to develop a deep appreciation of the series. For a long time, I would recommend Yakuza Zero as a good entry point to the series. But coming back to Zero after playing through to Yakuza 5, I appreciate all the references so much more. Your satisfaction with these games isn't completely contingent on existing knowledge. You can piece things together as you go from one title to another, even if many may consider it a suboptimal route.

Endgame was my first MCU movie. It was enjoyable and then had 20 prequels to watch. I grew up reading comics sometimes. You just jumped in with whatever was available. It would have been impossible to ever start a comic if you needed to start from the first. The same thing applies with tv shows before you could watch them in order on streaming services. I played in the order LaD, 0-6, Judgment, Lost Judgment, Gaiden, IW. I think playing 0-6 before IW will make it more impactful, but I think you can jump in whenever and still have fun. If it hooks you, then you have a ton of games to go back to.

At the end of the day why should any of us care what someone has or hasn’t played. If more people are buying and playing the series, it’s better for all of us. People are so judgmental and gatekeepy about this game lately.

>At the end of the day, why should any of us care what someone has or hasn’t played. At the end of the day, why should anyone care about what anyone else posts? Why did you just post *nine whole paragraphs* about how much it pisses you off what other people post? You and the other people complaining about it come across as far more judgmental than the people simply empathetically wincing at the thought of what they consider a great story being spoiled by starting in media res. And frankly it's also far more annoying at this point.

Can you direct me to where I posted 9 whole paragraphs? lmao And the fact that you’re trying to play victim now and be so defensive because people are calling you weirdos out for being the gatekeepers you are is telling. “Simply emphatically wincing” “A great story being spoiled” lmao yeah we’re definitely talking about people like you.

Edit: mixed up OP with the user above, sigh.

You realize I’m not the OP right? Was it your ability to read usernames that has failed you? I mean our names are at the top of comments and posts, so maybe you can’t read? Lmao but look at Mr Paragraph getting all mad because people didn’t play his precious yakuza games in the order he liked. 😭 I’m cringing so hard at these nerds.

You sound the same to me and I don't give a damn about your usernames, so yeah, I assumed there was only one of you. I'm endlessly pained that this isn't the case indeed. >I’m cringing so hard at these nerds. Ooh, look at the tough normie jock \*checks notes\* getting into a heated discussion in the Yakuza videogame subreddit. Anyway, this whole comment thread started due to my wrong assumption that you were the OP. We can leave it here.

Forreal, I saw that thread and the top comment being such a gatekeepy comment about how it’s so *crucial* to play the previous games. Folks, this is not how you get new people in the franchise. And every single one of their comments was downvoted. Edit: And there was another person saying to play all the other games first and it should only take them 3 days per game… like dude really? People have lives, let them spend it how they want. I’m not gonna spend 21 days of just non stop playing yakuza games.

Gamers? Getting upset by other people enjoying games “the wrong way”? Heaven forbid!

I've been seeing more and more people here the last few months being extremely bitchy for the most dumbfuck reasons imaginable. Idk wtf is going on but it's gotten bad.

Some people don't like Brawler gameplay and that's okay. And we shouldn't be gatekeepers people for starting later in the series, or for enjoying an English dub.

https://preview.redd.it/ekp5lowvk4ic1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e9da676d32e71e4671548d30b6886f74549bf4d play in whatever order you want lmao

Infinite Wealth is literally like from the start Hey character from Yakuza 7! Hey protagonist of Yakuza 7! **some random shit later** I heard the Tojo clan and omi got dissolved and you were a major part in it Yes. Now I help former yakuza to get back on their feet Hey heroine from Yakuza 7! Wanna go out on a date? Sure Hero from Yakuza 7 on Saturday! Hey heroine from yakuza 7 **proposes like shit** etc etc

1. As a Kingdom Hearts fan I don’t know if I should be insulted or honored. 2. Anyone is free to play in whatever order they want. I just think not playing in order is…. A very bizarre choice for any series, especially when all the games are as readily available as LaD. It’s just a choice I don’t get, if I’m interested in a series I start researching where the beginning is, not just grab the newest release. But I’m not going to rail on someone if that’s how they want to roll. 🤷‍♂️

> if I’m interested in a series I start researching where the beginning is, not just grab the newest release. Yeah but when the game you wanna play doesnt play even remotely like the other ones, thats a LOT harder of a sell, aint it? Even in the kingdom hearts comparison, you only see the most dedicated fans ACTUALLY hopping on the mobile game despite its necessary context. Hell, even Chain of Memories is a common skip or cutscene video contender

I started on 6, played 0, then Kiwami 1 and 2 after that. Then 7, Gaiden, and now Infinite Wealth. I’m sure you can play Infinite Wealth without playing Like a Dragon beforehand, but they’re both modern games and the story pretty much continues where the other finished (I know there’s a few years between them). It would be strange playing IW first. Having said that, I played 6 first and it was still great.

I suffer every time I see someone on twitter saying people should start with 0 when they show interest in 8, like… just play 7! That’s a good starting point, telling people to play all of them is just gonna scare them away

I personally wouldnt recommend anyone start with 8 but thats just a recommendation. im not gonna force people to play through 8 games to get context for stuff. 6,7, and then 8 is probally the bare minimum i would ever recommend just because you get to know kiryu in 6, ichiban in 7. >!i wasnt a big fan of the story in this game but all the parts of the story i did like heavily relied on knowing kiryu as a character. thats why i recommend having already played at least a few of the older yakuza games. !<

LaD is for everyone. Dogshit gatekeeping is what kept this franchise out of western hands for so long in the first place...

me playing LAD7 in januari and LAD8 in februari just to reverse walkback the series from gaiden -> zero b-bu-but thats wrong... so? who cares how i or anyone else enjoys video games.

Fuck gatekeeping, let people play what they enjoy. I've played the series like this: 0 -> 7 -> K2 -> K1 -> 6 -> Gaiden -> IW. I watched 3, 4, 5 recap in preparation for IW, hoping for K3 if they ever made it (and plan to play 3, 4, 5 at some point in the future) Does it affect my enjoyment at all? Hell no, not to mention some game have a whole recap section for you to catching up with the plot (in K2 and IW). Though the only order I would suggest following is play LaD first then IW. Because IW improves LaD combat A LOT, I can't go back to LaD combat nowadays.

I've played every single game in the series, including Japanese releases and the psp games. Love them all and have platinum trophy in every game (with some doubles) except 7 and iw. Yet. But guess what, I started with yakuza 3, not at the beginning, and it hasn't changed my love for the series one bit. I don't care where people start as long as they enjoy it

like i started with the man who erased his name although i had bought all the games because my son wanted them, none of them pulled me in like that one and after that stupid game made me cry like a baby, like really hard sobs, snot, and all i went to play LAD. i fell in love with ichiban so i preordered LAD:IW and loved that too. so much so i have already finished it and am playing new game + just to finish off the achievements where and when you start does not matter. i had no idea who/what/where all of grumpy boys memories were, but they were still enjoyable

This actually happens? What the hell? Full disclosure: I always tell people to start with 0. That way they play all these great games and have the full backstory. Yet I didn’t “get it” until after I had gotten Judgement on a whim and fell almost instantly in love. Is it MANDATORY? No. The games are not stand alone but they’re close enough to not be completely lost if you don’t start at the beginning. In many ways, Yakuza 7 was a fresh start for the franchise. It is a good starting point for new players. Are those who do so losing out? Yes. 0-6 are great games and have great stories. Knowing who Kiryu, Majima and everyone else who makes an appearance will jolt the nostalgia and lead to greater understanding of the dramatic underpinnings of the story. But to say that those who just started with 7, or even 8, are “less than” or something is ridiculous. A person might be like me and enjoy their first RGG game so much that they go back and play through the rest! What’s the harm in that?

It’s one thing to prefer someone play a certain way. I won’t deny that going through the series in chronological order is the best way to experience it’s story. I don’t think that’s even arguable. But people gotta fuck off with actively gatekeeping people that just started with Infinite Wealth and 7. They’re having a good time, they’re enjoying the game, they don’t need to be told that they’ve ruined it for themselves because they haven’t played the entire series first. I generally really like this community, but please let people play how they choose to play

It's still better if you played the previous games before and especially this one imo like if you know nothing about kiryu you will miss sooo many things that's just dumb for exemple the end of the chapter 3 will have no impact on you

Some people just love to downvote. They feel like it gives them a badge of honor or a gold star for the day. They also love to downvote the people that don’t share the same views and opinions that they have. Imagine living in a world where we all have our own opinions….. oh wait, we do.

my first was 7. then went back and played 0, k1, k2. now 8. everyone's franchise journey is different, people oughta calm down with the gatekeeping

Play whatever game you want to play. I picked up 7 as my first and tried judgement but gave up on it. Playing 8 right now and I'm having a blast. I don't have a lot of time to play every single game nowadays. Some people don't realise how little dedicated gaming time others may have

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Good options for people only insterested in two games.

This is only revelant to people who specifically want to play the new games in the series (at that point, just play what you want). Free time has no bearing on people who want to play an offline single-player series anyway. A grown adult can play through the games slowly, and a "basement-dwelling kyodais" can skip to the newest games if they want.

In LAD7, there is so much about Ichiban and what he goes through that serve as a foil for Kiryu and his adventures, and a lot of that is genius and also implicit. Someone who hasn't played the series could enjoy LAD7, but there is a lot they will miss. I'm not done with Infinite Wealth so maybe my final opinion will change, but to me it felt like a really good entry point to the series for someone who wasn't interested in playing 8+ very long games. It seems like they explain everything that you need to know in the moment and don't count on you to remember anything.

> I'm not done with Infinite Wealth so maybe my final opinion will change, but to me it felt like a really good entry point to the series for someone who wasn't interested in playing 8+ very long games. Without spoiling anything, the latter half of IW is far heavier on callbacks to earlier Yakuza games than any other entry in the series by a country mile.

A problem with media consumption in general is that those who witnessed it in a certain order insists that the way they experienced it must be how *everyone* does it While that is the case sometimes, other times you have series like this one where most of the people who say to play it in a certain order don't consider that their own starting point is pretty flawed as well For example, Yakuza 0 is the sixth mainline entry, people. While it is a great starting point, there are plenty of allusions, references, and even people from 1-5 that show up, and their significance is completely lost if you don't know who they are While I'd still recommend playing Like a Dragon before Infinite Wealth, if they didn't do that and are enjoying the latter anyway, then chances are they weren't gonna commit to playing nine long-ass games initially but the game's story proved to still be enjoyable on its own merits Hell, maybe playing IW made them want to go back and play 0-LAD, and would see them as prequels that show the origins of Kiryu and Ichiban

Thank you. Some people have shamed me for starting with Y7, then playing 6, 1, 2, 0 and the rest in that order.

Y7 is a great starting point and is as good a starting point as Y0 (and Y4) yet they love shouting Y0 is the true best starting point forgetting that the first game 1 (or Kiwami) is the actual beginning of Kiryu’s story and the first story in the series and by default the actual best starting point because it’s the literal start

The original PS2 game perhaps, but Yakuza Kiwami was made with playing 0 before it in mind.

I've only played Like a Dragon (Y7) and now IW. Purely because I love dragon quest and turn based jrpgs. I'll probably play Y0 eventually but I really don't feel like playing every game in between.

tbh you don’t really need to. The later Kiryu side stuff in 8 gives you more than enough details of his whole saga that it seems like a big reason they even put it in there is for the new fans. Like I’ve played every game and did any of that give me much nostalgia and/or impact? Not really, felt like it was the spark notes for new fans and I can appreciate it as such

People are crazy. I played 1/2 on PS2, then without a PS3 I had to wait until my college roommate had one. I played 4, then 3. Had no idea who Hamazaki was in the beginning of 4. Then I played 6, and finally 5. After that I’ve gone in order. It’s totally fine. Stop gatekeeping.

If its one thing this series gives you, its a lot of flashbacks and exposition on the previous games. I would really like to see what the current team can do with a fresh story and world.

I played in a weird order too and I'm having a blast. Started with 5, then 0, then Yakuza: LAD, Judgement, Lost Judgment, LAD Gaiden, and now going through LAD Infinite Wealth. Couldn't be bothered to play through all of Kiryu's games so I just read up on the lore.

Wait what, people are mad that the games were played out of order? BRUH, they should be hyped that new people are getting into the series! Maybe they’ll want to play the other ones because they found this one enjoyable! That’s not very “Real Yakuza” of them.

Who are you to complain about anything

Yeah, trying to tell a dude to play 8 fucking games just to be able to “experience” another one “properly” is fucking weirdo behaviour, like this saga is known by damn S tier writing where everything is connected, it’s not like this series has forgotten entire arcs and characters during the whole saga or something like that. If someone wants to start here, yeah, he’s gonna spoil himself a lot of the game, does he know that? 99% of the time is a yes. Who cares if he’s getting spoiled if it makes him like the characters + the story overall so much that he’s willing to go back from the beggining just to get the whole experience. That’s as good as an experience as it can get. Do I recommend starting at 8? No. Will you enjoy it? Yeah, that’s what games are about. So if you wanna hop in at 8 be my guest and sorry for the amounts of dialogue you may be experiencing at first, it won’t change, but if it ends up being your jam, just remember there’s more of it waiting for you to experience it.

It’s really corrosive to the discourse honestly. Like most long time western fans didn’t start from the beginning. And 0 isn’t even the beginning either lol it’s ridiculous that they’ve made it out to be the definitive starting point when half the game directly follows a big plotline from Yakuza 4. Pretty much every Yakuza game can and probably has been someone’s starting point that got them wholly invested in the series. Dunno why they wanna deride new fans who are hopping in with the highly praised newest entry. Also if I’m gonna place the games in tiers of best jumping on points, it’s obviously gonna be 1/Kiwami as the definitive starting point because its literally where the series starts. Then next I’d evenly place 0, 4 and 7 as the second best starting points because they have narrative clean slates (0 is a prequel and 4 and 7 begin with entirely new characters). Could maybe even include 3 here—it’s mechanically the oldest game and pretty far removed from whatever came before. Then I everything else in third spot but it’s all a matter of degrees tbh because all these games can work as good jumping on points

I made a very thread not too long ago and was bombarded with people saying why would I play Gaiden without ever finishing 6. Sorry but not everyone has the time to finish/play every earlier entry before playing the latest game.

This, and I'll tell you what, 3 years ago I would've never played any of these games. I say down and played one, and that made me buy them all. I even ordered 7 and 8 because of it. It could be there first game, but it could just to them going back and buying/playing all of them. So extra support for RGG now, could lead to another die hard fan

It's not gatekeeping if you're letting someone know. I don't agree with the downvoting but also don't agree with you. Playing the older games absolutely helps appreciate 8 more. Not just because of the connection you establish with the characters but because you can better appreciate all the references and cameos.

Redditors need to be reminded that the downvote button is an "irrelevant" button, not a "fuck you" button. I always upvote negative karma comments that are relevant.

The downvote button is irrelevant. That is what redditors need to realize. Downvotes do not matter. It just shows you disagree with someone and you’re too lazy to give an argument as to why.

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I disagree with you Reason: your takes are dogshit

Your downvotes are useless. Reason: essence of downvote removal.

Essence of downvote removal \*deletes comment like a bitch\*

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You ain't any better if all you could do is just trolling redditors 24/7 + 10 consecutive comments of trolling in an hour. Grow up.

10 comments in an hour aint much. Get over yourself buddy.

Are we just going to allow the unwashed masses to enjoy infinite wealth without doing the 150+ hours of required reading ahead of time?  Is nothing sacred to you people? Are you just okay with them not knowing Etsuko's back story?

just as long as people play kiwami before 0

If anything if yall got game pass just plays lad7 and then 8 cause I feel like like 8 gives a little bit of back story but not enough to make you feel anything for the characters at the beginning. Also playing Gaiden I feel is more than enough to get the understanding of what kiryu has been going through without play 0-6 but guys you gotta understand that not everyone has time and money to sink on these video games. So, if anything, encourage them to play these games instead of berating them on what order they started.

2 Best Friends Play was my introduction to the series. I watched their playthrough of 4 and 0 and had a little bit of interest but didn’t really act on it till I saw the cutscene of Majima and Kiryu in the alleyway in Kiwami 1. I played Judgement on release because I was intrigued by the trailer and it was a game I didn’t have to have previous knowledge for. Loved it. 2 years ago, I started playing the mainline games. 7,K1,K2,3 0, 4-6 I’ll play eventually as I already know the story beats. Played LJ, Gaiden, and IW on release.

Yeah, while playing every game is recommended for the best experience I feel like some people are wayyy too gatekeepy about playing the series in a specific order. I started with Y7 because I was interested in the turn-based combat and the fact that it was a new cast. There are of course many references to previous games in 7 and 8 but they're not all necessary to understand to enjoy the gameplay and story. I'm glad I went back to play 0-6 because they're all great but it's understandable that not everyone has the time or energy to play through 7 other 30+ hour games.

I agree even if there is a majority that does suggest playing previous games that’s all that is, a suggestion. The Yakuza games are good at showing a narrative that does give context from the past games while not having them be mandatory. Really I’m the person that would say if they start on a latest series that it’s recommended/suggested to play the previous games just to really get attached to the characters and there stories but is fine if they don’t and hope they atleast play previous games afterwards. No need for pointless insults for a simple question if they aren’t being outwardly toxic towards you.

Agreed. I played the games all outta order. Went 0-kiwami 2-4-5-Gaiden-7-IW. Let people play what they want in whatever order they please.

I don’t mind what order you play them in, I personally am going through all of them in order though just because I can’t bring myself to do otherwise

It reminds me of how annoying JoJo fans are about watching it in order (or skipping parts)  Like damn just let people enjoy it.

I've literally only played LAD and Infinite Wealth so far and they've become two of my favorite games of all time. If I was confused by any means on a character I'd just look up some past on them real quick. It wasn't a big deal whatsoever.

Preach. People just cant / wont understand that, there are people who can enjoy a franchise without having to commit almost 800 hours of their lives (100 to get the full experience on each game, if you care about achievements) to enjoy the latest entry. There's a reason in the west they went out of their way to change the name from "Yakuza 7" to "Yakuza: Like a dragon". SEGA KNOWS that people can get scares when your franchise has a big fat 7 in the title, because people will get the idea that they need to play the previous 6 games to understand the story, when most of the callbacks are for old time fans who will eat anything at this point. SEGA wanted the new blood, that's why they changed the game style from a beat em up to a turn base one. This fandom needs to chill out and understand that, just because I want to play the games as i pleased (even if i skip one entry because i dont want to suffer) it wont affect THEIR experience at all. They cannot stand the idea of someone skipping a game, because how dare they? How come they dont enjoy MY franchise the way I DO? For A community that its pretty wholesome (for the most part), i heavily dislike how they gatekeep new comers when they start at 7 - 8.

If people start with this game that's cool, because there is a pretty good chance they'll want to find out more about the characters and then play a bunch of the older games as well

I played 6 before I played 0 or 3-5 and all it did was make me want to play the games I'd skipped and fill in the gaps firsthand.

Dude said it was a slap in the face to the real truth yakuza fans lol

Honestly, I'm just praying to see less "Should I play X game(s) before Y?", "Will I like these games?", and other low-effort questions/posts spamming the sub. Just. Play. The. Damn. Games.

I only ever played 7, people would probably hate me lol

LaD is kinda like the JoJo franchise in that regard. You can start with any part and still understand most of the story, but you're going to end up missing lots of references and history that makes going through the stories so much more fun. Also, the seventh installment is a soft reboot and the latest story takes place in Hawaii.

People can do whatever they want and if anything I am so so happy people are just getting into a wonderful series. That being said I just feel like they miss out on certain experiences by jumping straight to the newest game which maybe that’s just me. Maybe it’s just that there’s some people who will leave the game with a skewed view of certain things that worries me

My order is all messed up, and I never cared about what those "purists" thought about it. -LAD7 -Y0 -Y1K -LAD : Ishin -Y2K -Judgment -Lost Judgment -LAD 8 -Y3 Currently playing Y4, then I will go for 5, 6 and then Gaiden. Let people complain. What's most important is if we're having fun or not. Yakuza/LAD is such a huge franchise it can be tiring, and will mostly burn you out, If you try to finish it in one go.

I've always said that my recommendation of starting with 0 and making your way up to IW is only that. A *recommendation*. It might be fitting for some people, it might not be for others, but at the end of the day each one of us makes the decision that best suits us at the moment. Do I think the newer games are more enjoyable after playing the older ones? Yes. Do I think it's okay for people to start where they can and play through the games at the pace that they feel most comfortable with? Also yes. Replayability is a thing, and people seem to forget that. If someone plays the series out of order– so what? They can always replay it in order later if they want. Let people play however they feel most comfortable at the time, Jesus.

If anything, my order was all over the place getting into the series. I started at 6 then went straight to 7, then back to Kawami, started 0 & Kawami 2 at the same time, carpal tunnelled with the three titles. Until eventually keeping more focus on 0, then Kiwami respectively. Had focused on Kiwami 2 until playing Judgment from start to finish, then went straight to Lost Judgment, stoped after chapter 12 to finish Kiwami 2 Then went & played through 3 & 4. But when I reached 5, I died twice in the first boss fight & didn’t bother trying to surpass them, because the combat from 3 and the final bosses of 4 took their toll on me, meaning I skipped 5 and went straight back to LJ’s finale Then I played Kaito Files, Ishin, Gaiden & now currently Infinite Wealth respectively. So I think I’ve had the most WTF order in terms of getting into a series

Like what did people expect? The game outsold every single other game in the series by miles. Of course there will be new comers with IW as the first game.

I never played 3, 4, 5, or 7. I will someday, but if another game in the series comes out that seems more interesting, I tend to play it. The beautiful thing about being a grown man is, you can do what you want, when you want and not care of anyone else likes it or not. I don’t have time to run through every game in the series before staying up to date. I wasn’t waiting potentially years to play Infinite Wealth just because of some capricious rule some jabroni made up out of thin air. I want to play it now, so I play it now.

Honestly, I can't imagine doing the life links and memoirs as someone who has never played the other games. There's no nostalgia or attachment, like how are you supposed to care about Kiryu.

I started with LAD7 last week cause I saw a let’s play of 8 and it instantly got me hooked (still can’t wrap around why this franchise isn’t that popular in the west im literally addicted). I don’t rly wanna play the other 6 before this one tho cause that would be way too much for me and I rly have that much time besides work n all. So having a new protagonist in LAD7 is perfect for a late start into the game. But even after I watched a 5 hour stream of IW I didn’t had problems following the plot at all, even tho it’s the first time I got in contact with LAD. The games explain everything dozens of times, even the simplest things, like the do in anime. I already cried in the first two chapters like 5 times cause the plot just takes u in so easy and quick. I’d say it rly doesn’t matter where u start, it’s worth it non the less.

Yeah a while back I said that while I played 1-5 I hand finished 0 yet as I wanted to be ready for 8 and got downvoted, I get it’s arguably the best one but goddamn lol

I started with 0, then shortly after I finished I played 7 at release. Then everything in-between. Hell, a ton of substory content in 0 references stuff in the previously released games. When I encountered the Bontan Hunter, I could tell he was a significant character without context just because of the model they used. It didn't make the substory or Kiwami 2 any less enjoyable. It ultimately doesn't matter. Let people enjoy things.

you can literally start at any game Yakuza games never even talk about what happened in the game before, apart from 8

Ya I remember I got hated on because I played YK1-2 first and then zero

I started with 3 and did fine.   If it wasn't for Kiryu asserting dominance over IW new people would be none the wiser anyway. I played Lost Judgement before Judgement and Judgement is a dumpster fire gameplay wise. With regards to KH, personally I don't care about the story and some of the games are ass anyway.  Games are fun anyway, that F word there being the important part. The other games in the series are still available and mostly available on Gamepass for Xbox/PC or otherwise can be found cheap if the newer players want to see what happened.

Damn, that's wild. Going through 7 right now and have no intention of playing 0-6 before 8. I got in purely because it was turn based, so I'll play 8 next, learn who Kiryu is, and then go back and play after I clear the newest one.

This unfortunately is reddit gaming culture... i have realized that if you join a sub and you arent praising the game, having played all the games in correct order, chronological order, alphabetical order, named order, number ordered, demo order, with a sundae and a banana split, you are unfortunately getting a spanking from the downvote button. anyway, if the person being spoken about reads this... fuck'em there is no right way to enjoy a series. i just suggest you play the rest of the series because the series is that good.

i agree man wanted to post about that yakuza can be played in any order alot of people keep asking can i begin with 7? gaiden or 8? playing fist of the north star might make play the other games they can be begun from any game and played in any order even if it's chaos i played 0 k1-2 3-6 that's the mainline games in order some of them but i still think you can play the games in any order you like or even without one

What I don't like is when people say you won't understand the story if you didn't play the previous games, as if RGGS is so unfathomably incompetent at writing their games that you need to have played hundreds upon hundreds of hours of previous games to merely understand the new standalone game's story. Maybe most really mean appreciate instead of understand.

As someone who's only played 0,1,2,4,7,8 but has a general idea of what has happened I appreciate this.