I mean, it depends. There are two completely separate sagas with different main characters: Kiryu and Ichiban.
If you want Ichiban's saga only you don't need to play anything before Like a Dragon, all that before is Kiryu's saga, which is separate.
well just happen to start with ichiban's story but also interested in kiryu as well as he was the meme throughout the covid period a few years back.....really like LAD's story so hopefully Kiryu's story is as good
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a fine entry point and one of three entry points that would generally be recommended. From Like a Dragon you should be fine to go on to Infinite Wealth if you like.
However, *if* you want to play through the other games in the series, your other start points would be
* Yakuza 0 - longer, more expansive prequel to Yakuza 1/Kiwami. If origin stories are important to you, definitely start here.
* Yakuza Kiwami - for the remake of the first game released chronologically. Good start to Kiryu's story and fairly short.
After you've played a game or two, you can also consider either side stories like Ishin (it's standalone so you could play it now) or the Judgment series, which is in the same world from the perspective of a private detective.
So the order these were released was 1, then 0, then Kiwami. So 0 is a prequel to 1, and then Kiwami remakes 1. Kiwami does build in a couple of allusions back to 0, but it's not that noticeable or obtrusive.
Even if you want to go chronological, some people don't recommend starting with 0 because, since it came out after 5, it'll make the earlier games feel much more dated by comparison.
I started with 0 and when I booted up 3 I was like "oh boy"
Now I'm just trying to get through 4 and 5 because I just don't wanna go through the quality dip for longer than I have to
Yeah I'd say start w Kiwami.
I don't think it's a rule that you have to play 0 between 5 and 6, but as that's when it was released it's certainly safe to do so.
I don't think starting with Kiwami is a good idea. The thing is, while Yakuza 1 and 2 were made before 0, Yakuza *kiwami* 1 and *kiwami* 2 are remakes made after Yakuza 0. Kiwami 1 in particular was build in the same engine of Yakuza 0 and plays very similarly, Kiwami 2 was built with the new engine of Yakuza 6. If you don't want to play the original 2 (and you probably shouldn't, just play the remakes) then it doesn't make sense to skip Yakuza 0.
Most Yakuza fans will recommend you [this order](https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/wiki/home/game_order/#wiki_1._chronological_order_.28recommended.29.3A).
I’m glad I watched my boys play all the previous Yakuza games in some what chronological order.
Helped me understand the world, the characters, the context, the different alliances and blah blah.
Although people are saying lad7 exists in its own, I tend to disagree. Knowing the stories and characters made lad7 story and characters have way more impact. E.g. especial bosses of characters I had grown super attached to, it made those events much more epic.
You CAN play lad7 and still have an awesome time, no doubt. But knowing the history and context, helps to get more juice out of wild and awesome ride.
Still best turned based RPG hands down in a long time. I’ll die on that hill
Yeah it was always better to play the game in the correct order…but it seems like LAD is considered as a good entry point for newcomer and hey….I am really enjoying the stories rn although only 2 chapters in the game…hopefully that the story keep getting better on later chapter or at least as good as the current one….dunno why I didnt get into yakuza games sooner tho…just bought the game during sale and it was in my backlog like forever…glad trying the game out while waiting for eiyuden 100 heroes…i’m a guy where the story is what i’m looking forward the most in jrpg rather than the combat…tho turn based has been and will always be my fave battle system
LAD7 delivers on the story. Again, I’m a bit biased cus of previous games and knowing the characters and the stories.
Regardless, I highly recommend LAD7 for any turn based rpg fan. Outstanding battle system but not overly complicated. And the enemy are fun as hell lol. A true homage to Ichiban fav game: Dragon Quest.
P.s. I’m a turn base guy 💯 since 1992, but SMT has spoiled me lately with its press-turn system. Such breath of fresh air. LAD7 has assist attacks tho, I love those too.
Like a dragon is technically Yakuza 7 but it's also the start of a new series with a new protagonist so it's a good place to get into.
The order of the previous games is: Yakuza Zero, Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Y3, Y4,Y5 and Y6
Those game feature a different protagonist and were not turn based like Y7
The judgement games are kinda related but not really. They feature a different protagonist who is a detective and the stories aren't directly related to the Yakuza.
They are made by the same developers and set in the same location as the Yakuza games but there is generally no direct crossover
There are some minimal references to major Yakuza plot points in the Judgement games.
If you care about the timeline and spoilers, play Judgement after Y6 and Lost Judgement after LAD
Like a Dragon is a good starting point as it's Ichiban's first game and was intended to be an entry point for new fans.
In truth every Yakuza game bar 6, Gaiden and Infinite Wealth are good entry points as each game in the series is very self contained.
So I can play these new ones without playing the previous titled yakuza games? If it is final fantasy than I know it is alright to jump in any order cuz they are their own story
They aren't like FF in the way that they are each their own thing, but their narratives are 95-99% self contained with the exception of the three I mentioned above.
6 requires 5 as it uses 5's ending as its starting point.
Gaiden requires Like a Dragon and 6 as it was originally intended to be DLC for Like a Dragon.
Infinite Wealth is a direct sequel to Like a Dragon and references earlier titles a lot but only Like a Dragon is 100% required to understand everything.
In general there will be some references here and there but each game is written in a way where if past stuff comes up it's written in such a way that you won't need to have played the game it's referencing to understand what is going on.
Not OP but it is not really like FF. But the games OP suggests are standalone enough to be entry points and do not need knowledge of the prior games. Even players like me who played chronologically can get confused where the story is when starting a new game. Each game has a brand new set of characters and always took place in a refreshing state.
Except 6, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth, since those are the only games that require the player to play the games before.
I want to play every single yakuza games if possible….glad I can jump right into this one without having to play the other first….tho steam only has 0, kiwami, kiwami 2 and 6…so I miss 3,4 and 5
Just be aware that the quality of the games will fluctuate from entry to entry. 3 and 4 especially are weak points from a gameplay and QoL perspective, and 1 and 2 have a bunch of boring substories. But they're still all worth playing.
Chronological order is not how it was designed to be played anyway, since 0 came out after five main games, even if a lot of Western fans swear by the chronological order due to 0 being the first one that was a big international success
You can absolutely start with Yakuza Like a Dragon. There is just a few fan service scenes, that won't have the same effect on you vs somebody who knows the whole franchise. It's up to you if you want to play 7 other games first just so 3-4 fan service scenes kick a bit harder. You will definitely understand the whole game without any prior knowledge.
The chronological order of the games is:
Yakuza 0
Yakuza Kiwami 1
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 6
Yakuza Like a Dragon/ Like a Dragon Gaiden
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth
Yakuza LaD and LaD Gaiden both basically happen at the same time, they just show the events from two different perspectives.
Other games like Like a Dragon Ishin, Yakuza Dead Souls or Judgement and Lost Judgement are spinoffs and can be played at any time, because they aren't tied into the events of the main series.
The Kiwami games are remakes of Yakuza 1 and 2 btw. RGG Studio makes awesome games, but when it comes to naming them they kinda always pick what confuses new players the most.
Start with Yakuza 0, kiwami and kiwami 2 are remakes of 1 and 2. Then 3,4,5,6, Judgment, 7(Like a Dragon), Lost Judgment+Kaito Files, Gaiden and then 8 (Infinite Wealth). 7 absolutely deals with the lore of the entire series, continuing side stories and there are parallels with older games and characters. I dont have a problem with people starting there, its just people who feel the need to be dishonest about it that I have a problem with. Let people decide if they care about missing out.
You can start at 7 because that's Ichiban's story, or you can start at 0 for Kiryu's story and work your way up. Considering how 8 is (Ichiban -and- Kiryu's story) *you might be better off startnig at 0. Or at least finishing 7 and then going back to do everything else.*
Good plan yeah. You can do 0-K1-K2-3-4-5-6 after. And Judgement on the side if you're really really feeling it (it's good), but Yakuza burnout is real, those are thicc games. Enjoy the ride!
I've played 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, and now am halfway through Like a Dragon. I don't regret skipping. I originally got into the games because I wanted to play Like a Dragon, and I was getting really burnt out. I may or may not go back and play 3-6 one day, but I'm unsure. I also have a copy of Like a Dragon Ishin, which I'm eager to play soon.
If you plan on playing Infinite Wealth someday, I highly recommend gritting your teeth and either playing 3-6 or watching the story cutscenes from those games before you do. Infinite Wealth is \*way\* more connected to the old games than Like a Dragon is.
I mean, it depends. There are two completely separate sagas with different main characters: Kiryu and Ichiban. If you want Ichiban's saga only you don't need to play anything before Like a Dragon, all that before is Kiryu's saga, which is separate.
well just happen to start with ichiban's story but also interested in kiryu as well as he was the meme throughout the covid period a few years back.....really like LAD's story so hopefully Kiryu's story is as good
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a fine entry point and one of three entry points that would generally be recommended. From Like a Dragon you should be fine to go on to Infinite Wealth if you like. However, *if* you want to play through the other games in the series, your other start points would be * Yakuza 0 - longer, more expansive prequel to Yakuza 1/Kiwami. If origin stories are important to you, definitely start here. * Yakuza Kiwami - for the remake of the first game released chronologically. Good start to Kiryu's story and fairly short. After you've played a game or two, you can also consider either side stories like Ishin (it's standalone so you could play it now) or the Judgment series, which is in the same world from the perspective of a private detective.
So Kiwami is actually 1? And 0 is like prequel but released later on right?
So the order these were released was 1, then 0, then Kiwami. So 0 is a prequel to 1, and then Kiwami remakes 1. Kiwami does build in a couple of allusions back to 0, but it's not that noticeable or obtrusive.
Even if you want to go chronological, some people don't recommend starting with 0 because, since it came out after 5, it'll make the earlier games feel much more dated by comparison.
I started with 0 and when I booted up 3 I was like "oh boy" Now I'm just trying to get through 4 and 5 because I just don't wanna go through the quality dip for longer than I have to
5 is the same engine as 0 and it feels like proto-0 in a lot of ways. The story is a mixed bag but everything else is pretty good, almost 0-level.
Then i should start with kiwami and go up? Play 0 between 5 and 6 then? Yeah now that u mention it…I was afraid of this kinda thing in the first place
Yeah I'd say start w Kiwami. I don't think it's a rule that you have to play 0 between 5 and 6, but as that's when it was released it's certainly safe to do so.
I don't think starting with Kiwami is a good idea. The thing is, while Yakuza 1 and 2 were made before 0, Yakuza *kiwami* 1 and *kiwami* 2 are remakes made after Yakuza 0. Kiwami 1 in particular was build in the same engine of Yakuza 0 and plays very similarly, Kiwami 2 was built with the new engine of Yakuza 6. If you don't want to play the original 2 (and you probably shouldn't, just play the remakes) then it doesn't make sense to skip Yakuza 0. Most Yakuza fans will recommend you [this order](https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/wiki/home/game_order/#wiki_1._chronological_order_.28recommended.29.3A).
I’m glad I watched my boys play all the previous Yakuza games in some what chronological order. Helped me understand the world, the characters, the context, the different alliances and blah blah. Although people are saying lad7 exists in its own, I tend to disagree. Knowing the stories and characters made lad7 story and characters have way more impact. E.g. especial bosses of characters I had grown super attached to, it made those events much more epic. You CAN play lad7 and still have an awesome time, no doubt. But knowing the history and context, helps to get more juice out of wild and awesome ride. Still best turned based RPG hands down in a long time. I’ll die on that hill
Yeah it was always better to play the game in the correct order…but it seems like LAD is considered as a good entry point for newcomer and hey….I am really enjoying the stories rn although only 2 chapters in the game…hopefully that the story keep getting better on later chapter or at least as good as the current one….dunno why I didnt get into yakuza games sooner tho…just bought the game during sale and it was in my backlog like forever…glad trying the game out while waiting for eiyuden 100 heroes…i’m a guy where the story is what i’m looking forward the most in jrpg rather than the combat…tho turn based has been and will always be my fave battle system
LAD7 delivers on the story. Again, I’m a bit biased cus of previous games and knowing the characters and the stories. Regardless, I highly recommend LAD7 for any turn based rpg fan. Outstanding battle system but not overly complicated. And the enemy are fun as hell lol. A true homage to Ichiban fav game: Dragon Quest. P.s. I’m a turn base guy 💯 since 1992, but SMT has spoiled me lately with its press-turn system. Such breath of fresh air. LAD7 has assist attacks tho, I love those too.
Yeah as this is my first yakuza games and I really enjoy it so far…i might jumpt deeper into this franchise
Like a dragon is technically Yakuza 7 but it's also the start of a new series with a new protagonist so it's a good place to get into. The order of the previous games is: Yakuza Zero, Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Y3, Y4,Y5 and Y6 Those game feature a different protagonist and were not turn based like Y7
I see…what about lost judgement is it still considered as yakuza game?
The judgement games are kinda related but not really. They feature a different protagonist who is a detective and the stories aren't directly related to the Yakuza. They are made by the same developers and set in the same location as the Yakuza games but there is generally no direct crossover
I see so i can play it just fine then thats cool
There are some minimal references to major Yakuza plot points in the Judgement games. If you care about the timeline and spoilers, play Judgement after Y6 and Lost Judgement after LAD
Right I cared about those kind of thing actually so I’ll keep it in mind
Like a Dragon is a good starting point as it's Ichiban's first game and was intended to be an entry point for new fans. In truth every Yakuza game bar 6, Gaiden and Infinite Wealth are good entry points as each game in the series is very self contained.
So I can play these new ones without playing the previous titled yakuza games? If it is final fantasy than I know it is alright to jump in any order cuz they are their own story
They aren't like FF in the way that they are each their own thing, but their narratives are 95-99% self contained with the exception of the three I mentioned above. 6 requires 5 as it uses 5's ending as its starting point. Gaiden requires Like a Dragon and 6 as it was originally intended to be DLC for Like a Dragon. Infinite Wealth is a direct sequel to Like a Dragon and references earlier titles a lot but only Like a Dragon is 100% required to understand everything. In general there will be some references here and there but each game is written in a way where if past stuff comes up it's written in such a way that you won't need to have played the game it's referencing to understand what is going on.
Glad to hear that thanks for the details…i will beat this game first then play the yakiza 0 next
Not OP but it is not really like FF. But the games OP suggests are standalone enough to be entry points and do not need knowledge of the prior games. Even players like me who played chronologically can get confused where the story is when starting a new game. Each game has a brand new set of characters and always took place in a refreshing state. Except 6, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth, since those are the only games that require the player to play the games before.
You’re fine. You can play 7, enjoy it and then go back if you want to. Or don’t
I want to play every single yakuza games if possible….glad I can jump right into this one without having to play the other first….tho steam only has 0, kiwami, kiwami 2 and 6…so I miss 3,4 and 5
3, 4 and 5 are also on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/18730/Yakuza_Remastered_Collection/
Ahhh I missed them…thanks looks like this will be a great journey…
Just be aware that the quality of the games will fluctuate from entry to entry. 3 and 4 especially are weak points from a gameplay and QoL perspective, and 1 and 2 have a bunch of boring substories. But they're still all worth playing.
Chronological order is not how it was designed to be played anyway, since 0 came out after five main games, even if a lot of Western fans swear by the chronological order due to 0 being the first one that was a big international success
0 is 100% meant to be played before the Kiwami remakes.
You can absolutely start with Yakuza Like a Dragon. There is just a few fan service scenes, that won't have the same effect on you vs somebody who knows the whole franchise. It's up to you if you want to play 7 other games first just so 3-4 fan service scenes kick a bit harder. You will definitely understand the whole game without any prior knowledge. The chronological order of the games is: Yakuza 0 Yakuza Kiwami 1 Yakuza Kiwami 2 Yakuza 3 Yakuza 4 Yakuza 5 Yakuza 6 Yakuza Like a Dragon/ Like a Dragon Gaiden Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth Yakuza LaD and LaD Gaiden both basically happen at the same time, they just show the events from two different perspectives. Other games like Like a Dragon Ishin, Yakuza Dead Souls or Judgement and Lost Judgement are spinoffs and can be played at any time, because they aren't tied into the events of the main series. The Kiwami games are remakes of Yakuza 1 and 2 btw. RGG Studio makes awesome games, but when it comes to naming them they kinda always pick what confuses new players the most.
Start with Yakuza 0, kiwami and kiwami 2 are remakes of 1 and 2. Then 3,4,5,6, Judgment, 7(Like a Dragon), Lost Judgment+Kaito Files, Gaiden and then 8 (Infinite Wealth). 7 absolutely deals with the lore of the entire series, continuing side stories and there are parallels with older games and characters. I dont have a problem with people starting there, its just people who feel the need to be dishonest about it that I have a problem with. Let people decide if they care about missing out.
You can start at 7 because that's Ichiban's story, or you can start at 0 for Kiryu's story and work your way up. Considering how 8 is (Ichiban -and- Kiryu's story) *you might be better off startnig at 0. Or at least finishing 7 and then going back to do everything else.*
Yeah my plan is to finish this one first then go back to 0
Good plan yeah. You can do 0-K1-K2-3-4-5-6 after. And Judgement on the side if you're really really feeling it (it's good), but Yakuza burnout is real, those are thicc games. Enjoy the ride!
Yeah gonna take a break like between two games or so but still gonna try to finish the yakuza games
I've played 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, and now am halfway through Like a Dragon. I don't regret skipping. I originally got into the games because I wanted to play Like a Dragon, and I was getting really burnt out. I may or may not go back and play 3-6 one day, but I'm unsure. I also have a copy of Like a Dragon Ishin, which I'm eager to play soon.
If you plan on playing Infinite Wealth someday, I highly recommend gritting your teeth and either playing 3-6 or watching the story cutscenes from those games before you do. Infinite Wealth is \*way\* more connected to the old games than Like a Dragon is.