"Which Yakuza game should I play first and why?"

"Which game in the Yakuza series should I start with, and why?"

0: While 0 can be enjoyed as a standalone story perfectly easily, there are so many call-forwards and the story is so thick with dramatic irony that it's kind of insane. You'll be missing like half the story by starting with 0. It is still a choice you can make but I can't really endorse it.

1 (PS2): It's the first game in the series, so obviously it's a good starting point. By modern standards, or even by the standards of older games in the series, it's a bit jank, but has a very strong vibe that can get you across the jankier aspects of its gameplay. Only issue is it's a PS2 game.

1 (Kiwami): Don't. Like just don't. Kiwami is absolutely hardline a sequel to 0 and makes a bunch of very strange changes to the plot of 1 that don't really work either standalone or in the context of being a remake. I don't think it's a terrible video game, it's got stuff going for it, but so much of it is defined by 0 that it's a messy point to start.

2 (PS2): I actually started here! As such, I'm obligated to say it's also a good starting point. Baked into the series for a while was a reminiscence feature to recap the plots of the old games, and 2 is when the series really came into its own both in gameplay and in storylines. Still a PS2 game, but if you have less tolerance for jank than I do, I would say this is the best starting point possible.

2 (Kiwami): It's the last Kiryu game in real life, so you'd be starting with the endpoint of the Dragon Engine and a gameplay system that's pretty far into the series history, but the majority of the story in 2 has been basically placed into it fine. Some side content will reference other series content, but this isn't a big deal. HOWEVER, the Majima Saga is *explicitly* a sequel to his storyline in 0, so do not play it immediately.

3: This is probably fine. While the game itself is one of the less good ones in the series, it's a natural 'beginning point' to the story since not too much of the story relies on 1 or 2, and it represents the beginning of the latter half of the overall series timeline, introducing several new characters.

4: This is also pretty fine! Since Kiryu takes a backseat and allows the new protagonists to do the early segments of the game, it's a good way to get acclimated to the vibe of Kamurocho and overall atmosphere, and is quite a fun game, too.

5: Don't. 5 is my favorite game in the series, hands down, but much of its plot's emotional thrusts relies on character arcs for Kiryu and Haruka that run since the very first game, as well as continuing Saejima's storyline. 5 is a game for series veterans who want to see the series go buck wild in scope and story.

6: Please do not start Kazuma Kiryu's story with the last game in Kazuma Kiryu's story.

7: Look, we all know you can start Yakuza with 7. It's kind of the thing that you can start Yakuza with 7. Yakuza 7 is very different from any other Yakuza game but like yes you can do it. You can start with 7.

Judgment: This is one I don't hear mentioned much but I would say Judgment is actually a great starting point for someone wanting to dip their feet in, getting you acclimated to Kamurocho really well through the eyes of an unrelated protagonist and telling an awesome standalone story. Tailing missions will be the death of me tho

Lost Judgment: Do not play Lost Judgment before playing Judgment please.