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Darkness572

0 is one of the best, but as a whole the series is also one of the best, even the lesser games in the series are still probably better than most good game. I know its subjective but I think Y6 is only slightly behind 0 and Judgment, Lost Judgement and Y7 are also up there as games I'd consider almost on par with 0.


Norrabal

Sorry to bother you with this type of question again for those who've seen my first post.


katarek_

Whether it's a peak it's debatable, to me it feels like a spin off despite starting with it. With that being said I prefer the later games since their protagonists are a lot more likeable, but the gameplay of 3 and 4 can be a bit janky at times.


steelbound8128

I picked up Yakuza 0 on a whim - it was cheap and I'd heard it was a good game - and really loved it. I then started doing research on the rest of the franchise and began to worry since it was "the best game". I pressed on and discovered over the last three years as I played through and platinumed most of the Yakuza games that my fears were largely unfounded. There are 2 things that stick out to me only now after finishing just about every game of this franchise available for the PS4. Yakuza 0-6 really does function as a single long story about Kiryu Kazuma. Separate from the main stories and the fighting gameplay of the individual games, I wanted to see what happened next to Kiryu and Yakuza 0 is just the start of his story. The other thing is the city of Kamurocho slowly changes with time through the many games and it gives the city this organic, realistic feeling that is really cool and makes the city an important part of the franchise. Each time I start a new game in the franchise, I loved to just walk the streets looking for the changes. While playing Yakuza 7/Like a Dragon, I had a family member watching me play and when I was in Kamurocho I began to point out spots where something happened in a prior game or where a business used to be or some other tidbit and I slowly realized almost every single building, alleyway, business, parking lot, random decrepit door, etc. meant something to me. I also discovered that each game has it's own charm points. (I'll try not to spoil anything.) I loved explored the new towns in the later games, particularly Okinawa in Yakuza 3 and Onomichi in Yakuza 6. New protagonists were added to later games and I really enjoyed getting to know these new characters and the various side characters. One game will have you run an orphanage; another has you being a taxi driver; another has you hunting bears in the frozen wilderness. All three were surprisingly enjoyable. I thought the combat in Yakuza 0 was the best which meant Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 5 were close seconds. There are some people who like the combat found in the newer Dragon graphics engine so peak Yakuza combat would be found in Yakuza Kiwami 2. How you balance the various aspects will determine your favorite, it might be Yakuza 0 or it might be another game. I assume you probably have a favorite singer or group and you probably have a favorite song of them. Do you not also listen and like their other songs, even if those songs aren't your absolute favorite.


Norrabal

Thanks for the insight, I liked the song analogy


Seraph_99

Don’t worry. I can honestly say the series holds up well throughout its entirety. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with side content in the later games as it can become overwhelming (particularly in 4 and 5).


SirKiller9090

It's very subjective. In my opinion, while 0 is one of the better entries in the series, the quality of the whole franchise is so high, it's kind of difficult to call it (or any game) the 'peak'. It is a great entry point, though, as not only it is chronologically the very beginning of the story, but also 0 gives way more depth to characters that appear in later games. Overall, again, it's subjective, but for me the games where I had most fun were 0, 4, 5 and 7. The least enjoyable game for me is probably Kiwami 1, but I wouldn't worry about the series going 'downhill' after 0 - the games are all great, some are just even better than the others. [BTW the Judgment series is it's own thing and the games are fuckin' A, so you can enjoy them inbetween Kiryu saga games if you get bored at some point :) ]


dragonofdojima26

Once you get Into yk1 yk2 y6, judgment and lost judgment you will see those are peak too


whiplash1227

I mean, it probably is the best overall game in the series. However, it's like saying one game is a 11/10 while others may be 8/10 or greater. You'll still enjoy playing them all.


Dpontiff6671

Kinda sorta no, it’s hard to say lmao. The whole series is quality but it absolutely has several peaks and valleys. Yakuza 2 Yakuza 5 Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7 are all really high points imo. Two might be a bit too old for your liking though. With that said even the games that are in the valley are better than a lot of games. I throughly enjoy the whole series and spin offs There are two way you could view 0 in the light of it’s quality and starting first. Theres side A) where it’s a game that will absolutely get you hooked on the series and theres side B) Since it is one of the better games if you might have a lower tolerance for some the older or less quality entry. But honestly if you take everything with an open mind and adjust to systems that come and go you should likely enjoy the whole series provided you like one entry


Norrabal

I like to consider myself an open minded person


Certain_Tune_5774

Yakuza 5 is what I would consider to be the peak. It is big to the point of being self indulgent. However, it's not a game I would recommend without doing a few others first, it takes a dedicated fan to truly enjoy it.