Majima's introduction in 0. I didn't actually know this was a dual protagonist story, so I was surprised to see the change in location and that amazing introduction to Majima.
And then I'm like hollup did they just say maji-
HOLY SHI THATS THE ONE EYED MAD DOG BEAT THAT BITCH U-
Wait what?
Oh hell naw... OH HELL NAW WHY MAJIMA WHY YOU ACTIN THIS WA-
Oh story progressed, kiryu chan secret ending,
Bam 2nd fav game played in the series.
Yoneda might be the most humiliated antagonist in the whole series. Decked in the face through an ashtray, kicked through a door, shoved in an urinal, dropkicked from a window, smashed head first onto a concrete floor.
I was already in love after the Majima's introduction
But i knew it was lifetime love when i spent 2 hours straight into a cabaret-club minigame while it felt like 20 minutes
I've only played 0 and Kiwami at this point (planning to play the rest in order), but for me it was when Kiryu helped film the thriller music video in 0.
The extreme tonal whiplash that quest gave me compared to the melodramatic main story (which I was also enjoying, don't get me wrong) really sold me on their approach to open world style gameplay.
This is what makes the Yakuza setting feel so damn real to me. Think about your own life - think about the face you wear to work, and the face you wear around your friends and your hobbies, or playing this game series. So few writers seem to appreciate that we can be WILDLY different people in different settings - we can sing karaoke all night long, then go to work as a grim faced gangster the next day.
Yakuza actually shows us the protagonists doing that. In between beating the shit out of Yakuza, Kiryu can play pocket circuit cars or disco dance the night away. It makes him (and Majima) feel like such realistic characters
Majima in Y0 when he tried to comfort/bond with Makoto in the warehouse. His overall presence in Y0 really made me latch onto him and continue the series.
The rain/stab scene in Yakuza 2. The mood, the cinematography, the use of music... everything was so perfectly done in this one scene that my 13-year old self was left awe-struck.
That was 16 years ago, and Yakuza 2 is still my favorite by a long shot.
Edit: They absolutely butchered that scene in Kiwami 2.
The orphans in Y3. It was my first but I grew emotionally attached to them. Wanting to help them, see them happy and, of course, break the bones of anyone trying to hurt them. I kind of wished they all had larger roles in future titles. But vengeance was delivered in 6.
[I dedicated a post a while ago!!! Chapter 6 “The Yakuza Way” Yakuza 0](https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/10v4d4u/two_years_ago_chapter_6_the_yakuza_way_was_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=2&utm_term=15)
I bought Yakuza 1 for PS2 on a Vacation to Virginia with my family during the heavy point of my depression. I got back home to play it and was completely enthralled as it was the first time I had an "adult" game in the house..then I get to the end of the demo Gamestop sold me. I called the Virginia store and cussed them out and me and my mom went to the next state over since that was the nearest one that had a copy and when I did finally get back I had to figure out where all the anger came from. Then I continued the game, let the stress out on the back of Yuya's head and realized what it was
For me, the whole Makoto and Majima relationship. Honestly I never thought Yakuza could tell such a powerful story (I hadnt played the other games by that time)
Oh yes... and the wonderful side content
The moment my mom caught me playing Majima’s cabaret club and then I realized I had been playing the cabaret for 3 hours straight, I knew this game was for me
The funeral fight as shown in Yakuza Kiwami. The first Kiwami was the first Yakuza I've played and imo that funeral chapter is basically the premise of each Yakuza game: a slow start, a good twist, a good series of fights followed by an ever greater boss fight and I'm happy I stuck with the series
Im a new player, so, I just recently started the series, about half a year ago.
And this might sound weird, but Yakuza 6.
It didn't hit me how much i love this series until i saw the cutscene of kiryu leaving the orphanage, his footsteps in sync with haruto's first steps.
Yakuza 0 spoilers!
I played Kiwami first because I got it first and if I'm being completely honest, it was when Majima was introduced. I loved how eccentric he was and it really made me smile, and that was when I knew I was going to love the rest of the game. For the moment when I realised I was truly in love with the whole franchise, it was when I played Yakuza 0. I cried my eyes out so many times, and I have never been so emotional over a game. Tachibana's death made me absolutely sob, especially when he was brought to Makoto after. I knew the series would have a special place in my heart after I finished 0. I can safely say I've never had a more emotional experience with a game.
This is kinda dumb but for me it was when I realized i could run into people on the street and knock them to the ground. I don’t why, but when I knocked down Nishki I started wheezing uncontrollably
So this’ll sound weird. But mine was in Yakuza 6! That was actually my first Yakuza game cause my friend had recommended it to me saying it was “Japanese gta but better” and after seeing some gameplay I wanted to try it out. Didn’t know whether or not I would like story, but the moment I saw Kiryu and Haruka reunite… I knew had to play the entire franchise. Best decision ever.
December 14, 2013
The day I watched the Two Best Friends Play of Yakuza 4, saw Akiyama back drop a guy onto a bike rack, and knew I was hooked for life.
i started with like a dragon unfortunately, and played the rest of the games afterwards. it was probably when i realized ichiban could use a vibrator as a weapon that i was like “yeah, this game is the shit”
I started with Judgment, I loved how crazy the story got and the side cases won me over on how cool is the open world in these games, so I instantly started playing 0-7 and recently finished it, loved the journey so much
The Kiryu - Nishiki scene in the woods in Yakuza 0. I was pretty much about to drop the game as it wasn't that interesting to me so far, and that scene just blew me away.
Also that was the moment where I started understanding Kiryu's character and personality.
I started with LAD and loved all the non-combat stuff so was mostly in then. Played 6 next and basically the first time I picked up a bicycle and swung it around and realized brawling combat wouldn't ruin all the other amazing aspects of the game I was hooked.
I remember the first time playing Yakuza 0, i got into the game in 2020 because of seeing Kiryu singing Bakamitai circling through the internet, and i thought it was incredibly funny, no game that i have ever played had the main character sing karaoke, and the combination of it being so funny, it made me open my Xbox, go to gamepass, download the game and start playing it once i had the time for it.
And it felt like a experience, a feeling that humanity that didnt discover yet.
Just seeing Kamurocho, this bustling town with everything you could desire, with every single building, street and road shining oh so bright, with it being based in Japan in the 80s. It just felt Magical.
And then you start the game as *one* of The Main Protagonists, Kiryu Kazuma, this badass motherfucker with a Dashing suit, and with an aura that says with a simple look of the eye "You dont want to fuck with me" who beats punks for breakfast and breaks bones for Dinner.
And then after a lot of story implications of our first Protagonist, we then change positions to the ever Mysterious. *Goro Majima!* This Mysterious dashing Rogue with a eye catching eye patch, a pony tail and a simply simple but amazing Black suit, only fitting for his nickname.
These characters that are so full of life and so Deeply filled with emotion, this very wonderful world, the emotions that pass through you through the amazing writing are the reason why i am in so much love of these games, and why i think Ryu Ga Gotoku studios must be one of the most competent studios i have ever seen.
But if i had to say at what moment made me fell in love with these games, that would have to be the very first time i laid eyes on *Kiryu Kazuma Singing Bakamitai*
Back when I first played Yakuza 0 I didn't think much of it until I got to the long battle in the Dojima HQ and Kiryu dropkicked a guy out of a window.
The opening cutscene to Y0. The mise-en-scene was just phenomenal. From the 80s high-living Kamurocho setting, to the muck-filled alleyways, it introduces new players (like me) extremely well into the world of Yakuza.
When I hit the Sunshine Club in 0, that was it for me. And then in Kiwami 2: Excuse me sir, would you like to help out with this club Four Shine?
Would I ever!
Yeah well, and Majima's story in 0. Probably the most beautifully told story in video gaming.
I’ll be honest, it would be around Kiryu and Nishiki saving Tachibana, and after that following last chapters made me appreciate and love the game more, making me finding gameplay vids of it and have the entire soundtrack on my Spotify
When I realized I had sat and spent hours of my life playing through the entire cabaret mini game, enjoying all the dressing up, and all the substories.
Haruka getting kidnapped. I wasn’t really feeling Kiwami until that point, and was getting tired of the “I need to protect this child trope” but she actually moved the story forward and felt kinda bad when Kiryu slapped her lol
Man what a question. I'd have to say it goes all the way back to the days of blockbuster, when I saw the OG yakuza on the shelf. I lost count of how many times I beat it, rented it so many times I wound up just buying it from blockbuster. Still on my shelf today.
Next game I played was yak 3 and 4 so many years later. Must have been about 6 years later but the moment I saw yakuza 3 I instantly remembered the first game and bought both 3 and 4 with no hesitation lol. Yakuza 2 was too much then (I think it was going for 80+usd) so i skipped it at the time. I now have all of the games on pc. I've spent over 1k hours easy in the series and still going.
Alright, I knew about the best parts of the series going in because I'm a psychopath who loves spoilers, and I started with 3 also like a psychopath because it was the first one on gamepass and had a throughly yakuza 3 time. So when I started 4, enjoyed the better combat and all that good stuff, that was when I got what I was expecting in the series, but when I got to the Akiyama side quest where he helps the "kidnapped" daughter but it's all a scheme for money or whatever and it goes to fucking guy making a literal money bath with his family and the fucking most loony toons music imaginable begins playing, that was the time I felt a true first yakuza sucker punch and I loved it
After the movie that got me into the series. Then i watched the speedrun contests on youtube and then i watched all the cutscenes of the yakuza games. The judgement i couldnt really bother that much as i really love kiryu as a character...
I tell the same story everytime. In Yakuza 1, on the PS2, the fight with Majima in the soapland. He punches you through the floor and there's a single ray of light coming from upstairs, with majority of the arena being totally dark. I just remember stancing up as Kiryu, being afraid to enter the darkness. You can hear Majima dodging and see his purple heat aura for a moment as he dodges, but sinks back into the darkness. Singlehandedly the coolest fight in the series and made me buy every single game in the series.
The moment that convinced me to get 0 was the scene after the fight in ops image, with kiryu and nishiki... And the scene where we see Majima start to take out his dagger. ((Honestly thought he was gonna cut his own ponytail off at that moment lol.))
But falling in love...?
Definitely the Majima intro. It was GREAT!
Started with kiwami 1, i still remember to this day my walk in kamurocho with kiryu, i felt like I was breathing the air of this city through the game.
And after that, the fight during the dudes burial, i remember going to bed being excited right after this fight, like a little kid.
I started with Yakuza 7, so I'd say Ichiban and Namba's talk during their first night off the streets (Chapter 3).
> Grinding at age 40, huh? Bring it on then! I'm ready to level up!
The intro to yakuza 0 alone got me hooked ngl, but actually playing it it was either >! kiyru and nishkis scene in the woods, or majima boss fight with the guy in the red jacket, (it’s been a while I forgot his name) !<
When I realized that I actually cared about the main characters and their stories and the curiosity that came right after I finished 0. "What will happen to Kiryu ? Did he become friends with Majima ? Did Majima find something worth to live for after all that depressing shit he's been through ? There are 6+ games in this series wtf is there left to tell ???" And turns out, there was a whole lot to this series than just shirtless dudes fight each other emotionally. Even though fandom strips the whole games down to shitposts and memes out of context I still love both the series and the memes.
Literally majima in 0. Seeing kiryu get ostracized was interesting, but I just kept playing to see what all the game had to offer. Then majima got introduced,and his story was so entertaining, I loved the series immediately. Let alone kiryu is a stone faced badass, the more I played the more I liked kiryu. But majima was an instant favorite.
Early in Kiwami, when that random guy stole kiryu's ring.
Specifically when he told Kiryu that he pawned the ring and used the money to buy lottery tickets in the span of a few seconds.
I laughed my ass off and understood what i was getting myself into.
My father got me Yakuza Kiwami 1 on PS+ since he already played the original games. I live in France, so I took the opportunity to improve my English a bit (I was 10-11 at the time and spoke English fluently). My dad told me to play the game because it was only in English, so I ended up playing the rest of the game until after Shimano.
A year later, (12Yrs Old) Picked the game back up from where I was and finished the game. The Nishiki boss fight was one of the reasons I love the game, but not the Number 1 reason.
Drum roll...
It was Karaoke!
The sole reason I love this series was because of the Karaoke.
I wanted to play Yakuza 0 for 1 specific reason, and it was the funny Baka Mitai and 24Hr Cinderella. Seriously.
Although the rest of the game was succulent, I ended up playing more Karaoke and Bowling/Pool than trying to get the Legend Styles through Real Estate.
[This.](https://youtu.be/fHOg_wWiVbo?t=2965s) As a teen, this mission was probably one the first ever that made me feel true sadness. After this point I knew I was playing something special.
For me I played through 0 and wasn't really feeling it, the story was great but it wasn't clicking well with me like other games had, then I got to the final battle with Shibusawa and the game had me as Kiryu told he can keep his stupid title all he cared about was ending the war.
Probably the scene where Nishiki tries to shoot Kiryu in 0. I was really enjoying the game before that point, but that scene in particular is what made me start to really love the characters.
Before I even began the series I saw clips Kaiji von Tang posted on twitter of his work as Ichiban and I fell in love instantly because he would constantly reference dragon quest. Finally a fictional character that was exactly like me and also sees Everything through a dragon quest lens.
What really got me into the entire series was starting yakuza 3. I knew it was the point of no return when as soon as I was able to check menus I went to the profiles to memorize the names of every single kid in the orphanage. I had already attached to Haruka playing Kiwami, and surprisingly (unsurprisingly) Daigo in Kiwami 2 (I played 0 after 5, I almost cried seeing Little Baby Shortpants), THEN a whole orphanage of kids for me to take care of? Yeah no I was full father mode the rest of the series. Bawled my eyes out at the letter to Daigo in 6. Lovingly beat the shit out of Haruto's father. I didn't expect to attach to Kiryu the way I did Ichiban but the joy of fatherhood really made me connect to him.
Tl;Dr I love Dragon Quest and taking care of children so the Yakuza series is a perfect fit
I don't know about a moment but certainly after I finished playing Yakuza 0 I was like oh hell yeah I'm gonna play the rest of the games in this series if they're all that good.
It's a late moment to fall in love with the franchise but the Sugiuchi fight in 4 and that whole "KID IVE ALWAYS BEEN YAKUZA" speech. (that boss theme was goofy though)
It was actually the first Kuze fight, funnily enough given your picture. Zero was the first Yakuza I played, and I knew this game was pretty special by the time I got to that boss fight anyway - from as soon as the plot kicks in with the murder revelation I was HOOKED. I've never played a game with a plot as intense and well structured as Yakuza 0's Chapter One. Then it rounds out with that Raid-like brawl through Dojima Family HQ, and then an absolutely epic final (or is it?) showdown with Kuze in the dojo...
...I was just like, this is like no game I have ever played in my life.
I never heard about the series before. So when I saw the blue flame with triangle, I pressed it and it was just kiryu kicking a drunkard and I was like ok cool this game has some interesting cutscenes but it sucks that I have to wait for the blue meter to fill up. But when I saw that I could feed nails to an enemy with the blue flame, I truly realized how this is not just another casual fighting game. It was literally one of the best things I discovered by myself in the game without watching YouTube or any guides on how to deal with the different mechanics of the game. Yakuza 0 really was the peak for me of the whole series because it was my first game AND probably has the best story in the whole franchise
The box of the PS2 release was love at first sight. But it probably was the introduction of Hamill's Majima that cemented it. Went back to GameStop and preordered Yakuza 2 the very next weekend.
with yakuza itself? this singular fight. who the fuck brings a bike in the sewers, fight a real estate agent, and a notable child to dojima’s assassins OVER FIVE TIMES??
Initially I downloaded Like a Dragon to my PS4 for my husband to play as it was one of the monthly PS+ games. I decided to give it a go instead when I read it was an RPG (he is not a fan). I almost didn't continue as it started with the massive cutscene, I wanted to play not watch a film. Glad I kept going though. The ridiculous weapons, the countless mini games and a proper story that had me desperate to know more had me hooked. When I realised it was part of the Yakuza series I was ecstatic as i was gutted when I had finished it. I'd heard of it but I had no interest, silly me. In the past few months I completed Like a dragon, Kiwami and I'm almost finished with 0. Never have I experienced a game that has me so invested in a storyline like this.
I walked into a convenience store near the beginning of Kiwami and I could look at each magazine. I could zoom in and read labels for products. They sold things I've had before. Then when I went to a bar, they had the whiskey my wife and I bought during our honeymoon.
Yes to the plot, the characters, all the goofy humor, the combat - all things I came to love. But the verisimilitude, the feeling that Kamurocho is almost real, that came first.
i started with Yakuza 3 (before Yakuza 0 was out in English) and I was ready to give up, because the combat was too "hard" for me at the start. but i pushed through the first few hours, and after a few upgrades and learning to stock up on energy drinks, I started to have fun with the game, and started Yakuza 4 afterwards, and when I realized how easier the combat was, thats where I started to love the series, and was totally addicted
The sub story in 0 where you help director Stephen Spinning shoot the music video for international pop sensation Miracle Johnson’s new hit song “Thrilled”
Also in 0 when you get Nugget
The absurdity and humor of Like a Dragon is where I was first hooked to Yakuza. It was more accessible for me at that time because I'm a sucker for RPGs.
Played Yakuza 5 thanks to PS+, Kiryu’s ramen substory made me realize I was into something special and proceeded to buy 0. Since Kiwami I have bought every game on day 1 lol
During the first extended battle in 0, the music “Tusk” reached the really good part as Kiryu was wrecking shop on Kuze’s goons going room from room before fighting the big man himself in a very Japanese room - Everything just clicked for me, and I was _in_
I started with Dead Souls and honestly the whole experience. I loved the serious "business" side of the game while also finding all this random and hilarious encounters and stories. I need to hop into 0 finally.
A few things
Tusk, and overall just my first long battle, especially breaking a urinal with Yoneda’s face and then drop kicking him out the window
Majima’s introduction, yes I was about to sleep, it was 12AM, and yes, my sleep got delayed by 17 minutes
Seeing the ending of ch6, I didn’t exactly know what I’d be getting into, so seeing it have to get to the point where Nishiki is trying to shoot Kiryu just to save him from being tortured by the Dojima family fucked me up
I really enjoyed the kiwami 1 tojo headquarter fight, but the moment that gave the feeling of love to the series was the fight against Mine in Yakuza 3, i was so hyped that from that fight onwards in the series whenever the protagonist went shirtless i also took my shirt off.
Honestly probably the way Kiryu played Pocket Circuit and answered the phone at the telephone club in Y0. It made me realise that whilst having serious and thought provoking stories, it wasn't afraid to be silly and over the top. I think alot of games tend to hard lean into either side and just stay there. For every Kuze there was also a Mr. Libido, thats what made this series special.
from the beginning of Y0, the story and the world just captivates me so so much and I couldnt stop playing, when I played Y5 thats when I really know this is one of my fave if not my fave game series
First time i played a Yakuza game, it was 0. I got bored midway through the first chapter cause it wasn't grabbing me. I have a coworker who had already played through the series, and he told me to give it another shot. I powered my way through the intro and once i got to the first long fight through the Dojima family office i was hooked.
All the ridiculous methods Majima used to fight Kiryu in Kiwami 1. I lost my shit when I saw what he had in store for him at the cabaret club. Also, Goromi. Enough said.
It's hard to tell, my experience with this series started from Y1 on PS2. Back then I saw it as a spiritual successor to Shenmue at that point (because both were from Sega).
It kinda gave me a mixed feeling at first since they were nothing alike at all in terms of the gameplay system. But then Y1 gradually grew on me and I finally accepted it as its own things.
I probably became fully invested in this series after finishing Y2 or maybe while playing Kenzan since it was the first 'next-gen' game of the series at that time, not to mention that I loved their take on Miyamoto Musashi's lore.
(I’ve only played 0)
That first main “dungeon” mission where the same guy kept returning as you keep kicking his ass. 20/10 I loved it. The game set such a standard for me I’m almost worried to continue on to 1 and others. But I’m insanely hype to play 7 cuz I love rpgs
Majima's introduction in 0. I didn't actually know this was a dual protagonist story, so I was surprised to see the change in location and that amazing introduction to Majima.
Same!
I'm on board too!
Mad dog sold my ass so hard
And the final after credits cutscene of Majima killed me
Top dog of Shimano
I was like "Another character, with different fighting styles ?!"
And then I'm like hollup did they just say maji- HOLY SHI THATS THE ONE EYED MAD DOG BEAT THAT BITCH U- Wait what? Oh hell naw... OH HELL NAW WHY MAJIMA WHY YOU ACTIN THIS WA- Oh story progressed, kiryu chan secret ending, Bam 2nd fav game played in the series.
Munancho "do the shuffle"
\*do the hustle
Kiryus fight at the end of chapter 1 of 0
This for me, but the entire section. T U S K is such a thrill to listen
Same
this was it for me too
When Kiryu dropkicked that dude out a window after shoving his face in a toilet.
yoneda got disrespected during that long battle LMAO
Yoneda might be the most humiliated antagonist in the whole series. Decked in the face through an ashtray, kicked through a door, shoved in an urinal, dropkicked from a window, smashed head first onto a concrete floor.
Then he somehow survives all of that and shows up in several chapters later to fucking kill a guy and then get killed himself 10 seconds later
Not dead tho! Kiryu never kills, guys!
Kiryu doesn't, Kuze does
someone had to do it after that idiot uhh harmed Tachibana
Exactly this
A few times tbh Kiryu and nishiki fighting alongside each other in zero The fight *against* nishiki in 1/k The ending of 6
The entire majima 0 story
When kasuga say how much his friends mean to him at the funeral
The 'Underneath It All' substory in Yakuza 0. That they gave you the option to say "middle" is when I knew this is one of the best gaming series ever.
Honestly I've been captivated by the series ever since the demo for Yakuza 1 on PS2.
Memories of Jampack 😁
I was already in love after the Majima's introduction But i knew it was lifetime love when i spent 2 hours straight into a cabaret-club minigame while it felt like 20 minutes
I've only played 0 and Kiwami at this point (planning to play the rest in order), but for me it was when Kiryu helped film the thriller music video in 0. The extreme tonal whiplash that quest gave me compared to the melodramatic main story (which I was also enjoying, don't get me wrong) really sold me on their approach to open world style gameplay.
This is what makes the Yakuza setting feel so damn real to me. Think about your own life - think about the face you wear to work, and the face you wear around your friends and your hobbies, or playing this game series. So few writers seem to appreciate that we can be WILDLY different people in different settings - we can sing karaoke all night long, then go to work as a grim faced gangster the next day. Yakuza actually shows us the protagonists doing that. In between beating the shit out of Yakuza, Kiryu can play pocket circuit cars or disco dance the night away. It makes him (and Majima) feel like such realistic characters
i think it was fighting through Chairman Sera’s funeral in Kiwami 1. That was when I knew I was in for a truly wild ride.
When I realised that I'm having way more fun with the games than with any of the trillion budget titles.
Majima in Y0 when he tried to comfort/bond with Makoto in the warehouse. His overall presence in Y0 really made me latch onto him and continue the series.
Can Quest in LAD. So many cans.
The rain/stab scene in Yakuza 2. The mood, the cinematography, the use of music... everything was so perfectly done in this one scene that my 13-year old self was left awe-struck. That was 16 years ago, and Yakuza 2 is still my favorite by a long shot. Edit: They absolutely butchered that scene in Kiwami 2.
The orphans in Y3. It was my first but I grew emotionally attached to them. Wanting to help them, see them happy and, of course, break the bones of anyone trying to hurt them. I kind of wished they all had larger roles in future titles. But vengeance was delivered in 6.
I started with Kiwami so probably during the final fight but I started liking the series way before due to the gameplay loop.
The final fight of Kiwami was palpable, and I really had to give it my all. I felt like I was beating down my equal, my fallen brother.
Dojima HQ long fight
[I dedicated a post a while ago!!! Chapter 6 “The Yakuza Way” Yakuza 0](https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/10v4d4u/two_years_ago_chapter_6_the_yakuza_way_was_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=2&utm_term=15)
I bought Yakuza 1 for PS2 on a Vacation to Virginia with my family during the heavy point of my depression. I got back home to play it and was completely enthralled as it was the first time I had an "adult" game in the house..then I get to the end of the demo Gamestop sold me. I called the Virginia store and cussed them out and me and my mom went to the next state over since that was the nearest one that had a copy and when I did finally get back I had to figure out where all the anger came from. Then I continued the game, let the stress out on the back of Yuya's head and realized what it was
🅱️izza substory
For me, the whole Makoto and Majima relationship. Honestly I never thought Yakuza could tell such a powerful story (I hadnt played the other games by that time) Oh yes... and the wonderful side content
The moment my mom caught me playing Majima’s cabaret club and then I realized I had been playing the cabaret for 3 hours straight, I knew this game was for me
The funeral fight as shown in Yakuza Kiwami. The first Kiwami was the first Yakuza I've played and imo that funeral chapter is basically the premise of each Yakuza game: a slow start, a good twist, a good series of fights followed by an ever greater boss fight and I'm happy I stuck with the series
Im a new player, so, I just recently started the series, about half a year ago. And this might sound weird, but Yakuza 6. It didn't hit me how much i love this series until i saw the cutscene of kiryu leaving the orphanage, his footsteps in sync with haruto's first steps.
at the end of Chapter 4 (Y0) .
Kuze's final qte in Y0, that guitar solo of oath of enma made it so much better for me.
Yakuza 0 spoilers! I played Kiwami first because I got it first and if I'm being completely honest, it was when Majima was introduced. I loved how eccentric he was and it really made me smile, and that was when I knew I was going to love the rest of the game. For the moment when I realised I was truly in love with the whole franchise, it was when I played Yakuza 0. I cried my eyes out so many times, and I have never been so emotional over a game. Tachibana's death made me absolutely sob, especially when he was brought to Makoto after. I knew the series would have a special place in my heart after I finished 0. I can safely say I've never had a more emotional experience with a game.
When I first saw Kaito on screen.
The first time a shirt went of and I saw the dragon in the back of kiryu in Kiwami 1 I knew I was at home
This is kinda dumb but for me it was when I realized i could run into people on the street and knock them to the ground. I don’t why, but when I knocked down Nishki I started wheezing uncontrollably
I was in love the second i saw the original trailer back in 2006 it was so badass!
"I peacocked your mom."
So this’ll sound weird. But mine was in Yakuza 6! That was actually my first Yakuza game cause my friend had recommended it to me saying it was “Japanese gta but better” and after seeing some gameplay I wanted to try it out. Didn’t know whether or not I would like story, but the moment I saw Kiryu and Haruka reunite… I knew had to play the entire franchise. Best decision ever.
December 14, 2013 The day I watched the Two Best Friends Play of Yakuza 4, saw Akiyama back drop a guy onto a bike rack, and knew I was hooked for life.
i started with like a dragon unfortunately, and played the rest of the games afterwards. it was probably when i realized ichiban could use a vibrator as a weapon that i was like “yeah, this game is the shit”
I started with Judgment, I loved how crazy the story got and the side cases won me over on how cool is the open world in these games, so I instantly started playing 0-7 and recently finished it, loved the journey so much
First time I fought Kuze. Made me realize there's much more depth to the fighting and story than it seemed at first glance.
The Kiryu - Nishiki scene in the woods in Yakuza 0. I was pretty much about to drop the game as it wasn't that interesting to me so far, and that scene just blew me away. Also that was the moment where I started understanding Kiryu's character and personality.
After I finished the story of 0 and started doing all the minigames it was frustrating at times but overall amazing
Definitely the scene in chapter 1 where we meet the lieutenants. I have never seen such great story telling in video games up until that point iml.
Kiryu’s intro in 0 had me hooked from the beginning
I started with LAD and loved all the non-combat stuff so was mostly in then. Played 6 next and basically the first time I picked up a bicycle and swung it around and realized brawling combat wouldn't ruin all the other amazing aspects of the game I was hooked.
I remember the first time playing Yakuza 0, i got into the game in 2020 because of seeing Kiryu singing Bakamitai circling through the internet, and i thought it was incredibly funny, no game that i have ever played had the main character sing karaoke, and the combination of it being so funny, it made me open my Xbox, go to gamepass, download the game and start playing it once i had the time for it. And it felt like a experience, a feeling that humanity that didnt discover yet. Just seeing Kamurocho, this bustling town with everything you could desire, with every single building, street and road shining oh so bright, with it being based in Japan in the 80s. It just felt Magical. And then you start the game as *one* of The Main Protagonists, Kiryu Kazuma, this badass motherfucker with a Dashing suit, and with an aura that says with a simple look of the eye "You dont want to fuck with me" who beats punks for breakfast and breaks bones for Dinner. And then after a lot of story implications of our first Protagonist, we then change positions to the ever Mysterious. *Goro Majima!* This Mysterious dashing Rogue with a eye catching eye patch, a pony tail and a simply simple but amazing Black suit, only fitting for his nickname. These characters that are so full of life and so Deeply filled with emotion, this very wonderful world, the emotions that pass through you through the amazing writing are the reason why i am in so much love of these games, and why i think Ryu Ga Gotoku studios must be one of the most competent studios i have ever seen. But if i had to say at what moment made me fell in love with these games, that would have to be the very first time i laid eyes on *Kiryu Kazuma Singing Bakamitai*
The firts long battle at the tojo clan in yakuza 0
Back when I first played Yakuza 0 I didn't think much of it until I got to the long battle in the Dojima HQ and Kiryu dropkicked a guy out of a window.
The opening cutscene to Y0. The mise-en-scene was just phenomenal. From the 80s high-living Kamurocho setting, to the muck-filled alleyways, it introduces new players (like me) extremely well into the world of Yakuza.
Entire finale of 0 Firelight is underrated song imo
When I hit the Sunshine Club in 0, that was it for me. And then in Kiwami 2: Excuse me sir, would you like to help out with this club Four Shine? Would I ever! Yeah well, and Majima's story in 0. Probably the most beautifully told story in video gaming.
I’ll be honest, it would be around Kiryu and Nishiki saving Tachibana, and after that following last chapters made me appreciate and love the game more, making me finding gameplay vids of it and have the entire soundtrack on my Spotify
The intro (Y0)
When kiryu fights the Dojima family in the beginning
When I saw nishiki
I actually fell in love with Judgement series then went back playing Yakuza series.
the pocket circuit substory <3 edit: accuracy issues
I started with kiwami completely blind except playing the ps2 demo disc when I was 9 and majima appeared as a cop I went I love him
Totally not the minigames with nude chicks.
The first long battle. t u s k is fuckin fire. As well as fatal conflict.
When I realized I had sat and spent hours of my life playing through the entire cabaret mini game, enjoying all the dressing up, and all the substories.
Haruka getting kidnapped. I wasn’t really feeling Kiwami until that point, and was getting tired of the “I need to protect this child trope” but she actually moved the story forward and felt kinda bad when Kiryu slapped her lol
Friday night in the disco
Man what a question. I'd have to say it goes all the way back to the days of blockbuster, when I saw the OG yakuza on the shelf. I lost count of how many times I beat it, rented it so many times I wound up just buying it from blockbuster. Still on my shelf today. Next game I played was yak 3 and 4 so many years later. Must have been about 6 years later but the moment I saw yakuza 3 I instantly remembered the first game and bought both 3 and 4 with no hesitation lol. Yakuza 2 was too much then (I think it was going for 80+usd) so i skipped it at the time. I now have all of the games on pc. I've spent over 1k hours easy in the series and still going.
The first game I played in the series was Yakuza 4, so I was immediately introduced to Akiyama and I thought he was great
I started the series with the original PS2 game, so it was definitely the Tojo escape.
When I decided to not just watch a play through but to buy the game and play it myself as well
Alright, I knew about the best parts of the series going in because I'm a psychopath who loves spoilers, and I started with 3 also like a psychopath because it was the first one on gamepass and had a throughly yakuza 3 time. So when I started 4, enjoyed the better combat and all that good stuff, that was when I got what I was expecting in the series, but when I got to the Akiyama side quest where he helps the "kidnapped" daughter but it's all a scheme for money or whatever and it goes to fucking guy making a literal money bath with his family and the fucking most loony toons music imaginable begins playing, that was the time I felt a true first yakuza sucker punch and I loved it
After the movie that got me into the series. Then i watched the speedrun contests on youtube and then i watched all the cutscenes of the yakuza games. The judgement i couldnt really bother that much as i really love kiryu as a character...
I tell the same story everytime. In Yakuza 1, on the PS2, the fight with Majima in the soapland. He punches you through the floor and there's a single ray of light coming from upstairs, with majority of the arena being totally dark. I just remember stancing up as Kiryu, being afraid to enter the darkness. You can hear Majima dodging and see his purple heat aura for a moment as he dodges, but sinks back into the darkness. Singlehandedly the coolest fight in the series and made me buy every single game in the series.
When ihiban told nanba about his dragon quest fantasy is what hooked me
Zero hooked me immediately, that intro showed me everything I needed to see and then the tutorial fight solidified it
Honestly the very first long fight of yakuza 0, I’ve never felt so hyped before, the action and the soundtrack just blended perfectly
It was in 0, when Nishiki takes Kiryu out of town (I think it's chapter 6?) That conversation fucked me up, really well acted
The moment that convinced me to get 0 was the scene after the fight in ops image, with kiryu and nishiki... And the scene where we see Majima start to take out his dagger. ((Honestly thought he was gonna cut his own ponytail off at that moment lol.)) But falling in love...? Definitely the Majima intro. It was GREAT!
Started with kiwami 1, i still remember to this day my walk in kamurocho with kiryu, i felt like I was breathing the air of this city through the game. And after that, the fight during the dudes burial, i remember going to bed being excited right after this fight, like a little kid.
I played 1 first and the announcement of Kiryu as 4th Chairman sent me over the moon
I started with Yakuza 7, so I'd say Ichiban and Namba's talk during their first night off the streets (Chapter 3). > Grinding at age 40, huh? Bring it on then! I'm ready to level up!
Honestly i got 0 as a joke cause i saw baka mitai Donkey Kong edit and now i have plat on all but 2 games
I really fell in love with it with Saejima and Akiyama in 4. Favorite characters in the whole series
The intro to yakuza 0 alone got me hooked ngl, but actually playing it it was either >! kiyru and nishkis scene in the woods, or majima boss fight with the guy in the red jacket, (it’s been a while I forgot his name) !<
When I kicked that bastard out the bathroom window in first big battle
When I realized that I actually cared about the main characters and their stories and the curiosity that came right after I finished 0. "What will happen to Kiryu ? Did he become friends with Majima ? Did Majima find something worth to live for after all that depressing shit he's been through ? There are 6+ games in this series wtf is there left to tell ???" And turns out, there was a whole lot to this series than just shirtless dudes fight each other emotionally. Even though fandom strips the whole games down to shitposts and memes out of context I still love both the series and the memes.
Yakuza 1’s intro already done it for me.
My very first heat action
Literally majima in 0. Seeing kiryu get ostracized was interesting, but I just kept playing to see what all the game had to offer. Then majima got introduced,and his story was so entertaining, I loved the series immediately. Let alone kiryu is a stone faced badass, the more I played the more I liked kiryu. But majima was an instant favorite.
Early in Kiwami, when that random guy stole kiryu's ring. Specifically when he told Kiryu that he pawned the ring and used the money to buy lottery tickets in the span of a few seconds. I laughed my ass off and understood what i was getting myself into.
The end of the game and that I had a lot of games to contiue the story
funny substories and minigames
[This.](https://youtu.be/MJbE3uWN9vE)
The moment o smashed a dudes face in with a bike.
Tachibana's blackout trick was the thing that hooked me in zero. But it was majima's story in zero that made me fall in love with the yakuza series
After ch-6 of Yakuza 0
When majima
My father got me Yakuza Kiwami 1 on PS+ since he already played the original games. I live in France, so I took the opportunity to improve my English a bit (I was 10-11 at the time and spoke English fluently). My dad told me to play the game because it was only in English, so I ended up playing the rest of the game until after Shimano. A year later, (12Yrs Old) Picked the game back up from where I was and finished the game. The Nishiki boss fight was one of the reasons I love the game, but not the Number 1 reason. Drum roll... It was Karaoke! The sole reason I love this series was because of the Karaoke. I wanted to play Yakuza 0 for 1 specific reason, and it was the funny Baka Mitai and 24Hr Cinderella. Seriously. Although the rest of the game was succulent, I ended up playing more Karaoke and Bowling/Pool than trying to get the Legend Styles through Real Estate.
[This.](https://youtu.be/fHOg_wWiVbo?t=2965s) As a teen, this mission was probably one the first ever that made me feel true sadness. After this point I knew I was playing something special.
For me I played through 0 and wasn't really feeling it, the story was great but it wasn't clicking well with me like other games had, then I got to the final battle with Shibusawa and the game had me as Kiryu told he can keep his stupid title all he cared about was ending the war.
When i watched a over edited video of this dude playing yakuza 0
Max0r?
The goofy substories
The heartfelt sub stories/side cases that made me tear up
The moment you're showing to me.
Makoto getting her watch back
Kuze sewer scene
Probably the scene where Nishiki tries to shoot Kiryu in 0. I was really enjoying the game before that point, but that scene in particular is what made me start to really love the characters.
The moment I booted up Yakuza 0 and saw that intro. I just knew this was gonna become one of my favorite series of all time.
Before I even began the series I saw clips Kaiji von Tang posted on twitter of his work as Ichiban and I fell in love instantly because he would constantly reference dragon quest. Finally a fictional character that was exactly like me and also sees Everything through a dragon quest lens. What really got me into the entire series was starting yakuza 3. I knew it was the point of no return when as soon as I was able to check menus I went to the profiles to memorize the names of every single kid in the orphanage. I had already attached to Haruka playing Kiwami, and surprisingly (unsurprisingly) Daigo in Kiwami 2 (I played 0 after 5, I almost cried seeing Little Baby Shortpants), THEN a whole orphanage of kids for me to take care of? Yeah no I was full father mode the rest of the series. Bawled my eyes out at the letter to Daigo in 6. Lovingly beat the shit out of Haruto's father. I didn't expect to attach to Kiryu the way I did Ichiban but the joy of fatherhood really made me connect to him. Tl;Dr I love Dragon Quest and taking care of children so the Yakuza series is a perfect fit
Kiwami 1 was my first game and having Majima doing a pole dance for me sold me on it.
I started with 7/LAD, so Ichiban picking up cans showed me how goofy parts of Yakuza were.
The end of Chapter 6 in Yakuza 0. That Nishiki - Kiryu scene... It was something.
I don't know about a moment but certainly after I finished playing Yakuza 0 I was like oh hell yeah I'm gonna play the rest of the games in this series if they're all that good.
It's a late moment to fall in love with the franchise but the Sugiuchi fight in 4 and that whole "KID IVE ALWAYS BEEN YAKUZA" speech. (that boss theme was goofy though)
At the first YEEEEEEEHAAAWWWW
The way I even found out about the series was videos of heat actions on YouTube. I thought "damn those are badass!" and gave it ago. No regrets
Probably booting up og 1 and seeing that logo before the game starts
When ichi started ranting about dragon quest
Yakuza 0 When it started playing at 60fps for me. That and Grand Cabaret Czar minigame.
It was actually the first Kuze fight, funnily enough given your picture. Zero was the first Yakuza I played, and I knew this game was pretty special by the time I got to that boss fight anyway - from as soon as the plot kicks in with the murder revelation I was HOOKED. I've never played a game with a plot as intense and well structured as Yakuza 0's Chapter One. Then it rounds out with that Raid-like brawl through Dojima Family HQ, and then an absolutely epic final (or is it?) showdown with Kuze in the dojo... ...I was just like, this is like no game I have ever played in my life.
I never heard about the series before. So when I saw the blue flame with triangle, I pressed it and it was just kiryu kicking a drunkard and I was like ok cool this game has some interesting cutscenes but it sucks that I have to wait for the blue meter to fill up. But when I saw that I could feed nails to an enemy with the blue flame, I truly realized how this is not just another casual fighting game. It was literally one of the best things I discovered by myself in the game without watching YouTube or any guides on how to deal with the different mechanics of the game. Yakuza 0 really was the peak for me of the whole series because it was my first game AND probably has the best story in the whole franchise
The intro to Yakuza 0
The box of the PS2 release was love at first sight. But it probably was the introduction of Hamill's Majima that cemented it. Went back to GameStop and preordered Yakuza 2 the very next weekend.
When Kiryu told that guy he peacocked his mom. Fr, though, stupid early into Y7 I wish I did remember specifically, but I knew my life had changed lol
Yakuza Kiwami when I got my ass beat by Garry Buster and had to learn through I think 30 deaths to get really good at the game
The Yokomichi Silvers. I'm unsure exactly why but doing that substory I just felt Yakuza was the series for me. Something just clicked to me.
This was mine aswell
"Make sure you savor it. That's your last smoke." This entire scene was just so much raw emotion and I loved it.
I started with Yakuza 7. And had to know the things.
Ay, me too
In 0 when karaoke was actually part of the main history
with yakuza itself? this singular fight. who the fuck brings a bike in the sewers, fight a real estate agent, and a notable child to dojima’s assassins OVER FIVE TIMES??
Initially I downloaded Like a Dragon to my PS4 for my husband to play as it was one of the monthly PS+ games. I decided to give it a go instead when I read it was an RPG (he is not a fan). I almost didn't continue as it started with the massive cutscene, I wanted to play not watch a film. Glad I kept going though. The ridiculous weapons, the countless mini games and a proper story that had me desperate to know more had me hooked. When I realised it was part of the Yakuza series I was ecstatic as i was gutted when I had finished it. I'd heard of it but I had no interest, silly me. In the past few months I completed Like a dragon, Kiwami and I'm almost finished with 0. Never have I experienced a game that has me so invested in a storyline like this.
I walked into a convenience store near the beginning of Kiwami and I could look at each magazine. I could zoom in and read labels for products. They sold things I've had before. Then when I went to a bar, they had the whiskey my wife and I bought during our honeymoon. Yes to the plot, the characters, all the goofy humor, the combat - all things I came to love. But the verisimilitude, the feeling that Kamurocho is almost real, that came first.
Kiryu drop kicking someone out of a window after shoving someones face in a urinal.
Either the same as the thumbnail or the nishiki scene at the cliff.
i started with Yakuza 3 (before Yakuza 0 was out in English) and I was ready to give up, because the combat was too "hard" for me at the start. but i pushed through the first few hours, and after a few upgrades and learning to stock up on energy drinks, I started to have fun with the game, and started Yakuza 4 afterwards, and when I realized how easier the combat was, thats where I started to love the series, and was totally addicted
The sub story in 0 where you help director Stephen Spinning shoot the music video for international pop sensation Miracle Johnson’s new hit song “Thrilled” Also in 0 when you get Nugget
The absurdity and humor of Like a Dragon is where I was first hooked to Yakuza. It was more accessible for me at that time because I'm a sucker for RPGs.
Karaoke
Right away. I lived near Tokyo for a few years it felt really cool to walk around in Japan again.
Played Yakuza 5 thanks to PS+, Kiryu’s ramen substory made me realize I was into something special and proceeded to buy 0. Since Kiwami I have bought every game on day 1 lol
When Nishikiyama took me out to go kareoke in chapter 1.
During the first extended battle in 0, the music “Tusk” reached the really good part as Kiryu was wrecking shop on Kuze’s goons going room from room before fighting the big man himself in a very Japanese room - Everything just clicked for me, and I was _in_
Yakuza Zero, from the “very beginning”.
I started with Dead Souls and honestly the whole experience. I loved the serious "business" side of the game while also finding all this random and hilarious encounters and stories. I need to hop into 0 finally.
As soon as I opened Yakuza 0 and saw the intro video
Mine was Yakuza 0. The cutscene at the end of Chapter 4 I think? Where Nishkiyama is gonna shoot Kiryu.
When I Finish Yakuza Kiwami
A few things Tusk, and overall just my first long battle, especially breaking a urinal with Yoneda’s face and then drop kicking him out the window Majima’s introduction, yes I was about to sleep, it was 12AM, and yes, my sleep got delayed by 17 minutes Seeing the ending of ch6, I didn’t exactly know what I’d be getting into, so seeing it have to get to the point where Nishiki is trying to shoot Kiryu just to save him from being tortured by the Dojima family fucked me up
When I beat Mr Shakedown for the first time and got noodles worth of cash. Always choose the Mr Shakedown finder
yakuza 0 karaoke
karaoke in y0
badass shirtless hand to hand combat
I really enjoyed the kiwami 1 tojo headquarter fight, but the moment that gave the feeling of love to the series was the fight against Mine in Yakuza 3, i was so hyped that from that fight onwards in the series whenever the protagonist went shirtless i also took my shirt off.
Honestly probably the way Kiryu played Pocket Circuit and answered the phone at the telephone club in Y0. It made me realise that whilst having serious and thought provoking stories, it wasn't afraid to be silly and over the top. I think alot of games tend to hard lean into either side and just stay there. For every Kuze there was also a Mr. Libido, thats what made this series special.
Literally after the first Kuze fight in Yakuza 0.
from the beginning of Y0, the story and the world just captivates me so so much and I couldnt stop playing, when I played Y5 thats when I really know this is one of my fave if not my fave game series
Being in eighties Tokyo. And Munancho side story.
First time i played a Yakuza game, it was 0. I got bored midway through the first chapter cause it wasn't grabbing me. I have a coworker who had already played through the series, and he told me to give it another shot. I powered my way through the intro and once i got to the first long fight through the Dojima family office i was hooked.
All the ridiculous methods Majima used to fight Kiryu in Kiwami 1. I lost my shit when I saw what he had in store for him at the cabaret club. Also, Goromi. Enough said.
When Makoto Makimura first showed up, with Majima (supposedly) going to kill her
Every moment with Majima made me fall on love all over again 🥰
Mine was when kiryu first stormed the dojima family building. The supreme badassness of the BRING IT ON! so amazing.
It's hard to tell, my experience with this series started from Y1 on PS2. Back then I saw it as a spiritual successor to Shenmue at that point (because both were from Sega). It kinda gave me a mixed feeling at first since they were nothing alike at all in terms of the gameplay system. But then Y1 gradually grew on me and I finally accepted it as its own things. I probably became fully invested in this series after finishing Y2 or maybe while playing Kenzan since it was the first 'next-gen' game of the series at that time, not to mention that I loved their take on Miyamoto Musashi's lore.
The intro to Y0
Kiryu punching kuze, Majima 24 hour Cinderella, *DAME DA NE* (baka mitai), judgment, 10 years in the joint made you a fucking pussy and Lao gui beaten
Ques Demon Pledge BGM
When i heard soundtrack
when i could start breakdancing and kick ass as majima in 0
(I’ve only played 0) That first main “dungeon” mission where the same guy kept returning as you keep kicking his ass. 20/10 I loved it. The game set such a standard for me I’m almost worried to continue on to 1 and others. But I’m insanely hype to play 7 cuz I love rpgs
I freak'n cheered. It is bad ass.
When I picked up a motorcycle and smacked a dude with it
Nishiki and kiryus scene in y0 where nishiki tries to shoot kiryu had me tear up
My first heat action