Does Yakuza Kiwami follow on from Yakuza 0?

As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the Yakuza series, I can definitively state that Yakuza Kiwami continues the story established in prequel Yakuza 0. Kiwami serves as a complete remake of the original 2005 Yakuza game, updated with modern graphics and gameplay. More importantly, Kiwami adds substantial story content and additional context tying back to characters and events from Yakuza 0.

Yakuza 0 Recaps Kazuma Kiryu‘s Early Yakuza Days

For those not familiar with the acclaimed Yakuza franchise, it focuses on the trials and tribulations of yakuza enforcer Kazuma Kiryu. While featuring action-packed combat, the series is just as focused on elaborate crime drama storylines and rewarding side content/mini-games.

Yakuza 0 serves as an origins tale for Kiryu and fellow yakuza Goro Majima, set in the neon-lit streets of 1980s Tokyo and fictional red-light district Kamurocho. Playing as both Kiryu and Majima, you experience their early days working their way up the ranks of rival yakuza clans. This table shows some key Yakuza 0 stats:

Yakuza 0 earned critical acclaim for its complex crime drama, flashy 80‘s Japan setting, and wealth of enjoyable mini-game activities outside the main missions. It serves as a perfect entry point for understanding the backgrounds of Kiryu, Majima and the intricate web of yakuza politics.

Kiwami Remakes the First Game with 0 Ties

With Yakuza 0 re-energizing interest, Sega followed up by remaking the original 2005 Yakuza game as 2016‘s Yakuza Kiwami. Updated to run on the same engine as the prequel, Kiwami features vastly improved graphics, modernized combat mechanics, and expanded story scenes.

Critically, Kiwami adds a lot more references and tie-ins to Yakuza 0‘s characters and events. Iconic yakuza madman Goro Majima plays a much larger role, with the new "Majima Everywhere" mechanic having him randomly ambush Kiryu across Kamurocho. More cutscenes spotlight the complex history between Kiryu and Majima established in Yakuza 0.

Here‘s a data table highlighting some key specs on Yakuza Kiwami:

The critical reception to Kiwami was a bit more mixed than Yakuza 0. However, reviewers widely praised the upgraded visuals and gameplay as well as the added Yakuza 0 story content expanding on Kiryu and Majima‘s backgrounds. For franchise fans, Kiwami is an essential experience.

Why Play Yakuza Games in Order

As a long-time fan who has played every Yakuza release, I always recommend tackling the series in chronological order. Here is the full list I suggest, from origins through latest release:

1. Yakuza 0 (prequel)
2. Yakuza Kiwami
3. Yakuza Kiwami 2
4. Yakuza 3 Remastered
5. Yakuza 4 Remastered
6. Yakuza 5 Remastered
7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
8. Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Why start with Yakuza 0 and Kiwami? For newcomers, playing Kiwami first means missing a lot of backstory context on Kiryu and Majima‘s early days revealed in the prequel. Starting with 0 allows you to have full appreciation when Kiwami references back to events and characters best understood after playing the prequel first.

In terms of gameplay hours for completionist players wanting to experience all content, Yakuza 0 and Kiwami represent more condensed adventures compared to later entries like Yakuza 5 or Like a Dragon. This table charts the gameplay lengths across main entries:

I love that Yakuza offers shorter contained stories or sprawling 100-hour epics depending what you are looking for. Yakuza 0 and Kiwami make for the perfect starting point.

Diving Into The Best Video Game Crime Drama

For gamers who enjoy getting lost in deep storylines filled with plot twists, complex characters and high melodrama, I can‘t recommend Yakuza highly enough. Alongside compelling narratives spanning 8 core entries, the franchise amazes with the sheer breadth of enjoyable mini-games and side content available.

Whether you want to sing karaoke, play classic SEGA arcade games, hit up nightclubs, compete in underground fighting tournaments or just get into street brawls, Yakuza games have incredible variety paired with a fascinating central crime drama.

As someone enthralled with this stellar video game series since 2006‘s Yakuza 2, I believe Yakuza 0 and Kiwami represent the ideal kickoff points for new fans. Yakuza 0‘s 80‘s Tokyo atmosphere and origin stories for Kiryu and Majima pair perfectly with Kiwami then continuing the saga while referencing back to 0‘s events.

Start your own long and exciting journey into the captivating world of Yakuza here! You won‘t regret taking a trip back to 80‘s Japan and delving into this RPG-infused crime drama series with some of gaming‘s most memorable characters and impactful storytelling moments. Majima is already waiting to give you his signature deranged greetings.