I've always heard great things about the Yakuza games, and I never had a good reason as to why it took so long for me to playthrough at least one of them. I purchased Yakuza 0 back in 2019 and have pushed it aside for new games. Boy, do I feel dumb for holding off for so long on this series. Yakuza 0 is a spectacular open world game with a gripping story, incredible characters and so many distractions that made my almost 100 hour play time so fulfilling and just so damn fun. Before I played Yakuza 0, everything I had ever seen from the series was memes and scenes that looked really goofy, so I was expecting the main storyline to be a crime drama that had serious elements but in the end was charming and whimsical.
Right from the start, my expectations were subverted as I was introduced to Kazuma Kiryu and his life in 1988 as a low-ranking member of the Dojima Family, being charged with a murder he didn't commit at an empty lot in Kamurocho. An empty lot which is the last thing his family needs to own in order to start a revitalization project that would promote the patriarch of the Dojima family as the new chairman of the main crime syndicate in the game, the Tojo Clan.
Kiryu's story goes side by side with the second main character in the game, Goro Majima. Majima's story without spoiling, has so much complexity and emotional weight packed in, and that's saying a lot with Kiryu's struggles in his journey. Before playing this game, I knew of Majima as a wacky character from clips I've seen, but this game gives him so much depth and character growth that I never would have expected in a game that also allows you to sing karaoke and race toy cars.
The characters in this game are so well written, and the switching from each characters every two chapters paced the game's story effectively, better than most games I've played with multiple protagonists. Each chapter had high stakes and was exhilarating to play, a crescendo of events that kept me invested all the way through. This game is a masterclass in story, which is incredible as it's a prequel to the main series.
The combat is easy to pick up, with each style having slick combos and punishing heat actions that look awesome in use. Some may find it simplistic and repetitive compared to some action games today, but investing in the skill tree rewards you with extra moves and heat actions that for me get the job done. Is it perfect, no, but the stiff combat has charm if you can endure some encounters throughout the game frustrating you. For Kiryu, I loved using Rush and Brawler styles for bosses and one on one encounters, while Beast style was my go-to for large crowds of enemies, the highlights of the style coming in areas with tons of weapons to pick up. For Majima, I used Breaker style for the big groups and Slugger style for everything else cause swinging a baseball bat around comes in handy in many a fight.
Yakuza 0 has so much extra content packed in, side missions are referred to as Substories, and these range from having real heartfelt exchanges with characters with clear messaging and a lot of care, to laugh out loud missions and downright insane shenanigans. I wouldn't have had it any other way, and the range of emotions over the course of the game shows that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios knows how to get the best of both worlds.
Another thing RGG Studios can do really well is mini games, and I can't believe how much time I spent in the wide array of mini games, just having a blast at these well-designed distractions to the main story whilst making money in real estate and the cabaret club. The world looks good and feels alive with all the NPCs walking around the streets of Tokyo and Osaka.
I can talk about this game for hours, and it was hard finding things I did not enjoy about the game. Some issues I had would either fix themselves later on or not hinder my enjoyment. For example, earlier in the game I would be working my way towards an objective and be constantly bothered by random encounters, but you get an ability sometime later in the game that allows you to toss money in the air to distract these groups, so that saved me in spots when I just wanted to complete main missions and sub stories.
I can see some people get frustrated that there isn't an English dub and having to read a lot of text, but personally it never bothered me as I watch numerous anime with English subtitles. The sheer number of things to do in the game might be an issue for some in terms of pacing for the main story, and for me finding the right balance of main missions and side content is key to enjoying the game to the fullest.
In the end, Yakuza 0 has me hooked and now I'm excited to continue the series. This is one of the best recommendations I've ever been given to play. Even with minor nitpicks such as the lack of an autosave, a slow first few hours, Mr. Shakedown, and others that I may have forgotten, Yakuza 0 overshadows those things with an A+ narrative, deep characters, and an explorable world with extensive side activities you can get lost in. It may not be for everyone, but I'm sure glad it is for me.
9.5/10
Right from the start, my expectations were subverted as I was introduced to Kazuma Kiryu and his life in 1988 as a low-ranking member of the Dojima Family, being charged with a murder he didn't commit at an empty lot in Kamurocho. An empty lot which is the last thing his family needs to own in order to start a revitalization project that would promote the patriarch of the Dojima family as the new chairman of the main crime syndicate in the game, the Tojo Clan.
Kiryu's story goes side by side with the second main character in the game, Goro Majima. Majima's story without spoiling, has so much complexity and emotional weight packed in, and that's saying a lot with Kiryu's struggles in his journey. Before playing this game, I knew of Majima as a wacky character from clips I've seen, but this game gives him so much depth and character growth that I never would have expected in a game that also allows you to sing karaoke and race toy cars.
The characters in this game are so well written, and the switching from each characters every two chapters paced the game's story effectively, better than most games I've played with multiple protagonists. Each chapter had high stakes and was exhilarating to play, a crescendo of events that kept me invested all the way through. This game is a masterclass in story, which is incredible as it's a prequel to the main series.
The combat is easy to pick up, with each style having slick combos and punishing heat actions that look awesome in use. Some may find it simplistic and repetitive compared to some action games today, but investing in the skill tree rewards you with extra moves and heat actions that for me get the job done. Is it perfect, no, but the stiff combat has charm if you can endure some encounters throughout the game frustrating you. For Kiryu, I loved using Rush and Brawler styles for bosses and one on one encounters, while Beast style was my go-to for large crowds of enemies, the highlights of the style coming in areas with tons of weapons to pick up. For Majima, I used Breaker style for the big groups and Slugger style for everything else cause swinging a baseball bat around comes in handy in many a fight.
Yakuza 0 has so much extra content packed in, side missions are referred to as Substories, and these range from having real heartfelt exchanges with characters with clear messaging and a lot of care, to laugh out loud missions and downright insane shenanigans. I wouldn't have had it any other way, and the range of emotions over the course of the game shows that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios knows how to get the best of both worlds.
Another thing RGG Studios can do really well is mini games, and I can't believe how much time I spent in the wide array of mini games, just having a blast at these well-designed distractions to the main story whilst making money in real estate and the cabaret club. The world looks good and feels alive with all the NPCs walking around the streets of Tokyo and Osaka.
I can talk about this game for hours, and it was hard finding things I did not enjoy about the game. Some issues I had would either fix themselves later on or not hinder my enjoyment. For example, earlier in the game I would be working my way towards an objective and be constantly bothered by random encounters, but you get an ability sometime later in the game that allows you to toss money in the air to distract these groups, so that saved me in spots when I just wanted to complete main missions and sub stories.
I can see some people get frustrated that there isn't an English dub and having to read a lot of text, but personally it never bothered me as I watch numerous anime with English subtitles. The sheer number of things to do in the game might be an issue for some in terms of pacing for the main story, and for me finding the right balance of main missions and side content is key to enjoying the game to the fullest.
In the end, Yakuza 0 has me hooked and now I'm excited to continue the series. This is one of the best recommendations I've ever been given to play. Even with minor nitpicks such as the lack of an autosave, a slow first few hours, Mr. Shakedown, and others that I may have forgotten, Yakuza 0 overshadows those things with an A+ narrative, deep characters, and an explorable world with extensive side activities you can get lost in. It may not be for everyone, but I'm sure glad it is for me.
9.5/10