Is Tokyo as predictable and artificial as its depiction in Yakuza 0? The city only seems alive when you happen upon one of many absurd but inconsequential quests. These wacky sidebars also stand out because of their contrast with the standard soap opera crime narrative of the main story. Perhaps Yakuza 0's endless contrivances could be forgiven if the martial arts action weren't so awkwardly telegraphed and designed. The game tries to convince you the combat is cool with its monotonous use of multi-angle cutscene finishers, but anyone with basic knowledge of the beat-'em-up genre and fighting games has seen all of this crap before in more fluid packages. The desaturated still-frame shot that one activates with a victory speaks to the desperate dullness at hand in Yakuza 0. Critics should be jailed for giving this game a pass on its flagrant lack of creativity back in 2017.

Reviewed on Sep 07, 2022


10 Comments


1 year ago

Tokyo is amazing its just that Yakuza is a legitimately terrible overhyped game.
agreed on the combat its braindead and repetitive and its clunky, shallow and awful, it doesnt help that the story depends on cheap poorly written twists and characters to force its melodramatic shit at you.
only the minigames were the redeeming parts. i gave it 4/10 but im itching to bring that down to 0 because i hate this fucking game and its fake hypocritical praise
Howdy vieseal, I've always wanted to visit Tokyo, so good to hear!

And I understand the urge to give a lower rating. Ultimately, I don't like much at all about Yakuza 0, but it's competent enough to be considered below average.

1 year ago

Glad to see you! I love your blog I may not always agree but your reviews are always original and thought provoking.
Hey Raidiancat! Thanks for reading my work and for the kind words. I'm glad to be here.

1 year ago

damn i disagree with everything you said here but i respect ur opinion !
Father, glad you found my viewpoint interesting!

1 year ago

ngl this does read like a review from 2010 when wow the Japanese sure are weird and wacky.
Dratnerd, try again, amigo. Many of my favorite games, films, paintings, and books are by Japanese artists, and it has nothing to do with their relative level of weirdness (whatever that means).

Your comment also makes me wonder whether you're projecting. Perhaps you hold stereotypical ideas about what is "Japanese."
@dratnerd very true

1 year ago

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1 year ago

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You must be real fun at parties