yakuza 0 is a game of contrasts. the story starts as interesting, then peters off, then picks up again, then peters off, then picks up AGAIN and goes full throttle until the credits roll. the final act of the game is particularly gripping, although not without flaws -- the biggest one in my opinion being how the game keeps organically building up to kiryu and majima eventually meeting and protecting makoto together, but it just never happens. instead they randomly meet in the second after credits scene. i know many people love that moment, but i found it extremely anti-climactic -- and i havent even PLAYED the other yakuza games as of yet

the contrast is again present in the major side quests (the real estate business and the cabaret club), sub stories, and mini games. some mini games are fun, some are painfully boring. some sub stories are hilarious, some are just trying to teach you sappy morals you'd see in a my little pony episode (and not one of the good ones). the real estate storyline is a lot of fun and it's great to see kiryu kicking smarmy rich people's asses, but then it also tries to make most of the antagonists sympathetic which it's really BAD at. the cabaret club storyline does the same thing, although i will say that the cabaret club mini-game is strangely absorbing. the hostess girls are also stronger characters than the two characters in kiryu's real estate storyline, but their conversations with majima are incredibly repetitive. just about all of them gradually fall in love with majima who is oblivious to it but they can't spit it out and it got REALLY old really fast

the combat works, i guess. i didn't find it particularly engaging, but it's alright. i had more fun with mahjong which i hadn't known a single thing about before playing this game

still despite my criticisms, this is a good game. i'd give it a 7.5 instead of a 7 if this site allowed it, but i don't think i like it enough for an 8. it's good! just don't try to 100% complete it or you'll go insane

also: yuki is the best. i wish she was a major character in the franchise. she's that great.