Yakuza 0 (PS4) Review

Glitz, Glamour, and Style.

 Yakuza 0 is the much-anticipated and latest in the long-running Yakuza series. Serving as a prequel to the entire series, it follows the misadventures of protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, and series regular Goro Majima across the Japanese areas of Tokyo and Osaka. Yakuza 0 was originally released on March 12, 2015 in Japan to coincide with the 10th anniversary celebration of the series. Thankfully, it finally managed to hit the west earlier this year. Packing a densely detailed and interactive world, an engaging narrative, and a deep fighting system, Yakuza 0 is by far one of the best games of the year. 


STORY- Both Kiryu and Majima's origin stories take place on December 1988. In Kamurocho, Kazuma Kiryu is a young yakuza who aims to climb the ranks of the Dojima family alongside his sworn brother, Nishkiyama. However, things turn fro the worse when a simple debt collection goes wrong and Kiryu is framed for murder. With his back behind the wall, Kiryu must prove his innocence before the police get on his trail. In Sotenbori, we follow a banished yakuza, Goro Majima, as he operates a widely successful cabaret club. One day, his superior Sagawa, offers him a chance at getting back into the yakuza, at the cost of murder. Kiryu and Majima's tales link together when a small piece of land becomes the heated center of attention of yakuza gangs. The narrative is well-written and engaging, thanks to the strong performances of the actors. It'll go Metal Gear at times and will have you watching cut-scenes for a couple of minutes as well, not that that's a bad thing. Every chapter will leave you with suspense to find out what will happen next. The characters such as Kiryu and Majima we're also well-written and interesting. 

The story is engaging and one of
the game's highlights.

GAMEPLAY- Yakuza 0 is played from the third-person perspective and has a strong emphasis on fighting. The main core of the game has you beating enemies senseless with your fists and sometimes the use of weapons. Let's lay down the basics: on the upper left of the screen is an orange bear which serves as your health meter, should it drop it will be a game over. Under it is a three-layered gauge, which let's you use "Heat" attacks, which are brutal finishers that'll greatly damage enemies. Kiryu and Majima each have three different styles. "Brawler" is a strong and balanced style and is Kiryu's starting one. "Rush" is a fast, evasive style that Kiryu can use to deliver quick blows. "Beast" is a slow yet devastatingly powerful style that has you utilizing the environments objects as weapons to greatly damage enemies. 

The combat is fun and brutal, thanks to the neat heat moves.

 For Majima, the "Thug" style, similar to Kiryu's brawler, has him using dirty attacks such as eye-poking and attacking organs to cripple enemies. "Slugger" has him strictly using a baseball bat to break enemies' guards and is a big help when going against blade-welding enemies. Lastly, "Breaker" is a trickster-type style that has Majima break dancing to attack enemies, it's also a huge help when pitted against large groups of enemies as well. Both characters have a fourth, hidden style that they can acquire after completing their respective businesses. By investing money to upgrade the styles, Kiryu and Majima can learn new, more effective moves and gain additional bonuses such as an extended health bar. 

Become the Dragon of Pocket Circuit!

 When not tackling the story missions, you can some fun doing the game's various side-quests. These quests are well-written so you won't get bored doing them and it helps flesh out Kiryu and Majima character as well. You'll also obtain unique items upon completing certain side-quests. Probably my favorite aspect of the game has to be the activities you partake in. These include simple ones such as fishing and bowling and then go up to playing arcade games, sing some neat karaoke songs, gambling (western and Japanese style), playing pool and darts, Pocket Circuit racing, which could easily be a game of its own, and the addictive disco dancing. I easily spent a significant amount of time playing the last two since I found them to be well-executed. Also, playing classic arcade titles such as Outrun and Space Harrier was also entertaining as well. Out of all the activities, I'd have to the Catfights, where you bet on girls to beat the crap outta each other, to be the weakest of them. Mainly due to it relying purely on luck and needing little strategy, which can be a pain at times when you some extra cash.

Take a trip down memory lane.

 Kiryu and Majima have easier means of generating income by partaking in real estate and a managing hostess club, respectively. As a real estate agent, Kiryu must take on a corrupt, wealthy group called "The Five Billionaires" who are sinking the economy and taking over Kamurocho. Majima must also take on a similar group by attaining fans for his cabaret club and ultimately having a showdown with one of the "Five Stars of Sotenbori". The story is interesting for both characters and upon completing them both Kiryu and Majima will have access to a legendary fighting style.

You'll be spending and getting lots of money!

PRESENTATION- For a game developed on the PS3, Yakuza 0 looks stunning, especially on the PS4. The character models and cut-scenes are well-made and detailed. The neon-drenched Kamurocho is looking great as well. Though I wish the same could have been done to some backgrounds and textures. Also, the game runs at a nice 60 frames-per second despite some minor hiccups. Although entirely in Japanese, I thoroughly enjoyed the strong voice performances. I also got to learn a couple of Japanese words too. The soundtrack is fantastic with highlights such as "Judgement -Shinpan-" and "24-hour Cinderella". Also, the disco tracks do a great job of nailing the 80's feel and are joy to listen to as well.

Yakuza 0 is filled with style.

OVERALL- Yakuza 0 is one of my favorite games of the year. I easily sunk in around 85 hours of gameplay, which i haven't done in a video-game in quite a while and is the reason why things were a bit slow on the site lately. Still, it's all do the excellent narrative, tight combat, and super fun side-activities. While not for everyone, especially those looking for an open-world type of game. It's a good starting point for those interested in the series since it sets up the characters and prior events. Veterans will also have a great time with lots of activities to do. Currently, I'm eagerly awaiting the upcoming remake of the first Yakuza, Yakuza: Kiwami coming this June and Yakuza 6, which is set for release next year.