Yakuza 0

Straight entertainment, it has a serious main story and fun combat system, but gives relief from that with it's absurd and wacky side quests and funny karaoke and dancing minigames. I have not finished this game as of when this review is posted but I seriously want to because it is entirely amazing. Getting this along with along with the other main Yakuza/Like a Dragon games for 40$(USD) on sale makes the orange box look like it's the price of a damn 5 bed 5 bath home in comparison to how good of a deal that is.

It's so peak T_T

Note: I played all Yakuza mainlines games except Yakuza 4, and most of the spin off (Haven't played the Judgement duology yet), so this review is slightly based, as I've been into the series since long ago.


Why is it peak?

1/ You can play as Majima and breakdance against evil Yakuza and earn truckloads of money doing that
2/ It's a really great entry in the serie, with LAD 7 it's one of the two best entry point btw.
3/ Sidequests are fun
4/ Main story is easy to follow and compelling
5/ The mini games are varied and fun (Some of the best minigaming in the Yakuza/LAD serie)
6/ Did I say Majima?

Peak game, even better with mods on the second run that improves or enhance the combat styles

One of the highest quality games I've played. If I'm nitpicking I could complain about the bad first impressions, inventory bug that occasionally puts items into the wrong category causing them to become unusable, or the end game afk money farming required to unlock combat abilities you wouldn't get otherwise but again those are just nitpicks. Yakuza 0 is open world done right with an amazing story and tons of hilarious moments to go with it.

Two Hours In: Eh, it's kinda fun, but I don't really see why people are going so crazy about it

100 hours later:

GAN GAN KAZEGUZE!!!

Pros:

+ Very fun open world sandbox game with a decently satisfying combat system (albeit with a lot of you getting knocked on your ass at first and having to mash the "get up" button while you're still learning what not to do).
+ The minigames are genuinely entertaining as well, and for the most part entirely optional too!
+ Story is pretty good as well! Everyone puts in a really stellar vocal performance, even if I can't understand a word they are saying
+ Has Majima

Cons:
- It ends eventually :(

9/10, easy recommendation!

Masterpiece with good story and CINEMA ending

"Yakuza is...about life. With all the beautiful ecstasy, awful tragedy and everything in between. When I first played, I thought that Yakuza was all over the place, that it was somehow…messy. But now I realize that life is fucking messy...and that's okay."
-Max0r

This game is the definition of masterpiece. It's a mix of seriousness, chaos and fun all in one. Breaker Style on Majima is so satisfying to use and the whole aspect of combat is so smooth and fun to do.

I still absolutely despise Mr. Shakedown for robbing me of all I was worth in early game. I still need to 100% the game entirely, I'll get on that at some point. But yeah, I strongly recommend getting this game. It's so good.

absolutely goated game. after 40 hours of peak i finished the main story and will now beginn a journey to 100% the game so i can experience this to the fullest. would recommend to anyone and everyone

fire game. story line had me in tears both tears of joy and sorrow. sub-stories are super entertaining, love the humor, i had to save them til after i beat the main plot because the emotional roller coaster i was on started to become insufferable for my ADHD. game play and combat are extremely satisfying, i came from yakuza 4 console back in the day, but PC with controller never fails to satisfy my button smashing vice. loves it

Yakuza 0 is the 6th main entry in Sega's long-running series of the same name and chronologically takes place before every other canonical entry, being set in 1988. (about 7 years before the prologue of the original game and 17 years before most of its' story takes place)

Many people have, and will likely continue to use this game as a starting point for the series because of the above mentioned, and I wholeheartedly agree. With one of the best stories in the series, some of the best combat of the main games and two separate characters with 8 fighting styles between them, tons of other depth commonplace with this franchise and graphics that still hold up incredibly well (especially for a late PS3/early PS4 title) this game hits so many highs time after time that I simply cannot recommend it enough.

...just a word of warning though, once you get into this series, you'll easily be putting hundreds of hours into these games before you know it, so try to not screw up your sleep schedule in doing so...or don't. I'm not your boss.

From masterful storytelling to training dominatrix on customer service - Yakuza 0 is one of a kind and will always be #1 in my heart.

Beating up Kuze never gets old, even after five playthroughs.

Amazing story among the best, shit combat, I don't know what part of "just story" difficulty they don't get, and it's not like the combat is hard in like it needs more training or faster reflexes, it's just the controls are so numb and clumsy it doesn't matter what i press it doesn't respond properly, and it keeps shoving more and more fights on you, the fights for story i understand, but those buggers that keep ambushing you in the city when all you want to do is go for a quick save or buy some supplies before you continue the story remember its 2001 and auto save still doesn't exist... I guess play the game if you have nothing else to do, if you value your limited time, better invest in something else, and just watch a recorded gameplay on YT or something.
I made it to the last chapter, can't stand the game anymore it turns midnight and you're still stuck in one fight, and your options are leave the PC on or repeat the last challenging 2 hours again another day and hope you can make progress and not run out of time again. I ended up watching the last chapter on YT, and aside of the skill difference it was interesting seeing that i wasn't getting the option of performing finisher moves for some reason.

I'll consider this one to be the best story out of all yakuza series

As much as I love kiryu, Majima in this game stole my heart, his story was really really good and interesting his character had amazing development, its a shame we'll never see this Majima again, The gameplay was awesome, the music was so godamn good, 10/10 game that I ended up emotionally connecting to.

Definitely the game that has had the biggest and most meaningful experience to me. I was going through a difficult time and this game captivated me and gave me peace. First came to have made me cry and have such a profound emotional connection to me. After playing the other games in the franchise, you can tell this was a true love letter to their series. If you ever get the chance, you should play this. My go to recommendation for a video game.

This was my first time playing any game in the yakuza series. I had a great time with it. The combat was a little difficult to learn for me, but overall it was a really enjoyable experience.

Remember when you opened the disc channel on your Nintendo Wii while your copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl was in it and it played that horrifically loud sound?

Imagine that but everytime you open this game and/or afk on the main menu.

The Best Game Series Discovered by Accident!

Yakuza 0 is an absolute masterpiece.

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✔ Awesome Plot – The story is ABSOLUTE CINEMA, filled with plot twists and unforgettable characters and interactions.
✔ Awesome Music – Some of the OST tracks have permanently made it into my playlist.
✔ Versatile Gameplay – Whether you're brawling in the streets, running a business , or just enjoying the hilarious side content, there's always something to do.

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⚠ Technical Downsides

⚠ Lowering audio levels muffles the sound instead of properly reducing it.
⚠ Mouse sensitivity is way too high (real Yakuza use a gamepad).

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💯 Final Verdict

This game had massive impact on me, I would gladly replay it for the first time again. A lot of time have to pass till I move on from the emotions I've experienced playing this game and Im sure hyped for the rest of the series.

👍 10/10 would use Heat Action again .

Still as great as ever! The stylized presentation is almost timeless -- the art design, graphics and gameplay have all aged quite gracefully. A fantastic experience and a must play if you are interested in the Yakuza series at all.

great story, great combat, great side content; cinematic, dramatic and goofy

not a huge fan of the switching between protagonists tho, imo it breaks the flow a little, but it also does add suspense which makes you wanna keep playing

fan services,unique and challenging minigames,most stable pc version of yakuza series
thats why you should try it

This game is absolutly amazing. You should definitly play it 100000000000000000000000000000/28

This game is peak gameplay to the storytelling later on, You feel every single emotion in this game, its a rare breed of video game and its made me buy the entire series and preorder the newest. New to the games but i expect it to be the very best one out of the bunch, ill never play the jrpg ones, so those are out of question.

1000/10 game, never been much for story games but this series is it. perfect soundtrack, good mix of thought out cinematic storyline and brawler gameplay. would recommend to anyone

The story is excellent, very well written, interesting characters all around, the main ones are super well developed, and the way both stories intertwine is a sight to see. The game is very immersive, and it shows you both the lights and the shadows of the area.
There is a lot of content, minigames, entertainment and side stories, I didn't have much of an interest in these but they don't get much in the way of the main story, and you find all kinds of quirky characters. This surely attracts part of the audience.
The fighting system I didn't love, I only was looking forward to fighting the stronger opponents, more combos could be added, fighting petty thugs can be tedious, but I don't have a major issue with it, if the story were bad I would consider dropping the game altogether due to this aspect.

9/10

Surprisingly lives up to the hype and then some. Very fun game with very engaging characters. The combat feels rough in the beginning, and even at the end it still felt rough to me with Kiryu. But overall great game!

One of the best story games I've played, the combat is a little annoying sometimes since some people have hyper armor and some won't let you hit more than once but it's still a good game all around

I've had this game recommended by so many friends and personalities online, but never felt particularly compelled to pick it up. I'm so glad I did.

This game and it's bizarre, melodramatic story have this incredible way of sucking you in. I caught myself caring for the main cast more than I ever thought I would, and engaging with as many of the optional characters as I could. Even knowing what it's about and what it has to offer, experiencing it felt so fun and fresh and human.

There's more than a dozen games in these series, hundreds of sidequests among all them that will make you reconsider your meaning of "weird" and "crazy", economy lessons so you could build your real-life estate company, some mahjong if you're having a bad time and want to have an even more bad time...
So why on Earth are you still reading reviews? Just buy this game already, play Yakuza games for the next ten years of your life and become a Yakuza fan for the rest of it

The game that made me fall in love with a franchise that became one of my top 5 favorite game franchises ever. This game has everything I love about gaming, great story, writing, story-telling, gameplay, music, immersion, it’s just perfection. You HAVE to play this game if you haven’t, the side missions alone are reason enough to play, they’re absolutely whacky and hilarious, a stark contrast to the main story which is dark and is a rollercoaster and you really love the protagonists and their development specially my favorite character ever MAJIMA GORO. I will someday completionist this game and I can’t wait for Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Overall score 9.5/10 KIRRRYUUUU CHAAAAAAAN!!!!!

really good main story and an all you can eat buffet of grinding and side activities. I did all of cabaret and most of real estate royale, didnt do hostess storylines but yeah the game was awesome. Combat can get a little repetitive but it's never not fun so that's something

I thought I was ready to jump straight to kiwami but I think after 60+ hours I need a bit of a breather

This game is really good. Its a little slow in the beginning but stick with it cause it gets good, really good.

I hesitated to buy this these games for years playing this one so far it hasn't been too disappointing, Im not really a fan of action fighting games but this ones ok hope the other ones are too i got the bundle on a really good deal.

Oh. My. God. I don't think I have ever played a game with a story that fascinated me this much. The gameplay was fun, but kinda felt like a vehicle for the story sometimes, and this definitely is not a game you want to get if you don't like reading. But if you are willing to put up with that, then what this game has in store for you is likely to absolutely blow you away the same way it did me.

Just one major recommendation, should you play. As Majima, whom you will switch to in Chapter 3, go to the Karaoke bar as soon as possible, and sing 24 Hour Cinderella. If you haven't seen it already, you're in for a treat.

One of the best games ever made. Amazing story that keeps you hooked. Amazing gameplay.

its good a lot of fighting and the combat is amazing a little slow tho but no complaints

This is my favorite game ever. Across the entire internet. The fighting, especially at high level, is super fun and in depth. Plenty of challenge too in story fights. An amazingly written story too. Sure, its got a bit of age in some long story segments without gameplay mainly around the beginning and some enemies are made difficult by locking you out of some moves (like Shakedown) but this is definitely a must play for everyone in my opinion especially with this low price!

Peak videogame. The Story is good, The combat is like a beat-em-up with depth, and the side missions are all goofy and enjoyable. I have slammed multiple people into car doors, bikes, the ground, a TV, and even into each other!-

Genuinely one of the best games ive ever played recently, it's my first game in the yakuza series like ever and i genuinely never got so hooked as to buy out like the entire collection instantly, the characters are so incredibly well written, the combat feels so good i practically bust in my pants everytime i do a heat action, and theres yet so much to explore and even do in this game, like (god forbid) the kiryu finance minigame and majimas cabaret shit, although ill probably never put myself through it just to unlock the legend styles i'll still put this out there, incredible game nothing more nothing else just pure peak. 10/10

This is my first game in the Yakuza series, and I've had an overall very enjoyable experience. Combat does require a bit of getting used to, and there are some annoyances that I wish weren't in the game, but not enough to negatively review it. So overall, a very enjoyable game, and I'm excited to play the other games in the series.

This game is great got all games on sale and this one right here so dope from gameplay to Honor and respect Love the gang life so much and japan world will be beating this game on steam deck 10/10 should buy still holds up in 2025 big claps from.

Only game worth getting out of bed and putting your full undivided attention to. Get immersed and get ready to feel your hear pound every time you throw a punch and knock someones memory back to their childhood with punches so hard they start to get anime flashbacks.

Best entry point to the series, the start is a bit slow, but much like Breaking Bad, if you let it cook... It will cook you a 5 course meal just thinking about playing it.

★★★★★

the soundtrack is fire. blending jazz, techno, metal, and a variety of different genres creates a very eclectic and energetic musical experience that complements the games rapid pace. the mechanics and combat are super diverse. on paper the enemies are rather repetitive and its a lot of beat em up gameplay, but there are so many different styles and so many heat actions that you will simply never have the same fight twice even in hundreds of hours of playtime. the design of kamurocho and dotonbori is simply pristine. its a perfect capturing of an aesthetic of 80s japan that just feels like pure dopamine exuding from every building and sign, while still remaining conscious of social issues and city planning pitfalls in quite hilarious and satirical fashion. the amount of side hobbies and minigames in this game is monstrous. youre never required to touch all the games, but its impossible not to admire the sheer amount of effort that the developers funneled into creating tons and tons of interactive experiences that not only create a more grounded experience for the protagonists, but also give us more content and stories that really humanize them.

i would like to briefly elaborate on the visual design in the game as it is one of my favorite segments of attention to detail in this game of the many that exist. both cities are meticulously designed down every block, never with repetitive facades and always with dynamically themed areas that feel iconic and unique. within no time, the areas of the game become clear with glistening landmarks and the density of activity. its a great replication of how a great city is designed, and its very conscious of its most iconic areas as we take on the best moments of the story in well-defined areas that are forever memorable. the city mirrors the story plenty as well, hiding the struggling and corrupted society underneath the bright lights and glamor on the surface. the neon lighting and its reflection off of the puddles on the streets immerses the player in a city that feels both nostalgic and futuristic; a wondrous depiction of the spectacle of japan in the 80s. the end product is a city that is not just a backdrop, but a city that is alive and a character in its own right in the story.

now for the meat and bones of the game, being the story. it is simply one of the most beautifully written stories ive had the privilege of experiencing across any medium of art, be it movies, music, or shows. its often memed about, but the contrast between main story kiryu and majima and side story kiryu and majima is really what gives this game its timeless charm. its a game of both ridiculous action and heartwarming human relations, and this sets the stage for representing that even in a world of crime and violence, theres always room for people with kind hearts. the substories to start are just such stupid fun and borderline shitty writing most of the time, but the charm always comes from the characters and especially our protagonists (for reference i finished all 100). what there is to recognize when it comes to the substories is how often the characters our protagonists are assisting are dealing with moral issues or corruption themselves. this also creates a continuity behind the darker main story and the lighter substories, demonstrating that kiryu and majima always act with a very human kindness whether its a trivial situation or if shit is hitting the fucking fan. the two major side hustles of the real estate business and the cabaret club are also just so incredibly addicting, and they also happen to have fun stories attached to them as well that further their relationships and personalities.

before i talk about the main story, ill quickly discuss my few gripes which really arent that big of a deal since you arent really forced to encounter these things and they are entirely skippable with no impact. the gambling games are incredibly tedious and rng, and the only thing that i decided to skip when i was going for 100% simply because it probably wouldve been very treacherously boring. i found it cool that they incorporated a lot of these smaller japanese games in the homeless camp but i just couldnt be bothered with them. the same goes for the dragon and tiger weapons, where i did end up getting all of them but it was very very long and boring and grindy to deal with for pretty much no reward since kiryu and majima are all so incredibly broken already without the items anyways. if anything you just get access to weapons that look a little cooler in majimas slugger heat actions (my favorite heat action set in the game). the telephone club minigame is the last one i can think of, its super clunky and kind of unsettling overall but its also totally optional so you cant really hit the game overall for it. the intention behind all of these features was clearly to create even more variety to the story, and other players may have enjoyed these points, but i personally just can not get behind them.

now that the sidetrack is out of the way, i will discuss the story. this story has so many moving parts and manages to keep a strong cohesion, always tying kiryu and majima super close together but never ever during the main story leading them into direct contact. we get some crazy tarantino-esque multiple-storyline plots that all ride close together, and the player is just inevitably waiting for the final clash. both stories share themes yet tell them in vastly different ways, throwing us in both physical and emotional tussles that feel so incredibly immersive. the social commentary this game delivers is incredible, a world where money gives you power and power corrupts those that sit at the top. even in a world of crime, there is a chain of honor and respect that exists, with those that choose to break the code constantly suffering for it. this code is corrupted yet still powerful as we see both kiryu and majima fight against it throughout the entire story in their individual ways, yet they are constantly swarmed by the mob and chain of power that the world of the yakuza carries. the reason our heroes are so often able to succeed in this world is not because of any sheer power or brute force, but rather their kind actions and willingness to fight for the individuals that matter most to them. its a tragically beautiful life for our protagonists where neither get to see much of the fruits of their efforts personally, yet they are perfectly happy seeing that those they fought for will be able to thrive in their place. i mean is the scene with makotos watch just not the most devastatingly gorgeous scene in all of media?

find the last 2 paragraphs of the review here i ran out of space: https://www.backloggd.com/u/Ecknos/review/190882

Great Game! Goro Majima became one of my favorite Action-Adventure characters of all-time. Looking forward to playing the other titles in the Yakuza series.

Good entry game for Yakuza series, grab it on sale like 10$-20$

This game seemed silly to me until I started playing. I got hooked after a couple of hours, and I am still playing, planning on finishing the thing. Honestly it is just unique game, very hard to explain, but in short - I play it for story, it is very narrative focused game. Fighting is cool and character leveling mechanics are interesting, but the main hook for me is a story. I feel like I am watching a really cool Yakuza movie while playing this game.

Much more than the actions and hilariously absurd side stories. The Fight Club of our generation. A fun and beautiful allegory about modern life, with 80s Japan's entertainment districts serving as the perfect stand-in for today's materialistic world. First video game that got tears out of my eyes after adulthood.

Great story and gameplay. Has some badass and silly aspects to it!