Yakuza 0 (PS4) is a prequel title to Sega’s long running Yakuza series. The player alternately takes the reigns of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and recurring antagonist Goro Majima as we explore their beginnings in their respective Yakuza families. The two, get tangled up in a business dispute between their organisations for ‘The Empty Lot’: a piece of land that will allow power over much of the region.
Yakuza’s 0 narrative is an interesting look into the world of Yakuza and daily life in the less glamorous side of 80’s Japan. The game is split into chapters, giving you control of a different character every 2 characters to equally explore their respective stories. Kiryu is exiled from the Yakuza after being framed for the murder of a civilian, and must work with a mysterious real estate company to clear his name. Majima is coerced into managing a hostess club to pay off a constantly accumulating debt that will secure his place back in the Yakuza, after he is similarly exiled for crimes someone else committed. As a whole, it is a story about justice and revenge within a criminal underbelly, showing the warped kind of reality these characters live in and the lengths they have to go to in maintaining a level of independence and power. The story also explores the collateral and involvement the Yakuza and criminal underworld has on the regular people of Japan. The gritty level of violence, coercion, and abuse we see aimed towards civilians ensures that this criminal lifestyle is never fully glamourised. It is a narrative that will constantly surprise, challenge, and move the player.
Much of Yakuza’s gameplay revolves around combat. The player character, whether you’re playing as Kiryu or Majima, is a complete powerhouse, able to take on several enemies at once with your fists and whatever you find lying around to hit or throw at your disposal. Much of my time was spent picking up bicycles or couches to bash street hooligans with. The combat is fluid and satisfying to handle, allowing a fair level of challenge that the player can counteract with a number of skill and health upgrades. You will fight random challengers on the street, take on people picking on civilians, and when the story allows, fight your way through hordes of Yakuza to make your way to stronger opponents. Both Kiryu and Majima gain different kinds of fighting styles that alter the way you move and attack, allowing a variety of playstyles that is constantly mixing up your game experience.
The true crown gem to Yakuza 0 is the scope of the experience. While it feels easy to compare Yakuza to similar open world titles like the Grand Theft Auto series and Sleeping Dogs, at core the game is much different, providing a more on the rails experience with a glamorous sideshow of entertainment that encourages constant detours. When you get a break from the more linear story elements, you can fight in the town square, explore the backstreets, do some shopping, or grab a bite to eat at one of the many fine restaurants Japan has to offer. The world is littered with side quests, random battles, collectibles and a huge array of mini games. The Yakuza series is world famous for these mini games, in which the player can rack up hundreds of hours alone trying for high scores and exclusive rewards. These include an assortment of arcade games, karaoke and disco rhythm games, pub games like pool, and of course a game where you chat up working girls to score dates with them. Many of these mini games also allow online and couch co-op play, again adding another layer of replayability to the game itself. While these kind of in-game experiences are often a throw away element to pad out the length, Yakuza goes all in and provides a huge level of depth with these games within a game, to a level of fun and polish that they could exist as titles on their own. This kind of depth in a mechanically simple, almost throwaway kind of minigame game is something that inspired me as our game director. I wanted to incorporate these arcade elements like high scores and replayability into our game as they added another layer of pure fun to an already fun premise.
Overall, Yakuza 0 is an incredibly fun and exciting game that has me constantly coming back for more. It excels in gameplay, mechanics, narrative, soundtrack, and of course the sheer scope of the things you can do. It is my first dip into the world of the Yakuza series, and without a doubt, it won’t be my last.
Zach Fields - Stream 50 