Yakuza 0

Though a return to Kamurocho isn't far away, Yakuza 0 is, in many respects, the end of an era - and a heck of a finish it is, too. [Recommended]

Such is the strange appeal of Yakuza: beneath all the bizarre Japanisms and po-faced sentimentality lies an almost-bottomless reservoir of charm.

This isn’t a GTA clone, or an RPG, nor is it a brawler. It’s something more than that but also different, a human drama that combines rudimentary game elements and weaves them into something that can make you laugh, cry and feel within the space of minutes.

Yakuza 0 is a game where one minute you’re beating up gangsters with a steel pipe, and the next you’re belting out Japanese power ballads in a swank karaoke club. And if it’s your first time with the series, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn just how fun it can be to be good at both of those things.

There's a lot to love about Yakuza 0, but it's going to take me a while to work my way to the story's finale. The endless brawling turns the whole thing into a real chore, I'm afraid. But I will say that as tired as I've already become of the constant beatdowns, the story and general self-confidence of the game makes me want to power through. And for anyone who doesn't share my disinterest in punch-ups — well, there's literally no reason for you not to give Yakuza 0 a try. It really is like no other game I've ever played. Because it's the Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, and that means something weird, wonderful, and decidedly not at all like Grand Theft Auto.