Yakuza 0

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1510 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,303 out of 1510
  2. Mixed: 69 out of 1510
  3. Negative: 138 out of 1510
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  1. deho7
    Sep 24, 2018
    9
    It really feels like you are in Kabukicho in Tokyo except that you are playing the hero yakuza Kiryu Kazama who solves everyone's problem. The story is well written and has a twist to it. The sub stories also teaches you to choose the moral choice and awards you for it. i spent around 100 hours playing this game and it was never a boring moment in it.
  2. Zeydlitz
    Sep 22, 2018
    0
    Worst Yakuza game Ever! Dance battles are nightmare (and this S..t is REQUIRED), challenges still here, and all other bad stuff from previous games.
  3. pongkrit03
    Sep 16, 2018
    10
    My first Yakuza I have great experience more than I have expected. I love the story very much both main quests and side quests. I would say this game has the BEST WRITER EVER. Main story is intense and has a lot of plot twists and side stories, some are hilarious, some made me shed tears. Yakuza 0 is the epitome of how to create great story for a game. GREAT MINI GAMES are also one thingMy first Yakuza I have great experience more than I have expected. I love the story very much both main quests and side quests. I would say this game has the BEST WRITER EVER. Main story is intense and has a lot of plot twists and side stories, some are hilarious, some made me shed tears. Yakuza 0 is the epitome of how to create great story for a game. GREAT MINI GAMES are also one thing that need to be mentioned. This game contains several great mini games and some are super fun, such as Cabaret Club, Real estate business. Seriously I spent 60 hours+ into the game, more than half are from mini games and side quests. It is safe to say that Yakuza is one of the best games in term of making mini games as well.

    Combat system is good, not the best though. It is more like Street fighter in 3 dimensions, rather than other action games like Batman. The way enemies attacking you is kind of random, but it is still fun nonetheless. There are many cool animations when you use heat gauge, especially with new environment or equipment. It is subjective one but those who like fighting should like this one as well.

    Next is cutscenes. There are many cutscenes here. and again ONE OF THE BEST CUTSCENES game I ever saw in my 20 years gamer. Facial expressions look so real, they thrill me every time. Voice acting is top notch too.

    One last thing I have to mention is the soundtracks. This game has ones of THE BEST SOUNDTRACKS ever. You may not notice while you playing the game because you may be busy with fighting but if you check out Youtube, there are tons of soundtracks and most of them are great, especially Kuze song.

    In conclusion, YAKUZA 0 strongest strengths are STORY, MINIGAMES, CUTSCENES and SOUNDTRACKS. Combat is good too but it is subjective one. Game length is long. No negative comes to my mind at all. Definitely deserves my 10/10 score. However, this game has a ton of texts to read and sometimes long cutscenes, so those who don't like reading, might not enjoy as much. I will look forward to play KIWAMI 1 and KIWAMI 2.    … Expand
  4. Zeriou
    Sep 10, 2018
    0
    After 15 minutes of skipping every cut scene. i still didn't get to play. So i gave up.
  5. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    9
    Yakuza 0 is probably going to be my pleasant surprise of the year. I had heard of this series and I did hear that it was a good game but I didn’t think that I would like it. Boy was I wrong. I know how this sounds but a big reason that I don’t like Japanese RPG’S or just Japanese games in general is because I like games that are grounded in a little more reality. This game is really weirdYakuza 0 is probably going to be my pleasant surprise of the year. I had heard of this series and I did hear that it was a good game but I didn’t think that I would like it. Boy was I wrong. I know how this sounds but a big reason that I don’t like Japanese RPG’S or just Japanese games in general is because I like games that are grounded in a little more reality. This game is really weird but finds a way to stay grounded and I think that’s why I liked it so much.

    Initially, I was not loving the story but the combat was fun enough that I stuck with it. As the game went along, I started getting more and more into the story. I really liked the breakdown of the game and especially where there was 2 protagonists (Kiryu and Majima). Every 2 chapters you would switch between these characters. It was kind of interesting watching these 2 characters back stories and then eventually the two stories started to become intertwined with one another. By the end, I found it all to be very interesting and my favorite part of the game wound up being the story.

    The games combat was broken into 6 different types and both of the protagonists had 3 each. I ended up liking Majima’s combat more because it had my 2 favorite combat battle styles. The first one that I liked was called the “Breaker Style” which was break dancing in fighting form. You would do all of these break dancing moves and they would count as attacks against the enemies. It was kind of stupid but fun to do. Although I really liked the “Breaker Style,” my go-to was “Slugger Style” which was where he had a baseball bat. I ultimately liked this style the best because it was very effective and I had the most success with it.

    The game isn’t just story and combat, its a whole open world with a ton of things to do. You can play baseball, you can go to an arcade and play old Sega Arcade games from the 80’s, you can go to a place that has phones where you can hit on women. The weirdest by far there is an “erotic video store.” You pick up these videos out in the open world and then go to this place and watch them. Its so weird because its FMV and the videos are kind of sexual. For example the video that I watched was this girl that was on her knees and very sexually she blew up a balloon for a good minute. It was so odd but the weirdest part is, at the end. The camera cuts to a box of tissues and your character kind of lets out a deep breath.

    The game also has 2 more story driven mini-games. For Kiryu, you’re running around buying up real estate and becoming a real estate mogul. I did that for a little while but it wasn’t that fun to do but it was a quick way to make money. For Majima, he would run a Cabaret Bar which is something that I have never heard of before but I guess they’re common in Japan. Essentially a man goes to this bar alone, sits down and then some girl who is a employees of the bar, sits down with him. She then gives him company by flirting and talking with him. It’s very a odd and kind of sad concept but I won’t get into that. I enjoyed running the Cabaret Bar more because there was more to do with it all. You would hire new girls, re-design the club, level the girls up and change their appearance. Plus there was the actual mini-game of actually running the bar. Patrons would come in and you had to pair the customers personality with one of the girls personality. The more you did this mini-game, the more your girls would level up and the more successful the business would become.

    This is a game that I can highly recommend, it was fun and the story was engaging. Its everything that I like about video games and I look forward to playing more Yakuza games.    … Expand
  6. Spideyfan4Life
    Sep 8, 2018
    10
    I started with Yakuza 0 and it was the perfect entry point into this absolutely phenomenal series. Enough said.
  7. DamienFletch
    Sep 5, 2018
    9
    Having never played a Yakuza game before, I was cautious going into Yakuza 0. It's safe to say that Yakuza is now one of my favorite game series. It's hard not to love the wacky (and hilarious) substories, completely off the wall mini games, and the jam packed world full of stuff to do and shops to visit. Not to mention the compelling crime story at play here. The story is the real star ofHaving never played a Yakuza game before, I was cautious going into Yakuza 0. It's safe to say that Yakuza is now one of my favorite game series. It's hard not to love the wacky (and hilarious) substories, completely off the wall mini games, and the jam packed world full of stuff to do and shops to visit. Not to mention the compelling crime story at play here. The story is the real star of the show for me as it shows us a young, naive Kiryu in his fight to try and make things right and Goro Majima trying to do anything to get his way back into the Yakuza. Simply put, you need to play this game. It may not be the best looking or innovative PS4 game but what it does do, is tells one of the best, most compelling stories of this generation.… Expand
  8. folgin
    Sep 4, 2018
    8
    Yakuza 0 is a long game filled with amazing moments. The last few chapters of its 17-chapter story are worth experiencing and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, not even the 35 hours it took me to get to that point. Not everyone will be able or willing to make it that far. While it’s a ton of fun to take part in activities around Kamarucho, there can be a lot of mind-numbing combat inYakuza 0 is a long game filled with amazing moments. The last few chapters of its 17-chapter story are worth experiencing and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, not even the 35 hours it took me to get to that point. Not everyone will be able or willing to make it that far. While it’s a ton of fun to take part in activities around Kamarucho, there can be a lot of mind-numbing combat in between. That repetition will fight you along the way, but the investment will pay dividends. Those last chapters have my favorite moments in any video game ever. It’s a shame that many will likely fall off Yakuza 0 before experiencing some of the greatest narrative moments that video games have to offer.… Expand
  9. Kojumbo
    Aug 12, 2018
    9
    Overall, this game is a solid 9. Story was fun and amazing, even though it had some plot holes. The NPCs and main characters are very well developed and memorable. Gameplay is top notch, I would say better than the GTA series just because the combat system has much more variety. Nonetheless, you can still beat the game even at hard difficulty just using block and the main combo you learnOverall, this game is a solid 9. Story was fun and amazing, even though it had some plot holes. The NPCs and main characters are very well developed and memorable. Gameplay is top notch, I would say better than the GTA series just because the combat system has much more variety. Nonetheless, you can still beat the game even at hard difficulty just using block and the main combo you learn at the start as many of the moves you learn throughout the game feel rather unnecessary. On the upside, there are at least 5 different mini games that can all put a smile at your face. The main drawback is perhaps the fact that you have to listen through so much dialogue which is told in Japanese and you will find yourself clicking the skip button quite a lot. Graphics on the PS4 are rather pathetic, so I would say go for the PC version if you have the option. Still, my PS4 Pro did not emit too much excessive noise while rendering the game, which is usually the case with the newer games.… Expand
  10. Deependra
    Aug 7, 2018
    10
    Yakuza series is known for it's brutal action by protagonist and for it's story. The yakuza world is not so large when we compare to other games, but it has many many side activities which are interesting as well. The game design is good. Since you can smash out many combos while the heat is on. There are unique style of both the playable characters and I can guarantee you that not evenYakuza series is known for it's brutal action by protagonist and for it's story. The yakuza world is not so large when we compare to other games, but it has many many side activities which are interesting as well. The game design is good. Since you can smash out many combos while the heat is on. There are unique style of both the playable characters and I can guarantee you that not even for a second you will get bored or skip the cut scenes because of it's interesting plot. What's so special about this game?
    1. Game effects while you are combating against enemies.
    2. Good combat style with alots of variations
    3. Great story mode with plot twist
    4. Great side activities.
    If you are bored of non japanese styled games and would love to taste something different, then what are you waiting for? Just grab this game blindly. :)    … Expand
  11. HTGamer
    Jul 30, 2018
    8
    Yakuza 0 is a great entry in the series, but can't top the masterful Yakuza Kiwami.

    The Yakuza series has always been JRPGs at heart, with battles playing out as brawls. Just like JRPGs there are random encounters with enemies in the open map. Brawls are melee fights, the fighting system is deep and varied, you can choose from 3 different fighting styles (tank, fighter, rogue), with    Yakuza 0 is a great entry in the series, but can't top the masterful Yakuza Kiwami.

    The Yakuza series has always been JRPGs at heart, with battles playing out as brawls. Just like JRPGs there are random encounters with enemies in the open map. Brawls are melee fights, the fighting system is deep and varied, you can choose from 3 different fighting styles (tank, fighter, rogue), with some excellent high-level finishers having to be unlocked first.

    Yakuza 0 is set in 1988 Japan, with the country's economic bubble about to burst. The story is about 2 protagonists (series regular Kiryu Kazuma, and newly added Goro Majima) being involved in an internal Yakuza power struggle, both of them trying to survive. Lead characters are very likeable and develop during the story's length.

    The campaign can last dozens of hours, but not all of them are quality time. That's because of the inclusion of 2 time-consuming mini-campaigns, one for each protagonist. Kiryu Kazuma's real estate and Goro Majima's hostess club business should have been a 1-2 hours affair to see through, but they each last more than 10 hours to complete, so you are basically looking at a 20-hour-long grinding. These activities are optional but you can't really avoid them and focus on the main story, or else you won't be able to upgrade your heroes past a certain point, and you will need those upgrades especially in the higher difficulties.

    The game is also full of side quests. These are either small fetch quests or just a quick story unfolding before you in a matter of minutes, but the writing is usually top notch. Plenty of comical stories but also some dramatic ones. A standout for me was the couple of quests paying tribute to the late Michael Jackson, complete with his moonwalk and dancing.

    Last but not least, there are tons of mini games, from darts and billiards to bowling and karaoke, even Sega's old Outrun arcade game.

    Not everything is rosy though. The game's map of Kamurocho is identical to the version included in other Yakuza games. If you play a couple of Yakuza games it can become tiresome to see Kamurocho again. Then there is the issue with the camera. Because the map is tightly packed (typical of Japan) the camera can't easily follow your hero when walking in narrow corridors or building interiors. It should have been an over-the-shoulder type of camera. But these are all my gripes.

    On the technical side, Yakuza 0 runs at 60 fps just like Yakuza Kiwami, frame rates drops only in a couple of heavy scenes with dozens of enemies on-screen. The OST is nice, with a few standout rock tracks. Voice overs are in japanese, there is no option for english dubs, but you get used to that.

    Overall, Yakuza 0 is a great game, even though it's not perfect. Yakuza Kiwami is a better game and a more suitable introduction to the series. If you play the 1st game and you like it, then proceed to Yakuza 0 and the other entries.    … Expand
  12. SOLIDSNAKEN64
    Jul 23, 2018
    7
    I really enjoyed this games characters and story, yakuza has a mix of serious story with a lot of goofy moments. It knows when to be serious but also to relax a little and not take itself to serious. Y0 is filled with many fun mini games and side quests. Each sidequests has it's own story and they were all pretty entertaining. I really enjoyed the 80s setting in Japan, you really feelI really enjoyed this games characters and story, yakuza has a mix of serious story with a lot of goofy moments. It knows when to be serious but also to relax a little and not take itself to serious. Y0 is filled with many fun mini games and side quests. Each sidequests has it's own story and they were all pretty entertaining. I really enjoyed the 80s setting in Japan, you really feel like you are in that era. I don't really see why people would rather have Japanese dubs over English dubs but I'm not one of those people. I would have much rather the dev's to have hired English actors for localization, but that's just me. The graphics are ps4 graphics even though they look good it would be nice if they took advantage of the ps4 hardware. The brawling system gets repetative after a while and I was so tired of the random encounters by the end of the game. Yakuza 0 is my first entry into the story and even though I enjoyed it for this most part i felt it was lacking in some areas.… Expand
  13. slim1985
    Jul 18, 2018
    10
    i'm a fan since 2005 i have played the original and i loved the series i have played all yakuza games except y5 and dead souls but i will for sure. yakuza 0 is the most complete yakuza game imho and one of the best games i have ever played thanks to the deepemotional story and fun gameplay i would highly recommend this game to someone who want to spend 6-7 hours a day doing some storyi'm a fan since 2005 i have played the original and i loved the series i have played all yakuza games except y5 and dead souls but i will for sure. yakuza 0 is the most complete yakuza game imho and one of the best games i have ever played thanks to the deepemotional story and fun gameplay i would highly recommend this game to someone who want to spend 6-7 hours a day doing some story missions and getting lost in fun mini games simply this game is BIG i have spent 160 hours and enjoyed evey bit of it a truly masterpiece… Expand
  14. RememberTheAGES
    Jul 16, 2018
    10
    When I first started playing Yakuza 0 I wasn't sure what to expect. Chapter 1 was mildly interesting and I wasn't sure why everyone was so very much excited about this series. As I continued playing though the game ramped up quickly and the protagonists Kiryu and Majima really started to become fleshed out.

    I'm not even sure how to explain this game. There is so much to do in Yakuza 0    When I first started playing Yakuza 0 I wasn't sure what to expect. Chapter 1 was mildly interesting and I wasn't sure why everyone was so very much excited about this series. As I continued playing though the game ramped up quickly and the protagonists Kiryu and Majima really started to become fleshed out.

    I'm not even sure how to explain this game. There is so much to do in Yakuza 0 and everything for the most part is fun from doing the main story to playing baseball or sharing your phone card collection as you come the street for all the hidden ones to oh so much more. I would do a chapter and then hit up mini games to break of the seriousness of the main story which gets ridiculously good quite quickly and becomes one of the most amazing crime dramas I have ever seen!

    From a game that started off as unsure why everyone loved so much to becoming one of my favorite games speaks volumes to this series. This game made me a fan for life and I have the long journey of obtaining the rest of the series to see how everything turns out.

    I love this game, and I love you Kiiiiiryu-Chan!    … Expand
  15. Zomgclaude
    May 20, 2018
    10
    I know that many users have only 2 scores they can give a game: 0 or 10.

    I use my 10s with extreme parsimony. But in the case of Yakuza 0, it's the only score I could consider giving. I bought this game based on the hype and a at a PS Store sale price. It took me a few months to even start it up. At first, I was put off by the relatively small map, the lack of vehicles and the last    I know that many users have only 2 scores they can give a game: 0 or 10.

    I use my 10s with extreme parsimony. But in the case of Yakuza 0, it's the only score I could consider giving.

    I bought this game based on the hype and a at a PS Store sale price. It took me a few months to even start it up. At first, I was put off by the relatively small map, the lack of vehicles and the last gen graphics. Yet, despite its shortcomings, it remained unexplainably appealing, so I stuck with it.

    Simply put, this game offers some of the best storytelling and voice acting I have ever encountered in 33 years of playing video games. And through side quests and mini-games, the replayability of Yakuza 0 is undeniable.

    And because it took so long for this series to gain traction in North America/Europe, there will be many more games for you to play after this one. Yakuza 1 was remade as Yakuza Kiwami, the 2nd game's Kiwami version comes out this summer. Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 are available on PS3, with 4 and 5 also being carried on the PS Now service. Hours and hours of entertainment.

    If you haven't already (and unless it's for a child, which would be super inappropriate), give this game a try. It's well worth your time.    … Expand
  16. The_BlueRose
    May 19, 2018
    10
    Yakuza 0 delivers a brand new story with two characters: Kiryu and Majima in a non stop action game that surprises as more as you play.

    - The story is great, with to cities to play and two diferent stories with superb moments. Also subsries are fun as hell and the metagames (real-state and caba-club) are really fun to play. - The combat: with 3 combat (4 with the ultimate) styles    Yakuza 0 delivers a brand new story with two characters: Kiryu and Majima in a non stop action game that surprises as more as you play.

    - The story is great, with to cities to play and two diferent stories with superb moments. Also subsries are fun as hell and the metagames (real-state and caba-club) are really fun to play.

    - The combat: with 3 combat (4 with the ultimate) styles each character that gives the player oportunities to face enemies and change them fluently. Heat actions and progresion are unique, investing money to get habilities in a charming skill menu that shows the japanesse culture and style.

    - Graphically: can be improved, there is an old engine with its flaws but running at 60 fps. The main characters models are quite good and cinematics are at other level.

    - In general: is a great game that gives a lot of surprises and leaves no one indiferent about its quality.    … Expand
  17. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    8
    I wish the game had way less exposition and was fully voice acted through out the whole thing. But the story, game-play, characters, and side activities were all fantastic.
  18. xdino6
    May 2, 2018
    10
    this game is pure joy with its magnificent main story and funny side quests .
    this is one of the best games i ever played

    !0/10 would complete again
  19. il_fenomeno
    May 1, 2018
    9
    This game got everything, action, great story and what I most liked funny substories and moments coming just outta nowhere, I really asked myself WTF lol, you can just walk on streets and always something comes :) havent seen any same quests/side quests, you really need to know to make game like this, Im glad this game came out of Japan to rest of the world and thx God speech is originalThis game got everything, action, great story and what I most liked funny substories and moments coming just outta nowhere, I really asked myself WTF lol, you can just walk on streets and always something comes :) havent seen any same quests/side quests, you really need to know to make game like this, Im glad this game came out of Japan to rest of the world and thx God speech is original Japanese like it should be with English text, they didnt ruined it with English speech like in nazi movies where nazis speak English :)… Expand
  20. Denolact
    Apr 4, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I made a Metacritic account just to write about how f**king amazing Yakuza 0 is, I'm almost 100% sure that it's my new favorite game of all time. I have completed about 20% of the game and I'm over 35 hours into it, there's so much to do. Here's just a few of the things you need to do to 100% the game's completion log:
    - Eat everything at every restaurant in Sotenbori and Kamurocho
    - Spend, get and invest over 1,000,000,000 yen
    - Complete the 100 substories, there are 40 for Majima and 60 for Kiryu
    - Collect every telephone card on the map to befriend Mr Libido
    - Go to a telephone club and befriend three girls
    - Travel 100 km by foot (trust me, it takes way longer than you think, after over 35 hours of almost only walking around doing side stuff, I have yet to pass 50 km)
    - Defeat 200 enemies in the 6 different fighting styles (3 for Kiryu, 3 for Majima)
    And all of that isn't even close to everything. Some examples of especially great subquest from where I am at is:
    - Producing a tv show without knowing anything about producing
    - Helping a dominatrix get better at her job
    - Speaking through a portable phone (again, trust me, it's harder than you'd think)
    - Defeat a huge guy who, if you don't defeat him which is very likely you don't, will steal all the money you currently have on you
    - Helping a hardcore band be actually hardcore (this one's probably my favorite of all of them so far)
    - Going full real estate, buying buildings, collecting money, hiring staff, all while trying to get a hold of
    Kamurocho from The Five Billiionaires
    - Helping a kid get an adult mag while other people are watching
    And just to top it off, the best features of the game:
    - A fantastic story with fantastic pacing
    - Fantastically written characters
    - Tons of side content to do after you're done with the story, though I highly suggest people do them as they play the story
    - Amazing simple to learn, hard to master combat
    - Memorable layouts of the open worlds
    - Some of the best villains in any game period
    - Fantastic controls
    - Fantastic soundtrack (especially Judgement) and sound design, and finally...
    - THE ABILITY TO PAUSE A CUTSCENE WITHOUT SKIPPING IT!
    10/10. That's what the game gets, and it gets what it deserves. The only games that even come close to rivaling it for me is Persona 5, Psychonauts and Dark Souls, but even they struggle. It is just a pure gaming masterpiece, and a PERFECT introduction to any series. I can't wait to move on to the other games after I finish it, but I will take it slow and try to do as much as possible in this game before going over to Kiwami.    … Expand
  21. Berrlett
    Mar 20, 2018
    10
    If you never played Yakua then this is a great entry to the series. One of the best stories you'll come across in gaming accompanied by great character design, fighting styles are just sublime and a very good soundtrack. highly recommend it.
  22. tbouniverse
    Mar 9, 2018
    10
    I had so much fun every moment with this game. Kiryu and Majima are such awesome mains. The story is so interesting that I found myself pulling off 5-hour sessions because I could not contain the hype.

    If you were expecting a Japanese GTA, you're wrong. This is a complete original. Even if this isn't your type of game, you have to try it.
  23. RJX74
    Jan 27, 2018
    9
    One of my favorite games on PS4. Slow start but it explodes in an awesome adventure. Love the setting
  24. hazartas
    Jan 7, 2018
    10
    My personal GOTY of 2017, Yakuza 0 is probably the peak of human creative genius. This game is the best gift you can buy for yourself, don't even hesitate, just buy right now!
  25. Kinokee
    Dec 16, 2017
    7
    I really want to rate it higher but the sour taste after many of the minigames and combat never exactly doing what I want it to prevents it from ever being a truly good game. At this point, I can get better value out of a novel and a game designed around only weird minigames, as then both would have the proper quality and not just **** around in the middle.

    cons: **** outrun. ****    I really want to rate it higher but the sour taste after many of the minigames and combat never exactly doing what I want it to prevents it from ever being a truly good game. At this point, I can get better value out of a novel and a game designed around only weird minigames, as then both would have the proper quality and not just **** around in the middle.

    cons:
    **** outrun. **** blackjack. **** catfights. **** mahjong. **** the timing in disco and **** the decade old combat system from the PS2 era.

    The camera auto rotates with the character which makes any tight corner a nightmare. It also gets locked on walls which means doing combat near rounded walls means you lose 60-70% of your vision.

    weapons hit a lot of invisible walls and make the character recoil for no reason.

    Accurate combat inputs at a high level is a nightmare. The game is enjoyable because you have enough health items and things thrown into it that it can be overlooked. However, actually examining the controls leads to a lot of problems, many of which are brought out in the climax battles. Inability to properly target enemies, slow turning, auto target targeting nothing, the inability to just turn around like a normal human being can, weapons not aiming correctly, heat action prompts appearing and not working 80% of the time, a 3 second delay on starting most heat actions after a combat command has already been used, and so on. It is the same crappy combat from 10 years ago and with so many other games doing combat better the only saving grace of this game is the niche void it fills.

    Pros:
    Side stories are enjoyable. Very Yakuza-esque.    … Expand
  26. YamadaSan
    Dec 10, 2017
    10
    amazing game amazing well written story & hilarious substories, i cant wait till Yakuza Kiwami 2 get release in west whoever vote negative can suck it
  27. BlakDak666
    Nov 30, 2017
    9
    Yakuza 0 is a excellent demonstration and throwback to not just the entire series, but also a nostalgic reminder that games can still be fun and not rely on graphics and size to make it a selling point. On the surface, Yakuza 0 can look quite negative: its graphics and textures look awful, the stiff animation models, the sometimes buggy AIs of bystanders, the lack of way points or properYakuza 0 is a excellent demonstration and throwback to not just the entire series, but also a nostalgic reminder that games can still be fun and not rely on graphics and size to make it a selling point. On the surface, Yakuza 0 can look quite negative: its graphics and textures look awful, the stiff animation models, the sometimes buggy AIs of bystanders, the lack of way points or proper labels of properties and places, the invisible walls and objects, etc. This alone could spell disaster for any game sold on modern hardware, so it speaks volumes that this game not only holds its ground with its limitations, but drop kicks expectations sky high. That's the greatness of this game; it soars above so many modern titles for keeping the core foundation of satisfying gameplay, great stories ripped right out of action and mafia films with its own originality, metric tons of activities (all surprisingly fun to do) and so much respect for its players that even for $60 this is highway robbery and would have been assaulted by most game companies in the worst of ways. Thankfully, this is a 2 games (you could even argue 3) in 1 that is absolutely worth your time. Let me briefly explain the game more to not mislead.

    Story - Arguably one of the best, well-written, solid voicework and mature tone to a game I have not seen this strong in a long time. While some can argue the dissonant tone of the game might take wind out of its sails, the balancing of this tone is so well executed that it blows my mind. The plot is a bit lengthy and definitely full of dialogue, but watching it was engrossing. The ending went on longer than I expected and even after all of what happen I felt I only scratched the surface of this series.

    Characters - What a hell of a character list. Kazama Kiryu and Majima Goro (the latter in particular) present a air of realism, stoicism, grit and gusto that had me sold after the first chapters they appear in. The other characters of the different families and clans all had complex and deep personas that oozed curiosity. For a game mirroring action and mafia films this was a kickass cast of people. Well done voice acting as well.

    Combat - Satisfying, but I would not call it outstanding overall. It has issues in most of its abilities (even some of the styles themselves) being weak additions and not worth the investment. The repetition can set in after awhile and for those wanting a deeper system you wont find that here. This is more of a old school beatem up (with absolutely amazing if not insane finishers and heat action moves) that carries problems as a result. Regardless, this serves its part and at least keeps me interested. The fourth weapon slot is forgettable and the use of handguns by enemies can be a pain to deal with. Bosses are not really different from normal enemies and easy to abuse, but the QTE events make them memorable and stand out alot.

    Minigames - So many of them, ranging from blackjack to soft core porn videos, karaoke to shogi, this game has it all and it serves the point of "just because you have to be yakuza serious, doesnt mean you cant have yakuza fun". Add to that a real estate and club management and this alone could be its own game on some mobile free stuff. I absolutely loved it all.

    Substories/Challenges: Completing these were overall good with some memorable and well written pieces that had me laughing one minute and sobbing the next. The objectives themselves might be simple or fetchy, but the writing to them is great and is able to keep that dissonant tone consistent throughout with no real sign of weakness. Then you have challenges that test your abilities and skills to learn new moves with a ton to offer you.

    I feel almost insulting this game for not talking more about it, but it is one of those games that is better to play and roll with its crappy initial impression than to have someone fully explain it. I would like to add a few more things to it: the music is well done and memorable, the crafting system is weak, new game plus, free mode and other options to play with another player is insane. Playing over 50+ hours felt like the first course and based on how much more I would still have to do, this would easily be a 100+ hour game to 100% complete, with a exciting energy to it that makes me smile ear to ear.

    As a newcomer to the series, I was initially skeptical but now I consider Yakuza 0 to be a colossal achievement for what it wants to accomplish and feel inclined to play the remasters and the future Yakuza 6. This game is a action packed treat and if you have a PS4 this is an absolute buy, no questions asked. Despite its outdated nature, the beating heart of nostalgia gaming of Yakuza 0 burns as passionately as Kiryu and Majima's spirits and is an excellent game for anyone to play.    … Expand
  28. scruffy_77
    Nov 22, 2017
    10
    Well what can I say, I refer to metacritic for game reviews based on user opinion rather than corporate reviews, the latest call of duty reviews showed the country mile of difference between user and company reviews on all platforms! Based the reviews below I delved into this new world of Yakuza. At first I was apprehensive, thought perhaps I had made a bad decision, but I kept on... andWell what can I say, I refer to metacritic for game reviews based on user opinion rather than corporate reviews, the latest call of duty reviews showed the country mile of difference between user and company reviews on all platforms! Based the reviews below I delved into this new world of Yakuza. At first I was apprehensive, thought perhaps I had made a bad decision, but I kept on... and oh my days, this game has immersed me beyond reproach. The story is epic, I could have never guessed the way it would turn out. The side stories, the mini games, the club management, the real estate. The laughs I had at the telephone dating. Sega have outdone themselves, it is such a shame a game of this calibre has no media coverage in the west. Yes the graphics are not the best and not cutting edge... But if you want pointless eye candy that looks good with no substance then purchase one of the many other titles currently available. For a newbie Yakuza player, this has been amazing, entertaining, funny, addictive and immersive. Sega, a hat tip from my childhood with Sonic, and a hat tip as an adult for Yakuza... In a word, brilliant!! This game can only deserve a 10/10 from me.… Expand
  29. Pauboman
    Nov 20, 2017
    10
    One ofthe best in Yakuza series and a must have for 2017. A thrilling experience that combines both drama and action in a cinematic experience and updated with a superb and renovated fighting style.

    I hope everyone could enjoy a game like this
  30. don_tim
    Oct 28, 2017
    10
    Excellent story! Addictive gameplay!!! This game was a hell of a ride and such a great experience. This was the first Yakuza game i've ever played. Now I'm up for the challenge to complete them all.
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Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best PS4 Game of 2017
22
#22 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
19
#19 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. RPG Fan
    Aug 8, 2018
    85
    Yakuza 0 is a lot of Yakuza, showing a great deal of excess, brilliance and occasional frustration in equal fashion. There's lots and lots to do, a great story to breathe in, and wonderful characters who play well off each other. At the same time, 0 lacks some of the innovations and gameplay conceits that came with later titles, and it's also just as frustrating in places as some of the franchise's more egregious offenders.
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  2. PLAY! Zine
    Oct 12, 2017
    90
    Yakuza Zero is a fantastic game. Spectacular main story combined with great diversity of sub-stories and solid gameplay create a rather unique game.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Apr 2, 2017
    90
    A fantastically bonkers open-world gem that finally opens up the magic of the series to everyone. [March 2017, p.64]
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