The Greatest Game I Have Ever Played - Yakuza 0

Thanks to a close friend of mine, I finally got the chance to play Yakuza 0. I've said in a previous blog entry that I wasn't able to play this game due to a glitch from the copy I installed. Thankfully, a friend of mine from Discord (who is also a member of MajimaPosting) gave me a link to download a cracked copy of Yakuza 0 (pls don't sue meh). And surprisingly, it worked great! So here's my actual, proper review of Yakuza 0 and why I consider it the greatest game I have ever played.

The Review

First Half: Kazuma Kiryu

I gotta say, playing as Kiryu after playing Yakuza Kiwami and briefly playing Yakuza 5 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 felt refreshing, considering that I get to use the infamous "style-switching" combat again. Plus, the game puts you at the beginning of the series, which is a good starting point. 

Oh, and before I continue my review, did you know that the Yakuza series wasn't popular outside Japan until the worldwide PS4 release of Yakuza 0 in late January 2017, 2 years after the game's Japan-exclusive PS3 and PS4 release in March 2015. During that 2 year time period, Yakuza was a Japan-exclusive franchise due to it being unpopular with Western audiences due to the game being a "Japanese GTA".

Now back to the review! The basic premise of this story is about 2 characters fated to meet each other: Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Both of which who are entangled in the dispute for a patch of land in Shinjuku's red-light district, Kamurocho (a fictionalized version of Kabukicho). The game kicks off the plot by letting you start off as Kiryu, who is a debt collector and a low-ranking thug of the Tojo Clan's Dojima Family. Later in the story, in order to lay low, he works as an agent under an infamous "real estate" agency.

Before I start my review on Kiryu, let me explain the basics of Yakuza 0.

The game is divided into 3 modes: Adventure (minigames, free-roam, and substories), Battle (combat), and what I like to call, Business (exclusive for Kiryu's real estate business and Majima's cabaret club business). And that's it.

Now, onto Kiryu's review!

I gotta say, by the start of the first chapter, it was already hype. You got Kiryu beating down thugs every 5 minutes all because the dude got set up in a murder he wasn't responsible for. The next, you got him trying to be a real estate agent. Anyway, Yakuza 0 had the most hype start for a video game ever since I last played Resident Evil 6.

It felt refreshing to get used to the combat after playing Yakuza Kiwami, even though that game had a much more refined version of 0's combat system. Unlike Kiwami, the damage for the attacks is massive. However, the style changing is ehhhh... slow. Not even equipping Quick-Change Clothes fixed this issue (which is why Kiwami's quick-change system was an improvement on this issue). I also don't like how Kiryu's attack speed is punished by how much Heat he has, unlike Kiwami. The less Heat you have, the slower your combos are, thus making Rush almost useless in this game.

And then you have Kiryu's business mode, Real Estate Royale. The side business is basically just a walking simulator because the earning process goes like this: buy buildings, invest in buildings, start money collection, walk around, repeat.

It's a boring process, to be honest. Completing the story tied to this minigame will unlock Kiryu's 4th style, the iconic Dragon of Dojima. The grind is kind of worth it, since Dragon of Dojima deals a lot of damage.

And last but not least, Kiryu's storyline. Like mentioned before, Kiryu had a pretty cool first chapter, with the game's first chapter ending in a cool long battle and a battle with one of the Dojima Lieutenants, Daisaku Kuze. The storyline is basically this: Kiryu lays low and tries to clear his name after being framed for a homicide. I had to describe it like that, since I didn't want to spoil anything.

Moving on to the next part: Goro Majima!

Second Half: Goro Majima

And then there's Majima, the fan-favorite of the series. I have to say, not only is Majima the funniest and best character of the series, but he's also the most fun to play as! Why? Well, let me explain.

Playing as Goro Majima gives you access to 4 unique fighting styles: Thug (an assassin-based fighting style), Breaker (a fighting style that utilizes breakdancing moves), Slugger (a style that primarily focuses on melee weapons mastery), and Mad Dog (Majima's signature style that utilizes fast and relentless attacks with Majima's signature dagger, the Demonfire Dagger). It's kind of weird how lower heat doesn't affect Majima's attack speed, even though with Kiryu, lower heat affects his attack speed, making Majima the most OP character to play as.

He also had one of the most hype introductions, since his intro basically has you dodge a drunk customer with jazzy music in the background.

And for his business mode, Cabaret Club Czar, it's way better to grind than Kiryu's real estate business. Why? Despite the minigame giving out way less money, the gameplay is similar to the Diner Dash games, which is nostalgic as heck.

His story has him protecting a blind girl named Makoto Makimura from both the Omi Alliance and Tojo Clan. I love how the two characters bonded together throughout the story!

Verdict

I gotta say, Yakuza 0 is one of the best video games I have played in my entire life. This game is packed with tons of content, making this game enjoyable for hours! I also like the game's dramatic storyline. It makes me feel like I'm watching an anime and a soap opera at the same time! The game's combat system never fails to satisfy anyone who is looking for some action. And I also like how you can now sprint, unlike in the previous Yakuza games.

My verdict? I give this a 10/10. I love this game and I will play it again!

-JJ