Yakuza, as a series… as an experience, is dense. Like the cities they’re set in, these games are filled to the brim vertically with content. Add to this density of content a winding, twisting narrative that spans more than a decade’s worth of releases and the franchise has become almost as impenetrable as something like the Metal Gear saga. Spending several hours with Yakuza 0, it’s clear that Sega realized these issues, and crafted a prequel that not only serves as the perfect entry into the series but is also the best-playing and most-enjoyable entry in the series as well.
Yakuza is a game franchise that stretches back to 2005 with the original release of Yakuza. Since then we’ve had 4 sequels and one spin-off title in the years that followed. That’s a dense catalog for casual players to dip their toes into, and while each entry has been fairly stand-alone, the cultural differences compound the barrier to entry. As a result, Yakuza as a series has always been stuck to the fringes of gaming culture in the west. Yakuza 0 seems built to challenge and destroy these problems, and it does an amazing job of it.
So, Yakuza 0 is a prequel. Long-established characters Kazuma and Goro find themselves involved in separate plots that slowly become entwined. Kazuma is fighting to prove his innocence in the case of a civilian murder, while Goro is working to have his stature as a Yakuza reinstated. Those are the basic starting-points for the long and twisting plot which will take you anywhere from 30 to 100+ hours to complete, depending on just how much of the game you want to experience. What’s interesting to note about the game’s tone (and this has been consistent throughout the series) is that, again, like MGS, it swerves greatly back and forth between the comedic and serious. While you might think the constant shifting would make for a disjointed experience, it’s quite the opposite. The funny gives a moment of levity to the serious, and vice-versa. It’s a great balance that’s maintained throughout.
As with most open-world games, Yakuza can only rise or fall on its side-content- the material that justifies it being open-world in the first place. As diverse, odd, and out-of-left-field the side-quests can be, they’re always engaging and keep you hooked, which is more than I can say for most open-world games currently on the market. From breaking up an underground panty-selling ring, to helping an estranged father bond with his family, to winning toys repeatedly for a lonely young girl, you have no idea what you’re going to come face-to-face with around every corner in both Kamurocho and Osaka. In this regard, Yakuza 0 takes a play from The Witcher 3; the sub-plots should be just as interesting (if not more so) than the main plot, otherwise, what’s the point.
All of this comes together to form a game that’s not only consistently engaging, but fun to play as well. The world of Yakuza circa the 1980’s is bright, vibrant, and dangerous. Combat, divided up into different stances, is brutal, punishing, and so, so satisfactory in just about every way. The attacks are heavy and visceral, with even light punches feeling painful and looking over-the-top in a fashion that can only be described as wrestling-levels of operatic. Characters are well-fleshed-out with believable motivations, and the presentation makes you feel like you’re playing through a big-budget Japanese crime-epic.
This isn’t to say that the game doesn’t have any faults. There are minor issues throughout that are unfortunate, but not deal-breakers. UI has long been an issue in the series that the developers still haven’t modernized and streamlined. In a game released in 2017, it shouldn’t be as complicated a process to use an item in the middle of combat, for example. Additionally, the camera isn’t always your friend. Tight corners (of which there are many, both in and out of combat) can leave you guessing what direction your character is moving in, and in combat it can cost you several good hits.
Lastly, the game earns its M rating not just in the violence department, but in the sexual content as well. Make no mistake- this is a game for adults. One of the collectables you discover are stray photo cards for real-life adult actresses. I’m not complaining, but I could certainly see a liberal parent getting more than they bargained for when handing this over to their teenage kid.
That being said, these are all minor issues and annoyances that shouldn’t stand in the way of you enjoying one of the most entertaining open-world games I’ve played since The Witcher 3, or MGS 5. While perhaps not as expansive as those games, Yakuza 0 provides a dense, fully-realized city filled with individuals and stories you won’t soon forget. It’s not only a great game to start 2017; it’s also potentially one of the best of the year.
Great article Mike. It’s a really fun game and it has everything I loved about Yakuza 2 and more.