I've reviewed this game once before, and the review wasn't that good, so I decided to do it again.
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza series. The story details how Kiryu and Majima became the legends they are known in the games. Prequels can often be very lackluster, but thankfully, this game isn't like that. The story's execution is genuinely phenomenal. It is easily one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a game. The great cast of characters (alongside some top-notch voice acting) help elevate the story.
The combat system is the style-switching fans came to love about the series. Both Kiryu and Majima have three unique fighting styles, with an unlockable fourth one. The best way to describe these four styles is like this: basic, tank, swiftness, and legend. Switching between the styles and trying to figure out which one works best in a given scenario is fun. What makes it better is these styles don't match with the two protagonists. Say Kiryu's basic fighting style is a perfect fit for one scenario. However, when playing that scenario with Majima, his swiftness style might be the best. This game handles combat balancing extremely well, making the player think.
Boss fights are fun if a tad bit on the easy side. The most challenging story boss in the game is the first Kuze fight. Not even the final boss is challenging. As a matter of fact, it's one of the easier bosses in the game. It's thematically cool, but that doesn't help it from being lackluster all around. That all being said, they are still enjoyable to fight against (mainly due to how fun the game's combat is).
Like most Yakuza titles, the music is amazing. The boss fight themes, the enemy encounter themes, the karaoke songs, all of it is great (and make great additions to any playlist).
One thing about this game that's rather hit-or-miss is the minigames. Most of them are fun, while some others are flat-out annoying. Minigames like karaoke and disco I could play countless times. Then there are minigames like OutRun and catfights that are highly annoying and I barely bothered playing them.
A perfect example of how hit-or-miss the minigames can be is the side businesses. In the game, both Kiryu and Majima run a side business. Kiryu runs a real estate agency while Majima runs a cabaret club. Kiryu's is boring, especially compared to Majima's. At the end of the day, the real estate business involves a bunch of waiting around. The purpose behind this is for the player to run about and explore Kamurocho. But after the player finishes everything they wanted to do, they just end up in Kiryu's office, waiting for the next payout. I'm not joking when I say I would start reading a book when I reached that point. This game mode is entirely boring (on the bright side, you can make a chicken manage it).
Then there's the cabaret club. This minigame is like Diner Dash but with a cabaret club theme. It is highly engaging and I ended up leaving a blind girl alone in a warehouse for several hours. The goal is to please the most customers you can before time runs out. To do this, the player will need the best lineup they can manage and make sure they get orders right when requested. The cabaret club is easily one of the best minigames in the entire series.
Outside of the occasional bad minigame, most of the side content is great. This game's substories are some of the best in the series. They're funny and memorable with a bit of heartwarming sprinkled in there. The perfect recipe for Yakuza substories. I was honestly disappointed when I realized I completed all of them.
Yakuza 0 is an incredible ride. It had its ups and downs, but overall, it is a magnificent journey from start to finish.
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza series. The story details how Kiryu and Majima became the legends they are known in the games. Prequels can often be very lackluster, but thankfully, this game isn't like that. The story's execution is genuinely phenomenal. It is easily one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a game. The great cast of characters (alongside some top-notch voice acting) help elevate the story.
The combat system is the style-switching fans came to love about the series. Both Kiryu and Majima have three unique fighting styles, with an unlockable fourth one. The best way to describe these four styles is like this: basic, tank, swiftness, and legend. Switching between the styles and trying to figure out which one works best in a given scenario is fun. What makes it better is these styles don't match with the two protagonists. Say Kiryu's basic fighting style is a perfect fit for one scenario. However, when playing that scenario with Majima, his swiftness style might be the best. This game handles combat balancing extremely well, making the player think.
Boss fights are fun if a tad bit on the easy side. The most challenging story boss in the game is the first Kuze fight. Not even the final boss is challenging. As a matter of fact, it's one of the easier bosses in the game. It's thematically cool, but that doesn't help it from being lackluster all around. That all being said, they are still enjoyable to fight against (mainly due to how fun the game's combat is).
Like most Yakuza titles, the music is amazing. The boss fight themes, the enemy encounter themes, the karaoke songs, all of it is great (and make great additions to any playlist).
One thing about this game that's rather hit-or-miss is the minigames. Most of them are fun, while some others are flat-out annoying. Minigames like karaoke and disco I could play countless times. Then there are minigames like OutRun and catfights that are highly annoying and I barely bothered playing them.
A perfect example of how hit-or-miss the minigames can be is the side businesses. In the game, both Kiryu and Majima run a side business. Kiryu runs a real estate agency while Majima runs a cabaret club. Kiryu's is boring, especially compared to Majima's. At the end of the day, the real estate business involves a bunch of waiting around. The purpose behind this is for the player to run about and explore Kamurocho. But after the player finishes everything they wanted to do, they just end up in Kiryu's office, waiting for the next payout. I'm not joking when I say I would start reading a book when I reached that point. This game mode is entirely boring (on the bright side, you can make a chicken manage it).
Then there's the cabaret club. This minigame is like Diner Dash but with a cabaret club theme. It is highly engaging and I ended up leaving a blind girl alone in a warehouse for several hours. The goal is to please the most customers you can before time runs out. To do this, the player will need the best lineup they can manage and make sure they get orders right when requested. The cabaret club is easily one of the best minigames in the entire series.
Outside of the occasional bad minigame, most of the side content is great. This game's substories are some of the best in the series. They're funny and memorable with a bit of heartwarming sprinkled in there. The perfect recipe for Yakuza substories. I was honestly disappointed when I realized I completed all of them.
Yakuza 0 is an incredible ride. It had its ups and downs, but overall, it is a magnificent journey from start to finish.