The secret to Yakuza 0 is that each individual part of gameplay is actually quite mediocre. What elevates Yakuza 0 to greatness is how these pieces of gameplay are woven so elegantly and masterfully together. Like a giant snug quilt woven by a warm and caring grandmother.
To demonstrate this, here is a slice of Yakuza 0:
I find myself in the bustling streets of Kamurocho, the noise, the lights, the pedestrians. With its dedicated "strut" button, I push past people and soak in the atmosphere. I beat up some thugs, eat some sushi, give kind words of advice to the chef, pick up some beers at the shop, hit up the arcade and put around ¥1000 in the Outrun machine. After that I go to work managing my burgeoning real estate empire, spending time organising my managers (many of whom are friends I have met in my escapades) and leave work to beat up some more goons. I then play some bowling, hit up a vending machine, and get a rare part for my tiny toy racecar. I get stopped by a film crew asked if I can step-in as a producer for a TV food program. I politely decline for now, since I'm meeting my best friend for a drink at his favourite bar. This then leads to a gripping series of cutscenes in one of videogames greatest crime thrillers.
It's a world built to suck you in. A fictional Japan you can keep inside a machine and take a tourist trip to without the need for lots of cash and long-haul flights.
Though, it is this Japan where Yakuza 0 does fumble a bit. I've never been to Japan, my knowledge largely comes from the videogames I've played and the few anime/manga I've consumed. The translation does take a degree of "cultural knowledge" as they include honorifics and a few "borrowed" words where translation wouldn't suffice. A strange example is when Kiryu gets called an "Otaku", when I feel "fanboy" would surely be suffice? And certainly be more welcoming to those who have not engaged with Japanese media as such.
(I feel an in-game glossary for the meanings of honorifics and borrowed words would have been a way to resolve this. Like, I'm not entirely sure on the difference between calling someone "-chan" and "-kun", and the game has been translated in a way that somewhat assumes I should.)
These issues are compounded by the fact that a lot of background and fight dialogue goes untranslated. I understand it may have been a mess to bring up subtitles for every bark and murmur in Kamurocho, or every bit of pre-fight banter. But, I can't help feel I'm missing something. Ultimately, this is a user issue. I don't speak Japanese, and Yakuza 0 certainly makes me wish I could.
Alright, few bullet points before I wrap up:
- The game is incredibly dense with content and the cracks will show if you stick at one thing too long. Variety is the spice of life, and Yakuza 0 is scorching hot.
- Combat is better than most western games pursuing this style of game, allowing attacks to hit multiple people and start combos hitting thin air. May take a moment to adjust, but I find it much more enjoyable than sticky snap-to-target (Batman) fighting.
- Don't worry about it technically being the sixth game in the series. It's well-written and gripping enough for anyone to jump on board.
- The game is dialogue heavy, but credit to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, they use a variety of ways to deliver this to you. Some are cutscenes which feature detailed and animated character models. Followed by talking and text boxes, and then by dioramas with moody filters. You can be sat watching and reading the game for an hour, and yet they manage to keep your attention throughout. Fantastic use of their budget, assets and voice-acting talent.
- At time of writing I have not played any other Yakuza game.
- I like Space Harrier more than Outrun.
Yakuza 0 is simply incredible. It provides in spades what so many developers have been clamouring for in their open-world games. Yakuza 0 is my gateway to this giant series, and it probably should be yours too. My PS2 copies of Yakuza 1 & 2 came in the post and 2023 is the year I will dive feet first into the sparkling ocean of Yakuza. While I can't yet recommend the entire series, Yakuza 0 is a modern must-play.
protip: turn the minimap off. not just for Yakuza 0, but for most video games. but especially Yakuza 0.
To demonstrate this, here is a slice of Yakuza 0:
I find myself in the bustling streets of Kamurocho, the noise, the lights, the pedestrians. With its dedicated "strut" button, I push past people and soak in the atmosphere. I beat up some thugs, eat some sushi, give kind words of advice to the chef, pick up some beers at the shop, hit up the arcade and put around ¥1000 in the Outrun machine. After that I go to work managing my burgeoning real estate empire, spending time organising my managers (many of whom are friends I have met in my escapades) and leave work to beat up some more goons. I then play some bowling, hit up a vending machine, and get a rare part for my tiny toy racecar. I get stopped by a film crew asked if I can step-in as a producer for a TV food program. I politely decline for now, since I'm meeting my best friend for a drink at his favourite bar. This then leads to a gripping series of cutscenes in one of videogames greatest crime thrillers.
It's a world built to suck you in. A fictional Japan you can keep inside a machine and take a tourist trip to without the need for lots of cash and long-haul flights.
Though, it is this Japan where Yakuza 0 does fumble a bit. I've never been to Japan, my knowledge largely comes from the videogames I've played and the few anime/manga I've consumed. The translation does take a degree of "cultural knowledge" as they include honorifics and a few "borrowed" words where translation wouldn't suffice. A strange example is when Kiryu gets called an "Otaku", when I feel "fanboy" would surely be suffice? And certainly be more welcoming to those who have not engaged with Japanese media as such.
(I feel an in-game glossary for the meanings of honorifics and borrowed words would have been a way to resolve this. Like, I'm not entirely sure on the difference between calling someone "-chan" and "-kun", and the game has been translated in a way that somewhat assumes I should.)
These issues are compounded by the fact that a lot of background and fight dialogue goes untranslated. I understand it may have been a mess to bring up subtitles for every bark and murmur in Kamurocho, or every bit of pre-fight banter. But, I can't help feel I'm missing something. Ultimately, this is a user issue. I don't speak Japanese, and Yakuza 0 certainly makes me wish I could.
Alright, few bullet points before I wrap up:
- The game is incredibly dense with content and the cracks will show if you stick at one thing too long. Variety is the spice of life, and Yakuza 0 is scorching hot.
- Combat is better than most western games pursuing this style of game, allowing attacks to hit multiple people and start combos hitting thin air. May take a moment to adjust, but I find it much more enjoyable than sticky snap-to-target (Batman) fighting.
- Don't worry about it technically being the sixth game in the series. It's well-written and gripping enough for anyone to jump on board.
- The game is dialogue heavy, but credit to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, they use a variety of ways to deliver this to you. Some are cutscenes which feature detailed and animated character models. Followed by talking and text boxes, and then by dioramas with moody filters. You can be sat watching and reading the game for an hour, and yet they manage to keep your attention throughout. Fantastic use of their budget, assets and voice-acting talent.
- At time of writing I have not played any other Yakuza game.
- I like Space Harrier more than Outrun.
Yakuza 0 is simply incredible. It provides in spades what so many developers have been clamouring for in their open-world games. Yakuza 0 is my gateway to this giant series, and it probably should be yours too. My PS2 copies of Yakuza 1 & 2 came in the post and 2023 is the year I will dive feet first into the sparkling ocean of Yakuza. While I can't yet recommend the entire series, Yakuza 0 is a modern must-play.
protip: turn the minimap off. not just for Yakuza 0, but for most video games. but especially Yakuza 0.