Yakuza 0 is set in 1988, during Japan's legendary bubble era! Money flows like water—people casually wave JPY 10K (around USD 100) to call a taxi, Tokyo employees travel to Hokkaido just for lunch, and nightclub expenses are fully covered by their offices!
The Story is a Bit Lacking
This game takes us back to Kiryu and Majima's past. The first half is solid, but the latter half falls short. How does a blind girl vanish right next to Kiryu without being chased? Was she using teleportation? The bubble era truly was extraordinary!
Minimal Plot Twists—For the Better
After experiencing the wild storylines of Yakuza 1 through 6, Yakuza 0 stands out as more refined and grounded, making it a great entry point for newcomers. There are no absurd plot twists like rubber bullets, CIA twins, or sudden incompetence!
The Gameplay Feels Dated
Perhaps to stay true to tradition, Yakuza 0's combat feels stiff and sluggish—almost like playing Fighting Force on the PlayStation! Fortunately, it makes up for it with some incredible cinematic takedowns, like the awesome bicycle attack!
My Favourite Minigame
I often lost track of time completely, sidetracked by helping Majima's cabaret club candidates! Not only does this minigame fit perfectly with the bubble era setting, but it also challenges your reaction speed and micromanagement skills!
Grab If It's on Sale
If you see Yakuza 0 on sale (which happens often), I highly recommend picking it up! Even if you already own it, there's plenty of replay value—especially with the weird and wonderful mods available on PC. Someone even made Gandhara videos look more... "serious"!
Summary
Pros
- Cabaret club minigame.
- Bicycle Disaster!
- The bubble era setting is unique and provides insight into this infamous period.
- Serious Gandhara mod 😏
- The diabolus ex machina is pretty tame compared to other entries.
Cons
- Other minigames aren't great, especially Pocket Circuit, which is too RNG-heavy.
- Primitive combat design. The developers should take notes from Devil May Cry 4 for smoother, more satisfying combat.
- Cutscenes are really long.
- Levelling up Dragon/Mad Dog style takes forever.
- Substories aren't as engaging as those in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
An Indonesian version of this article, also written by me, has been published on my workplace's Instagram account.