Yakuza 0 Reviews
A novel twist on familiar gameplay elements, Yakuza Zero once again delivers a unique blend of real-world immersion, humanistic storytelling, and some of the best action gameplay on the market.
If there is a game that fully embodies and actually easily overcomes the definition of “complete package,” that’s Yakuza 0. It’s a rich, colorful and engrossing experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves the genre, Japanese culture, or simply a very, very good story with some of the best and most genuinely likable characters you’ll ever encounter in gaming.
Yakuza 0 excels in all that it sets out to do and may well be on its way to becoming a modern classic.
I sincerely hope gamers everyone give Yakuza 0 a chance. The series has never really been as popular over here like it is in Japan, but I truly do feel as if this game could change that and swing the momentum back around for Yakuza as a series and for SEGA. While it isn't a perfect game, it's one hundred percent worth diving head first in with and getting lost in this world that was created. It's a game that lays everything out on the table for you, and doesn't shy away from being exactly what it set out to be. A silly, serious, fun, and excellent game that explores the roots of the franchise we all have come to know and love. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more dancing and singing to get back to before Yakuza Kiwami releases in the Summer.
Yakuza 0's focus on refinement over ambition proved to be the right decision. This game features a very well-told story that's filled with an assortment of great characters and memorable moments. It's also a breakout moment for Goro Majima. He tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to characterisation, but here, Majima really comes into his own. The style select sub-system is a fantastic addition, because it allows for a level of flexibility that hasn't been seen in any of the previous entries. The expected massive amount of side content also benefits from an increased level of interdependency. Pursuing the multitude of amenities around town is rewarding in so many ways. This entry raises the bar for both the Yakuza series and action RPGs.
To play Yakuza 0 is to deeply fall in love with its characters and world; a challenge that many games try to conquer, but only a handful ever manage to actually achieve.
A wondrous melting pot of Japanese cultural excess distilled into a relentlessly compelling synergy of RPG and action elements, Yakuza 0 arguably represents the consummate entry point for newcomers to the series. Without a doubt, Yakuza 0 is a masterpiece and the first must-have title of the year.
Yakuza 0 is a great entry into the series, with plenty for old fans and newcomers alike. Its story is cheesy and melodramatic at times, and the graphics are a bit outdated, but between a nearly perfect melee combat system and a city bursting at the seams with activity, anyone looking for a sandbox crime game should definitely pick this one up.
It features all of the best aspects of the series with very little of the negatives, making for a game that I’ll probably still be digging through by the time Kiwami releases over here.
Yakuza 0 is an amazing start to 2017, with great combat, an engaging story and so many activities you won’t know what to do yourself. If you’re a fan of the series, you won’t want to skip on this entry. Even if you’ve never played the series, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not playing it. It’s a must have for people who love video games, and a great way to start the New Year.
Yakuza 0’s overarching faithfulness to its time and place in history provides fascinating insight into the time, and its over-the-top cutscenes and climactic fights quickly endeared me to the series. A hefty batch of side-games and engaging, well-paced combat roped me in and sold me on my first ever Yakuza experience, but the vibrancy of its semi-fictional Japan will be what I remember most. Yakuza 0 doubles-down on series’ signature combination of hyperbolic action and self-aware comedy, while providing an honest window into a major period in recent Japanese history, and does so flawlessly.
Don’t be intimidated by the series’ long history – this is an accessible starting point that’s likely to convert you into being a full-fledged fan
Yakuza 0 takes it back to where it all began, but a mildly interesting setting and story don’t quite make up for the game’s more tedious elements.
With an abundance of activities to partake in apart from the main story, you’ll no doubt spend countless hours exploring Kamurocho and Sotenbori.
For all its humour, its intelligent noirish thriller narrative, and the sheer amount of stuff to do, Yakuza’s real strength forever remains in the little details that it gets right about its representation of Japanese cities. Kiryu wanders into a convenience store to buy health supplements (restorative potions, in the vernacular of other JRPGs), and I’m homesick for Japan - even the convenience stores are exciting shopping trips in that country, I swear. Goro wanders down a street, and the lighting from the signs on the street makes me wish I was back in Japan right there and then.
Yakuza fans are in for a massive treat with Yakuza 0.
Yakuza 0 shows how the series has evolved over the years and adds a new layer of depth to each of the characters. Each side quest story has a wonderful payoff. Overall, I'd say Sega did a wonderful job creating a well written and designed game. I highly recommend it to old and newcomers to the series.
Yakuza 0 is simultaneously the best and worst starting point for newcomers like myself.
Playing Yakuza 0 has been a revelation, one tinged with excitement at the prospect of what I’ve been missing and can now experience. As a first foray into Sega’s world of gangsters, BDSM, and fishing minigames, it’s been an utter joy to play.