Yakuza 0 Reviews

Early on in the game’s story, Kiryu’s friend Nishiki proclaims that a Yakuza is only as good as his image. It’s a shallow but understandable perspective given the context but it’s a sentiment that Yakuza 0 thankfully does not echo. It’s a game that not only has impeccable style but also a wealth of substance. When it all comes down to it, what I really enjoyed about Yakuza 0 was its inherent ability to constantly surprise me even after putting over forty hours into it. Every time I thought I had a handle on the game’s limitations (whether it be story or gameplay wise), it would somehow subvert my expectations by constantly one-upping itself. Ultimately, Yakuza 0 is a relentless journey into the unforgiving underbelly of Japan that is as rewarding as it is robust.

Yakuza 0 is a great starting point to one of the best JRPG series out now, and luckily, it works flawlessly on the Steam Deck.

Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows.

If you have never played a Yakuza game, Yakuza 0 makes for the perfect entry point. It introduces a host of wacky characters and starts the journey of Kiryu that certainly doesn’t end here. Beyond that, though, Yakuza 0 is just a damn good game, and that’s rad.

Yakuza makes its long-awaited debut on Xbox One with the best entry in the series. Yakuza 0 is a superlative game, boasting outlandish and violent combat, bizarre peripheral characters, and a story that introduces two great protagonists in Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Play it and you'll quickly become fully invested in all things Yakuza.

On their own, each of the above could make for a decent game, but combined they make a whole which brings home the feeling of what the Yakuza series is. Sprinkle that with incredible voice acting and a rocking soundtrack that really kicks it into high gear during fight scenes and you have the perfect entry to the Yakuza series on PC for anyone who is curious about it.  All that said, there were some bugs at launch with sound framerate. While these can be fixed by a simple edit, it’s st...

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.

The weird and wonderful Japanese action game series finally arrives on PC.

No matter if you've played the rest of the Yakuza series and know it like the back of your hand, or you're just now getting started as a fledgling fan, Yakuza 0 is a must-play. Not only does it act as an entertaining and compelling back story for Yakuza's coolest characters, Kiryu and Majima, but it offers a wealth of variations in gameplay for even the pickiest players. Like the rest of the games, it has plenty to offer, but most importantly, you'll be watching the rise of a dragon. And trust me, with Yakuza Kiwami 2 on the horizon, you're going to want to get started proper before embarking on your journey with Kazuma Kiryu.

The latest entry in this seasoned yet under-appreciated franchise may be it's finest and most accessible yet. Although it has some shortcomings, Yakuza 0 never disappoints those who are looking for an engaging story about the Japanese criminal underworld, with some dumb fun along the way.

Beyond the era and location-specific authenticity strived for and achieved in this title, both the dated combat and graphics leave something to be desired.

True to form, with added focus and polish that was a bit lacking in the last few titles. Breaking the faces of Japanese miscreants never looked, felt or sounded so good. The graphics are great, the music is solid, the 80’s vibe is charming, the story, while still ridiculous and fantastic, is much more coherent and focused. If you love that open-world, beat ’em up gameplay style and emotional, dramatic storytelling the series is known for you need look no further, as this game does it and does it well.

With a great story and a wide selection of crazy mini-games, Yakuza 0 is worth a look for series fans and newcomers alike. Some padding, some stiff animations in minor missions, and a couple of kinks with the camera and targeting in combat are all that hold this game back from becoming a legend.

The year is 1988, and its almost the holidays in the neon jungle of Kamurocho. As you walk further down the busy street, you stop to see an angry looking man breaking the jaw of another angry looking man by slamming his head into a vending machine.

Yakuza 0 features a great storyline that’ll draw in fans and newcomers alike and sets itself up in a world so filled to the brim with side content that players will find it hard to walk away.

The most entertaining Yakuza game so far, that’s part gangster epic and part surreal Japanese nightlife simulator.

Nothing is more humiliating to a Yakuza member than pummeling them with a teapot.

Sega's Japanese mafia series has found a welcome home in the west ever since its debut over a decade ago. Now that we've seen five games and a few spin-offs, it's time to finally visit the series' origins.

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.

Who would have thought that an empty lot would cause so much drama? The unused patch of land is the only thing standing in the way of a massive development project in Tokyo, attracting the attention of Japan’s criminal underworld and forever changing the fates of two men. The property in question may be small, but Yakuza 0 is a massive open-world game that provided me with some of the most fun I’ve had in years.

Yakuza 0 excels in all that it sets out to do and may well be on its way to becoming a modern classic.

With that note out of the way, Yakuza 0 is one of the best titles I have played in a long time, and is a stunning video game in general. There’s very little I can complain about here, and those things are so minor as to be insignificant. As such, I would like to award Yakuza 0 with a full score. PS4 owners would be doing themselves a disservice by not including this in their libraries.

Yakuza as a franchise has so far failed to gain any traction in the west- if ever that were to change, there is no better game than Yakuza 0 for that to happen with.

If you’re a Yakuza game veteran, Yakuza 0 should be considered absolutely essential, though it provides a great starting point for those wanting to get into the series too. There’s no better a time to get into it either, what with a remaster of the original title, Yakuza Kiwami, due in the west later this year. It may look a little dated at times and be a bit rough around the edges, but it offers a compelling story alongside some seriously enjoyable gameplay that is as varied as you want it to be. And not only that, but it does it whilst constantly surprising you with its mix of melodrama, charisma and oddball zaniness. 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.

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Yakuza 0‘s voice acting is near-perfect. Every voice fits its character, and the emotional range that the main characters have is excellent, especially when put on display in some of the game’s more emotional moments. Even during the silliest side-missions, the voices are spot-on. Hearing Kiryu awkwardly advise a BDSM worker how they can do better, or hearing Majima scold a pants-stealing schoolkid is hilarious, especially in missions where the characters get really into it.

It’s a perfect prequel that never steps on the toes of the original game, giving us great moments with fan favorite characters without ever stepping on the toes of Yakuza 1. Longtime fans will find an incredible prequel that perfectly fills in a gap that didn’t even need filling, while newcomers have their best reason yet to dive into the world of Yakuza. With the HD remake of Yakuza 1 coming overseas later this year, I recommend diving in as soon as possible.

We've bounced around the underbelly of Tokyo and have our Yakuza 0 review ready for you. Come and see if the wait for localization was worth it!

Yakuza 0 is another sprawling entry in the open-world series, packed with an extraordinary amount of things to do and centred around a genuinely compelling crime story. Since it’s a prequel, it’s also unburdened by the series’ increasingly intricate backstory and thus far more approachable for newcomers than the last few Yakuza games. While its melee combat may lag slightly behind modern genre standards, Yakuza 0 still hits far more than it misses and is a big, bold and bruising tour through the Japanese underworld.