The first Yakuza game in the series I played, and I'm completely blown away by the story driven narration, cinematic cutscenes and gameplay contents. So much so I even went and played the remastered Kiwami 1 and 2 within a few weeks of finishing this game, as I'm so invested into the series now.

Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the 2005 Yakuza game, and is set in the late 80s Japan of fictional Tokyo and Osaka districts. A third person adventure and action game set in an open world environment with tons of explorations, substories and minigames to experience. You get to play as two young protagonists in the game that alternates between each chapter; Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima, both associated with the Yakuza Tojo Clan and both having their own struggles with the clan's subsidiary families' fight over power and growth.

Gameplay is similar to your typical button smashing brawler game, however what makes Yakuza different from other brawler games is the different variety of "Heat Actions" you can execute to finish off your enemies. With each subsequent skills you unlock in a Skill Tree as you progress, you also have the potential to unlock various Heat Actions that can provide a satisfying and sometimes hilarious blows, and finishes against your opponents with a weapon or your bare hands.

Substories and minigames are also one of Yakuza's strongest emphasis on content besides the story missions. The amount of substories you can do almost equates to the length of the main story itself. Although some substories are very plain and simple to complete, there are a few others that can really crack a smile on your face with the associated characters's hilarious dialogues and/or actions that almost defies logic. Likewise, there are also plentiful of minigames you can participate in and win unique items and gears with. However, what I dislike is when certain substories are blocked behind a particular minigame that can result in a huge grind to complete, especially those tied with gambling.

Cutscenes, combined with excellent Japanese voice acting and cinematography are absolutely stunning to watch between story chapters. Almost every cutscene in the game can be a potential wallpaper material. Although some may argue that the cutscenes are too long for a game, I would definitely say that the length is perfect for telling the story of the two protagonists and their struggles.

9/10

The first Yakuza game in the series I played, and I'm completely blown away by the story driven narration, cinematic cutscenes and gameplay contents. So much so I even went and played the remastered Kiwami 1 and 2 within a few weeks of finishing this game, as I'm so invested into the series now. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the 2005 Yakuza game, and is set in the late 80s Japan of fictional Tokyo and Osaka districts. A third person adventure and action game set in an open world environment with tons of explorations, substories and minigames to experience. You get to play as two young protagonists in the game that alternates between each chapter; Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima, both associated with the Yakuza Tojo Clan and both having their own struggles with the clan's subsidiary families' fight over power and growth. Gameplay is similar to your typical button smashing brawler game, however what makes Yakuza different from other brawler games is the different variety of "Heat Actions" you can execute to finish off your enemies. With each subsequent skills you unlock in a Skill Tree as you progress, you also have the potential to unlock various Heat Actions that can provide a satisfying and sometimes hilarious blows, and finishes against your opponents with a weapon or your bare hands. Substories and minigames are also one of Yakuza's strongest emphasis on content besides the story missions. The amount of substories you can do almost equates to the length of the main story itself. Although some substories are very plain and simple to complete, there are a few others that can really crack a smile on your face with the associated characters's hilarious dialogues and/or actions that almost defies logic. Likewise, there are also plentiful of minigames you can participate in and win unique items and gears with. However, what I dislike is when certain substories are blocked behind a particular minigame that can result in a huge grind to complete, especially those tied with gambling. Cutscenes, combined with excellent Japanese voice acting and cinematography are absolutely stunning to watch between story chapters. Almost every cutscene in the game can be a potential wallpaper material. Although some may argue that the cutscenes are too long for a game, I would definitely say that the length is perfect for telling the story of the two protagonists and their struggles. 9/10