More_Badass
Member
Before playing Yakuza 0, these were the kinds of GIFs that were informing my expectations going in as a newcomer to the series
I was expecting something over-the-top, weird, silly, wacky. Kind of like the story you'd find in Tekken cutscenes. And Yakuza 0 is certainly all those things. And yet Yakuza 0 is also a dark gripping crime thriller, and it somehow walks that high wire act between both perfectly, without ever feeling tonally dissonant.
I've currently played about 15 hours and just started Chapter 5, and I'm hooked. Both Kiryu's and Majima's stories are compelling, offering well-developed characters amid tales of interesting gang war machinations, honor and loyalty and respect, dark secrets, and thrilling chapter cliffhangers. And yet it's also about slot car racing, high school panty rings, cults, bad boy bands in a bind, mysterious martial arts masters, and all the other wacky, charming, and fun happenings throughout the city streets. Furthermore, the characterization of the two protagonists, the context of the substories, the themes of the narratives means it makes complete sense that these characters would help the desperate passersby they encounter; so far, none of the substories have suffered from that weird dissonance you'd find between side missions and the main campaigns in games like GTA.
Walking through the dense streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori is a joy. They remind me of walking through Time Square, but seedier, denser, and lit with extravagant amounts of 80s neon. The smaller scale helps to aid the characterization too, feeling like lively neighborhoods that Kiryu and Majima would be connected too (thus why they're so open to helping people). The streets ooze with personality, from the natural interconnectedness of main thoroughfares and the side streets and back alleys, to the web of wires crisscrossing above the streets or the clutter and displays on corners and in storefronts.
The substories are a major factor in the districts feeling lived-in and dynamic, as they're often situations you just stumble upon or stumble into you. And so far, they've all been fascinating. Partially it's because the culture and idiosyncrasies are completely unknown to me as an American, so every little story is interesting, peeling back a new layer of these people and their towns. I like how many of the substories I've done so far have barely involved combat and often feature dialogue choices, which I wasn't expecting.
The main missions are just as good; while they tend to follow a similar structure of go to place-cutscenes-fight, the story provides the context to make each one exciting. The two big end battles thus far (in Chapter 1 and 4) have all been thrilling, excellently-paced, narratively-driven climaxes. Kiryu's
Majima
I went into Yakuza 0 expecting something like a GTA, and what I got was something akin to a 3D action JRPG with the random battles you encounter, the inventory, the skill trees and equipment, the strong narrative focus. the unique side missions. All combined with really satisfying beat-em-up brawls.
I don't often like beat-em-ups and brawlers, but the combat in Yakuza 0 is so much fun. The combat styles all feel unique, and more importantly, they feel situational; while all are fun to use in general, you tend to want to use a different style for a big enemy compared to a large group or a large group with guns and knives. The contextual heat moves all hit like a damn truck, and are endlessly satisfying to perform and discover.
Yakuza 0 is perhaps my favorite gaming surprise of 2017. I was not expecting any of this. Not to be so engrossed in the story, or in the characters, or to like the combat so much, or find the worlds so intriguing and exciting to explore, or to find such a well-done crime thriller in what I thought was going to be silly nonsense.
And that's only after four chapters! The Yakuza series has a new fan, and I'm eagerly awaiting Kiwami; I hope that the older games come to PS Now (or for those 2/3/4/5 remakes to happen), because I really want to check out the rest of the series now and learn more about these characters.
Oh, and I'm so glad this is subbed rather than having a english dub.
I was expecting something over-the-top, weird, silly, wacky. Kind of like the story you'd find in Tekken cutscenes. And Yakuza 0 is certainly all those things. And yet Yakuza 0 is also a dark gripping crime thriller, and it somehow walks that high wire act between both perfectly, without ever feeling tonally dissonant.
I've currently played about 15 hours and just started Chapter 5, and I'm hooked. Both Kiryu's and Majima's stories are compelling, offering well-developed characters amid tales of interesting gang war machinations, honor and loyalty and respect, dark secrets, and thrilling chapter cliffhangers. And yet it's also about slot car racing, high school panty rings, cults, bad boy bands in a bind, mysterious martial arts masters, and all the other wacky, charming, and fun happenings throughout the city streets. Furthermore, the characterization of the two protagonists, the context of the substories, the themes of the narratives means it makes complete sense that these characters would help the desperate passersby they encounter; so far, none of the substories have suffered from that weird dissonance you'd find between side missions and the main campaigns in games like GTA.
Walking through the dense streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori is a joy. They remind me of walking through Time Square, but seedier, denser, and lit with extravagant amounts of 80s neon. The smaller scale helps to aid the characterization too, feeling like lively neighborhoods that Kiryu and Majima would be connected too (thus why they're so open to helping people). The streets ooze with personality, from the natural interconnectedness of main thoroughfares and the side streets and back alleys, to the web of wires crisscrossing above the streets or the clutter and displays on corners and in storefronts.
The substories are a major factor in the districts feeling lived-in and dynamic, as they're often situations you just stumble upon or stumble into you. And so far, they've all been fascinating. Partially it's because the culture and idiosyncrasies are completely unknown to me as an American, so every little story is interesting, peeling back a new layer of these people and their towns. I like how many of the substories I've done so far have barely involved combat and often feature dialogue choices, which I wasn't expecting.
The main missions are just as good; while they tend to follow a similar structure of go to place-cutscenes-fight, the story provides the context to make each one exciting. The two big end battles thus far (in Chapter 1 and 4) have all been thrilling, excellently-paced, narratively-driven climaxes. Kiryu's
rampage through HQ, tearing through Kuze's men, diving through windows for a bathroom brawl, and a boss fight.
closing in on his target, which turns into a stealthy escape through the city streets.
I went into Yakuza 0 expecting something like a GTA, and what I got was something akin to a 3D action JRPG with the random battles you encounter, the inventory, the skill trees and equipment, the strong narrative focus. the unique side missions. All combined with really satisfying beat-em-up brawls.
I don't often like beat-em-ups and brawlers, but the combat in Yakuza 0 is so much fun. The combat styles all feel unique, and more importantly, they feel situational; while all are fun to use in general, you tend to want to use a different style for a big enemy compared to a large group or a large group with guns and knives. The contextual heat moves all hit like a damn truck, and are endlessly satisfying to perform and discover.
Yakuza 0 is perhaps my favorite gaming surprise of 2017. I was not expecting any of this. Not to be so engrossed in the story, or in the characters, or to like the combat so much, or find the worlds so intriguing and exciting to explore, or to find such a well-done crime thriller in what I thought was going to be silly nonsense.
And that's only after four chapters! The Yakuza series has a new fan, and I'm eagerly awaiting Kiwami; I hope that the older games come to PS Now (or for those 2/3/4/5 remakes to happen), because I really want to check out the rest of the series now and learn more about these characters.
Oh, and I'm so glad this is subbed rather than having a english dub.
