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LTTP: Yakuza 0, aka what black magic makes this so amazing

S

Shadowman16

Member
Messed around with a bit more side content...

Cat fighting - hated this in the Japanese version due to the seemingly cheating AI and randomness but I've unlocked it now so I gave it another chance. And yeah, its still total garbage. The little quotes you get about the girls before the fights seem completely useless as is trying to tactically use any attacks, AI just seems to cheat. Looks like I'll be using my same strategy as in the Japanese version - pick Jennifer and hammer the X button to randomly cycle through attacks until I win 10 tournaments (yes, this is a valid tactic and it does get you the trophy, just takes some time and patience due to the hilarious randomness of it all).

Super Hang On - Not a big fan. I mean, I love Outrun (well, when the traffic isn't being evil!) but I don't like the turbo feature in this, it adds an extra layer of difficulty that only serves to make the game even harder, especially when it has all the difficulty issues Outrun had.

Baseball - Still love it, nothing beats blowing 5,000,000 yen on a single pitch! 60% done on the mini game completion on this, not particularly difficult once you memorise the ball speeds but still pretty tense since you have to get several strikes in a row.

I'll most likely finish up the Pleasure King battle and get to the main story tomorrow, I'm itching to switch back to Majima.

Also did a couple of my favourite side stories:
Buying the kid a adult magazine - some brilliant dialogue in this one, and one of the few forced stealth sections that cracks me up instead of making me rage. A well executed side story!

Babysitting whiny kid Daigo. Part way through this mission I considered the alternate history I could have created by simply not helping Daigo in '88. What would have changed? Would he have died thereby changing the Tojo Clan forever? Would he have hardened up become a tyrant? Would he actually become a good leader? Unfortunately we already know how this ends :( Oh well, he did get to be badass for that one bit in Yakuza 3 I guess...
 
D

DataBased

Member
Just finished this game recently. What a ride! This was my first time playing a game from the series and I'm definitely sold on Kiwami.
 
C

CannonFodder52

Member
Shadowman16 said:
Messed around with a bit more side content...

Also did a couple of my favourite side stories:
Buying the kid a adult magazine - some brilliant dialogue in this one, and one of the few forced stealth sections that cracks me up instead of making me rage. A well executed side story!

Babysitting whiny kid Daigo. Part way through this mission I considered the alternate history I could have created by simply not helping Daigo in '88. What would have changed? Would he have died thereby changing the Tojo Clan forever? Would he have hardened up become a tyrant? Would he actually become a good leader? Unfortunately we already know how this ends :( Oh well, he did get to be badass for that one bit in Yakuza 3 I guess...
Click to expand...

Those side quests were excellent. The second one you listed felt especially awesome, given the context.
 
S

Shadowman16

Member
CannonFodder52 said:
Those side quests were excellent. The second one you listed felt especially awesome, given the context.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I love how many of the main characters get fleshed out a little bit in 0. Well except for
Yumi who gets mentioned once in passing... poor Yumi :( Also why does Nishiki seemingly not mention his own sister at any point (so far?).
.

Anyway, completed chapter 6 after messing around loads. Managed to post in some better scores and times in Super Hang On, think I'm actually starting to get the hang of it!

I'd forgotten just how powerful the end of chapter 6 was, and it also has one of my favourite transitions from a cutscene into a boss battle. Now back to Majima where I'm sure I'll spend 90% of my time conquering rival hostess clubs!
 
D

Doctor_Thomas

Member
The way everyone removes their suits to fight in this is hilarious. Like removing a towel. I don't know why I find it hilarious every time.
 
O

OldHand

Neo Member
Just finished it, having done most of it (hostess game, 5 billionaires etc) but nowhere near to getting enough CP points to unleash the 5th styles.

What a game! So much drama, so much craziness, so much variety. First Yakuza game and so glad there's more to play.

Favourite bit - had to get recruiting nugget!
 
B

bndadm

Member
I just unlocked telephone club. The instructions are amazing. I really am just so glad to be into these games now.

Also the concept of phone clubs fascinates me. I'm guessing these existed once.
 
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lucebuce12

Member
bndadm said:
Also the concept of phone clubs fascinates me. I'm guessing these existed once.
Click to expand...
Yup. The phone cards you collect are of real JAV/Gravure actresses. The phone clubs existed. The video booths existed. Pocket tissue advertisements are still a thing.

Though I don't think Cat fighting clubs were as grandiose as they're shown in this game.
 
C

CannonFodder52

Member
Shadowman16 said:
Yeah, I love how many of the main characters get fleshed out a little bit in 0. Well except for
Yumi who gets mentioned once in passing... poor Yumi :( Also why does Nishiki seemingly not mention his own sister at any point (so far?).
.
Click to expand...
Yea I was also surprised about
lack of Yumi stuff.
Still cool to see a ton of young faces.
Wireframe said:
The music is a huge part of it for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHQa1SA3EtI

So epic.
Click to expand...

Yea, his theme is really good. I especially loved his
second boss fight. It had an insanely high adrenaline pre fight cutscene. The aesthetic was top notch, Kuze's motorcycle has fallen over at the end of the tunnel with it's headlight shining on the two as they fight.
 
D

Doctor_Thomas

Member
Just finished the game.

Great rollercoaster ride!

I loved switching between Kiryu and Majima and how their seemingly unconnected stories became intertwined. Worked really well.
 
C

cryptosporidium

Member
beat the game today, will enjoy oing back to finish substories one day.

Really enjoyed the story, it laced everything together well. Didnt understand why (beyond game logic) why groups of enemies ould chase me down regardless of what was happening in the story. narrative dissonance

The combat was very meh, ill probs play kiwami on easy as i enjoy the others aspects far more
 
L

lucebuce12

Member
cryptosporidium said:
Really enjoyed the story, it laced everything together well. Didnt understand why (beyond game logic) why groups of enemies ould chase me down regardless of what was happening in the story. narrative dissonance
Click to expand...
Well it makes no sense in this game but in Yakuza 1 and 2, they actually gave a reason for it.

The reason is that because Kiryu was famous for being one of the hardest hitting motherfuckers in the Yakuza who can take anybody down, Yakuza members would often pick fights with Kiryu because being the one to defeat him would grant them incredible renoun as "the guy who beat the Dragon of Dojima". That and bosses would sometimes just send thugs to beat up Kiryu (even though they knew they aren't actually gonna be able to do shit to him)
 
Humdinger

Humdinger

Member
Finished tonight. What a great game.

+ complex, dramatic story that kept getting better and held my attention the whole way
+ combat fun, visceral, varied
+ lots of meat (spent 48 hours on main story plus a dozen side missions, much unexplored)
+ weirdness
+ authenticity re. yakuza
+ good localization
+ good modeling on the 8 to 10 main characters
+ good voice acting (even though it's subtitled)
+ very funny at times

- graphics are PS3-ish for the most part
- so many moving pieces, hard to keep track of clans and players

Surprises:

+ how emotional I got at times. They go for the drama, in a big, unrestrained way, and they often succeed
+ what a great sense of humor the game has; it takes itself very seriously and yet ... doesn't, at all
+ what an odd mix of serious melodrama and complete silliness
+ how strong the story was, and what a big part of the game the story was
+ how deep it got into the characters' motives and personalities (especially the main two, and their origins)

Easy 9/10. Great game. Were it not for Horizon, this would be my GOTY.
 
S

Skulldead

Member
I've just hit 23 hours yesterday, chapter 6. You were right, this game blow of the water Yakuza 5 by a miles. I mean i force myself to finish Y5, but the time in this game pass like nothing. The main mini-game with real estate is way better then any sidequest of Yakuza 5 (exception of taxi who was pretty good also), Can't wait for Majina one.

Also everything seem way more balance in this game, money is pretty hard to come by if you don't abuse of mr-shakedown, sidestory also don't make you character OP like previous game (i did already like 75% of them). Also mini game are really challenging compare to previous entries (not as hard as Yakuza 2, but near in some case). I can't wait to play more !
 
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Cess007

Member
Skulldead said:
I've just hit 23 hours yesterday, chapter 6. You were right, this game blow of the water Yakuza 5 by a miles. I mean i force myself to finish Y5, but the time in this game pass like nothing. The main mini-game with real estate is way better then any sidequest of Yakuza 5 (exception of taxi who was pretty good also), Can't wait for Majina one.

Also everything seem way more balance in this game, money is pretty hard to come by if you don't abuse of mr-shakedown, sidestory also don't make you character OP like previous game (i did already like 75% of them). Also mini game are really challenging compare to previous entries (not as hard as Yakuza 2, but near in some case). I can't wait to play more !
Click to expand...

If you invest in the real estate mini-game and unlock it's perks on the Shrine, you can make a lot of money each 5-10 minutes.
 
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Skulldead

Member
Cess007 said:
If you invest in the real estate mini-game and unlock it's perks on the Shrine, you can make a lot of money each 5-10 minutes.
Click to expand...

I did the perk, waste all my 60 cp on this. Take like 4-5 minutes to complete. But you have to go back there every time !
 
C

Charlouie Jonesman

Banned
Now, while everyone here is waiting for Kiwami, is the right time to give Binary Domain a try if you haven't already. It's developed by the Yakuza development team and is pretty much to shooting what Yakuza is to punching in that it's a bit unpolished and simplistic, but it feels very arcadey and the hit feedback is great.

sREqy6O.gif


The story is surprisingly fun and engaging despite what trailers made it look like and the characters are fun too, even if they do fall into stereotypes. It's basically the Yakuza development team & writer's attempt at a dumb, fun blockbuster movie. Or at Metal Gear. Or at Blade Runner.

You even meet a couple of low-level Yakuza, as the game takes place entirely in futuristic Japan.

This is kind of an early game spoiler but this scene is what made me go and get the game, which in turn got me into the Yakuza franchise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEx-2HKFJTc
 
S

Shadowman16

Member
I need to get another copy of Binary Domain... I have it for the PC, but my PC (graphics card) no longer works. Character wise its way better than most TPS games, the French robot alone wins it for me, and the little dialogue choices you get periodically were nice touches. Plus the story had a few really nice twists that kept me engaged to the end.

Oh, and maiming robots never got old, robots were more fun than most other TPS bullet sponge enemies. And its got great boss fights.
 
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lucebuce12

Member
Binary Domain: Bigger Bo edition

But seriously, to any TPS and/or Yakuza fans reading this, play Binary Domain if you enjoyed the Yakuza series or just TPSs in general.
 
C

Charlouie Jonesman

Banned
Fun fact: Despite being a TPS specifically geared towards the western market, the game sold much better in Japan when it came out, due to it's Yakuza franchise ties.

Also, I'm Big Bo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m7QjqemJRc

Shadowman16 said:
Plus the story had a few really nice twists that kept me engaged to the end.
Click to expand...

The game avoids most of the obvious twists and goes kinda bonkers near the end. My only gripe is that some characters are completly shoved aside and forgotten about halfway through.
 
S

Son Of Sparda

Member
Collateral22 said:
Just bought this. 22 pound on Amazon. Seems a good deal. Literally know nothing of this series bar the funny gifs ive seen.
Click to expand...
Nice. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

Here are a few things to keep in mind, though.
lucebuce12 said:
Remember that there is no autosave. You have to save at a phone in your home base, or on the streets.

Just play at your own pace. The game is fairly slow but starts to open up by chapter 2 so you can just follow the main story, or do substories at your own pace it's up to you.

Substories aren't marked on the main map, but you CAN obtain an item later on for both characters that reveals the start location for them.

The game allows you to finish every single side activity before the ending of the game, as well as AFTER finishing the story so don't worry about that.

And finally:
giphy.gif

giphy.gif

giphy.gif
Click to expand...

And don't forget to buy lots of potions/stamina drinks from drug/convenient stores. You never know when you might need them.
 
Sweet Bellic

Sweet Bellic

Member
More_Badass said:
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.
Click to expand...

I don't know... how is
a member of the Yakuza coaching a dominatrix or posing as a stranger's finance and going to dinner with her father (and then going on to write-in these stories to an in-game radio show)
any less dissonant than the similarly outlandish Strangers and Freaks missions from GTA V, or the Random Characters from GTA IV?
 
Humdinger

Humdinger

Member
One thing I appreciated about Yakuza 0 (my first Yakuza) was that the two main characters had a lot of trouble killing people. That's so different than almost every other non-comic book hero we see in Western games, to whom killing enemies is nothing, doesn't even register as a blip on conscience. But these guys struggle with it. Even though they're immersed in mob culture, there was a clear line there. They really struggled not to cross that line, even at great cost to themselves. I thought that was pretty cool.
 
D

Danneee

Member
Just finished it, 31 hours and not that many sub stories or side activities done.

Loved it but will wait for 6 next year and skip Kiwami as I'm not a fan of the tech this runs on. 6 looks like such an improvement.
 
L

lucebuce12

Member
Anderson DL said:
One thing I appreciated about Yakuza 0 (my first Yakuza) was that the two main characters had a lot of trouble killing people. That's so different than almost every other non-comic book hero we see in Western games, to whom killing enemies is nothing, doesn't even register as a blip on conscience. But these guys struggle with it. Even though they're immersed in mob culture, there was a clear line there. They really struggled not to cross that line, even at great cost to themselves. I thought that was pretty cool.
Click to expand...
Bro, you have no idea.

Kiryu is a straight up paragon of virtue to the point where it almost feels like he's Japanese Jesus by Yakuza 5.

The great thing about Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5's protagonists was that they switched things up. Yakuza 4 had 4 protagonists (including Kiryu) which included a character that had no ties to the Yakuza himself (also has a charisma stat set to 10), a corrupt cop and a member of the Yakuza who is basically Kiryu if Kiryu
wanted to REMAIN a yakuza
and was more than willing to cross the line of killing. Yakuza 5 even had a character who had a horrible past with the Yakuza.

It really helped shake things up and brought more variety to the protagonists.
 
U

UnluckyKate

Member
lucebuce12 said:
Bro, you have no idea.

Kiryu is a straight up paragon of virtue to the point where it almost feels like he's Japanese Jesus by Yakuza 5.

The great thing about Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5's protagonists was that they switched things up. Yakuza 4 had 4 protagonists (including Kiryu) which included a character that had no ties to the Yakuza himself (also has a charisma stat set to 10), a corrupt cop and a member of the Yakuza who is basically Kiryu if
Kiryu wanted to REMAIN a yakuza
and was more than willing to cross the line of killing. Yakuza 5 even had a character who had a horrible past with the Yakuza.

It really helped shake things up and brought more variety to the protagonists.
Click to expand...

He's both Jesus and God of ass kicking.
 
O

Out_Of_Ammo

Member
Anderson DL said:
One thing I appreciated about Yakuza 0 (my first Yakuza) was that the two main characters had a lot of trouble killing people. That's so different than almost every other non-comic book hero we see in Western games, to whom killing enemies is nothing, doesn't even register as a blip on conscience. But these guys struggle with it. Even though they're immersed in mob culture, there was a clear line there. They really struggled not to cross that line, even at great cost to themselves. I thought that was pretty cool.
Click to expand...

Indeed, if you ignore the whole (late game chapter)
shooting dudes in the face during a crazy car chase
sequence :p.
 
S

Son Of Sparda

Member
lucebuce12 said:
Bro, you have no idea.

Kiryu is a straight up paragon of virtue to the point where it almost feels like he's Japanese Jesus by Yakuza 5.

The great thing about Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5's protagonists was that they switched things up. Yakuza 4 had 4 protagonists (including Kiryu) which included a character that had no ties to the Yakuza himself (also has a charisma stat set to 10), a corrupt cop and a member of the Yakuza who is basically Kiryu if
Kiryu wanted to REMAIN a yakuza
and was more than willing to cross the line of killing. Yakuza 5 even had a character who had a horrible past with the Yakuza.

It really helped shake things up and brought more variety to the protagonists.
Click to expand...
GEBmGHc.gif
 
S

Shadowman16

Member
lucebuce12 said:
Bro, you have no idea.

Kiryu is a straight up paragon of virtue to the point where it almost feels like he's Japanese Jesus by Yakuza 5.
Click to expand...

Ok, this quote is brilliant! Also, in terms of Kiryu's reluctance to kill - I think Dead Souls of all games really showed this off. He straight up refuses a gun even when he's fighting zombies at first. He'd rather beat them up hand to hand than shoot (and kill) them. Of course he drops this stance quick, but I found it pretty entertaining none the less.

And its a pity that Dead Souls launched before Binary Domain, as they'd clearly gotten the hang of TPS mechanics way better by BD. I still love the Majima section though, his indulgence in the zombie apocalypse was brilliant, his side story with Daigo is hilarious, he still has the best hoestess romance side story in the series (in my opinion), and his version of "Get to the Top" is Karaoke genius at its finest. Even though its a so-so game, I could never actually hate Dead Souls, I still find it weirdly fun.
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Bought this during the sale but haven't started yet. What do I need to know about missables?
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
SephLuis said:
There are none.

After completing the game, there's the premium adventure mode here you can do everything you missed. So just play at your own pace.
Click to expand...

Oh that's great! I got pretty fed up with all the missables in earlier games and resorted to just ignoring most side activities.
 
Humdinger

Humdinger

Member
Playing Premium Adventure mode now. Turns out, I missed over half the side stories, even though they are one of my favorite parts of the game. I'm going to find most of the ones I missed. Just finished the Miracle Johnson one, lol.
 
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