Future Classic: Yakuza 0
Despite popularity in its homeland, the west never truly embraced the Yakuza series until this Eighties‑themed prequel came along. We take a look at how the series finally made its international breakthrough
This Eighties origin story is a blast
THE BACKGROUND
With the Yakuza series achieving consistently excellent sales in Japan across five main games and an equal number of spin-offs, there was practically no question that a mainline instalment would be made for the Playstation 4. When it was finally revealed in 2014, players learnt that it would be set in the late Eighties, focusing on the series’ long-term protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and perennial fan favourite Goro Majima. This was a first for the series – while there had been two spin-offs set in ancient Japan, this look back to the ‘bubble era’ was the first proper Yakuza prequel.
Outside of Japan, the series’ future was not so assured. Between questionable localisation choices and poor timing, the first three games had only amassed a small following, and 2012’s zombie apocalypse spin-off Yakuza: Dead Souls did so badly that it took a Sony partnership for Sega to localise Yakuza 5 – and even then, it was a digital-only release, three years after the Japanese launch. Yakuza 0 was therefore something of a gamble, but Sega committed to the game, delivering a high-quality localisation with no cuts and a full retail release. This time, the publisher’s faith was rewarded – strong reviews and word of mouth praise made the PS4 version a hit in
2017, and the game was ported to PC in 2018 and Xbox One in 2020.
THE GAME
Yakuza 0 allows you to play as two low-ranking Tojo Clan gangsters, both of whom find themselves in trouble. In Tokyo, Kazuma Kiryu performs a routine debt collection job, only to find himself suspected of murder and kicked out of the Dojima Family after the debtor is found dead. Meanwhile, disgraced yakuza Goro Majima is given the chance to regain his place in the Shimano Family by performing a hit, only to reconsider when he meets his designated target. Over the course of the game, you’ll alternate between controlling both men, and discover how the pair are tied up in a much larger struggle for power in the criminal underworld.
For the most part, this involves running around cities, tracking leads to find out what your next move is and getting into fights. These brawls can range from small scuffles to epic encounters with dozens of enemies, as well as one-on-one boss fights. What makes these scenes so satisfying is the brutality on offer – everything you can do to an enemy in Yakuza 0 looks and feels like it hurts, and both Kiryu and Majima have three distinct fighting styles allowing them to trade off between speed and power. If you’re ever in need of something to even the odds, you can grab the nearest bike, traffic cone or even kettle and use it as a weapon.
Of course, you can also choose to pursue sidequests instead, and this is where the game’s less serious side shines. You’ll encounter some truly bizarre situations, from fairly sweet ones like Majima trying to win toys for a lonely little girl to distinctly muckier ones, such as the dominatrix who asks Kiryu to teach her how to punish people. From indomitable old ladies to public toilet graffiti artists, and from government officials to early mobile phone adopters, plenty of people out there need some help from their friendly neighbourhood gangsters.
But if you’re not feeling so altruistic, there are plenty of other ways to amuse yourself. Kamurocho and Sotenbori, the fictionalised versions of Tokyo’s Kabukicho and Osaka’s Dotonbori, aren’t huge environments but they’re densely packed with minigames and other things to do. If you wander into an arcade, you can play a game or two and try to win toys from the UFO Catcher. If you’re more into sports, you can bowl or try to hit a home run at the batting centre. You can play pub games, you can gamble, you can even try traditional board games like Shogi and Mahjong. And if you’re feeling really wild, let loose at the disco or a karaoke bar for some truly unforgettable scenes.
WHY IT’S A FUTURE CLASSIC
The fact that Yakuza 0 is a prequel works in its favour, as it’s awash with a drenching of Eighties nostalgia which will doubtless go down well with Retro Gamer fans. More importantly, it allows a fresh start to the story, which is valuable now that the series is so large and its plot so convoluted.
It’s great for existing fans to see Kiryu’s early days and get some insight into Majima, with plenty more enjoyable nods to later games to boot, but newcomers won’t feel left out of the loop either.
Beyond the plot, Yakuza 0 delivers everything the series has long been known for. Satisfying brawls, meaty plots and a wealth of distractions are all present, and due to the fact that the engine was rebuilt from the ground up for Yakuza 6, this prequel represents the ultimate evolution of the series’ original style, with more to see and do than the other games in the series. If you want the perfect entry point into what is one of today’s premier action-adventure series, Yakuza 0 is it.