Yakuza, as a series… as an experience, is dense. Like the cities they're set in, these games are filled to the brim vertically with content. Add to this density of content a winding, twisting narrative that spans more than a decade's worth of releases and the franchise has become almost as...

Positives + A world you want to explore; + Fun, crushing combat system; + Memorable story and visuals

Negatives - Minor UI and camera improvements could have truly made this a classic; But honestly, it's still pretty close

Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the series with its story taking place in 1988 and begins with a young Kazuma Kiryu who is beating the snot out of a man to collect an unpaid debt. This takes place in an abandoned lot where this guy's body is later found.

Fantastic story and fun mini-games; great fighting mechanics with a good amount of variety and techniques to learn

Would love to have heard this game in English; but the Japanese voice acting is well done

The glitz, glamour, and unbridled decadence of the 80s are back in Yakuza 0. A prequel to the long-running series set in Japan's criminal underworld, this entry introduces mainstay protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and series regular Goro Majima as they...

-Dense content; -Unique Charm; -Compelling story

-Rough around the edges

I've written a few reviews for the Yakuza series at this point, and I still find it difficult to figure out how to start them. See, there's really not much else like Yakuza out there.

New fighting styles to ease up repetition; tons of stuff to do; new completion point system to reward hitting goals in various areas; much-improved engine

Slightly uncomfortable approach to sexuality; economy is off-balance due to massive amounts of cash inflow

Welcome back to the land of the Rising Sun in Yakuza 0 which is not only a prequel in this cult gaming series but takes players back to where it all started as you follow the lives of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima who become indoctrinated (with the player) into the so-called Japanese Mafia.

The Yakuza series has seen a resurgence in the West. The long-running action thriller found itself in a lengthy dormant period after the release of the fourth entry, save for the odd horror-themed spin-off Yakuza: Dead Souls in 2012.

Yakuza 0 is the origins story of Kazuma Kiryu and details his ascension into the ranks of the Yakuza – the name given to members of notorious Japanese crime organisations.

Plot is the key element of all the Yakuza games but trying to describe it is would make them sound either insanely boring or like a soap opera heavily mixed with a kung-fu movie. Instead it is more akin to what Die Hard would have been if it married Grand Theft Auto and made every character on the...

Concept: Help two different heroes navigate Japan's criminal underworld while participating in a staggering amount of side content in this prequel to the long-running series Graphics: The cities and most characters look good overall, though occasionally you see a face or model that looks like a...

A hallmark of excellence. It may have some flaws, but they are negligible to what is otherwise a supreme title.