Thanks to its outstanding writing, acting, cinematography and animation, Yakuza 0 tells an effective and surprisingly nuanced story of one man and his early journey through the complex world of organized crime.

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

I have an imported american copy, I wanted the limited edition which was US exclusive. Have just started and am already thoroughly enjoying myself. A huge amount to do! Tons of karaoke, minigames and upgrades, adds so much to the game. Don't overlook this amazing game.

Back in 2006, Sega of America attempted to sell the newly created Yakuza IP as the Grand Theft Auto of Japan. At the time, this marketing was the best way to convince Western PS2 owners to give the game a shot, but it was also the most misleading: in truth, the Yakuza games are more like cinematic...

There are so many games available that gamers are prone to making comparisons. These range from some very simple and innocent comments to game-defining labels like "it's Skyrim with guns".

So many activities! | Incredible stories | Varied combat

Dated visuals | No English voice overs | Archaic save system

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

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.

Update: Though I originally reviewed Resident Evil 7 on PS4 and PSVR, I've since had a chance to test the game on Xbox One and PC as well. Accordingly, additional information has been added to the bottom of this review.

Tight focus limits the amount of filler; Strong narrative and tense atmosphere; Upsetting amount of visual detail; Excellent variety thanks to the different family members and playable flashbacks; Refined survival-horror mechanics that balance old with new; Top-notch VR support

Certain sections drag; Some boss battles prove more annoying than intense; Enemies could be smarter and more capable; Puzzles go largely forgotten