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

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

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.

The Yakuza franchise was released in Japan back in 2005 on the PlayStation 2, and, since then, has become a franchise that is loved in its home country. In the West it has found itself a cult status, but has struggled to find a fanbase as strong as it has in the East.

Lots to do; A genuinely gripping story; Side stories offer a nice variety of situations; Combat is beautifully brutal; A great localisation job

Combat can start to be tedious against low levelled foes; Lack of English voice over creates an accessibility issue for some; Some combat styles feel over powered; Controls can feel a bit clunky at times

One of the best games on the system. I finished it at about 120 (one-hundred and twenty) hours. Go play it, it's worth every cent.

The best modern beat um' up I've played in ages. It can get a bit repetitive after a while but the compling story and literally 100 side missions/dozens of mini games will keep you busy for hours. The writing is both dramatic and hilariously funny.

While this could be one of the best of the Yakuza games, it full of violence and swearing, the fights are mostly tame however the heat action moves could range from enemies having their heads pushed into wall or being crushed by bicycles.

I have to say I've never played a game quite like this before. It was serious and intense in some parts and then it was goofy in others, but it added on to the enjoyment. After completing this game I bought Yakuza Kiwami this past Black Friday in hopes that it's just as good as this one.

This is one awesome game!

To be fair, my gaming history is not very extensive - but I am picky when it comes to games. I've really enjoyed final fantasy xv-esque games where there are lots and lots of side quests and beautiful scenery. I thought Yakuza 0 was similar in nature.