Sandbox games, by nature, generally offer a lot of content. There are a series of challenges scattered around the map, giving the player a large playing field with things to do. Yakuza 0, however, goes far beyond the average sandbox game in that it actually feels like it takes place in a real city.

Two interesting playable characters with differing playstyles; Brutal; challenging melee combat; Tons of side activities and challenges; The cities you play in are some of the most fully realized you'll see in a video game

Map system gets a little irritating at times; Great art direction doesn't fully make up for the dated graphics

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

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.

is another sprawling entry in the open-world series, packed with an extraordinary amount of things to do and centred around a genuinely compelling crime story. Since it's a prequel, it's also unburdened by the series' increasingly intricate backstory and thus far more approachable for newcomers than...

A wonderful starting point for new fans and a meaningful entry for invested fans.

Lots of stuff to see and do; great story and characters; and a wonderful setting evocative of the time and themes

Missing some modern conveniences found in later titles; fighting can either bore or massively frustrate in its worst moments; and the whole thing takes a bit too long to arrive at what makes it great

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

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.

One year has passed since we sunk dozens of hours into Yakuza 5, and these days it seems as though fans have more reasons than ever to be happy, as the traditional sparsity of the franchise seems gone for good.

The most entertaining Yakuza game so far, that's part gangster epic and part surreal Japanese nightlife simulator.

The storytelling is excellent, in terms of cinematography, pacing, and the large cast of characters; Huge variety of, often very funny, side missions

Despite minor improvements the combat is still too shallow to satisfy as the only action element; Low tech visuals can be distracting

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...