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Yakuza Everywhere
It’s getting harder and harder for any serious gamer to avoid hearing about the Yakuza series. These games are constantly being championed by fans who are passionate about getting the word out there, you probably have already had someone try to tell you to play a Yakuza game before and for good reason, they are fantastic games.
In the past you had a lot more excuses. For most of the series lifespan you couldn’t access the series unless you had a PlayStation. That changed a while back when the series came to PC and opened the doors to more consumers. Fast forward to February 2020 and now Yakuza 0 is out on the Xbox as well, not only that, the sequels to Yakuza 0 will be releasing in the very near future and all will be available through Game Pass.
As of March 2020 you can play a Yakuza game on every major gaming platform available except for the Nintendo Switch, with any luck, that too will get a version of the renowned series.
Like Majima in Kiwami 1, Yakuza 0 is darn near everywhere.
What is Yakuza 0 about?
I don’t want to give away too much here, Yakuza 0 is a game that should be experienced fully by a new players without too much of the story given away. It’s not that the story is so amazing that to know anything about it would ruin the experience but I just want new players going in with as few expectations as possible so they can appreciate the full Yakuza experience.
This game is about a couple of young men, trying to find their place in the violent and dangerous world of the Japanese Yakuza. The Yakuza are basically highly organized gangs. Think of them like the Mafia just steeped heavily in Japanese culture.
You follow in the footsteps of the series main protagonist Kiryu Kazuma. You play as him at the tender age of 20, just as he is starting out his career in the Tojo Clan Family and laying down the foundations for what will be his eventual legend.
As the title suggest, the Yakuza series of games always involves dealing with the various yakuza factions and their litany of power struggles and problems.
The setting of Yakuza 0 is the late 80’s, like in the US, this was a time of economic boom. In Japan they were experiencing their bubble economy where real estate and stock prices were inflated and money was copious. This era of wealth is a prevalent theme in Yakuza 0 and is even featured in the gameplay throughout the 40+ hour quest.
The main hook of these games is that they are brawlers. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row where you are driving through an open world and getting into countless shoot outs. This is a lot more like Streets of Rage or Final Fight, where you are constantly beating up random thugs and bosses in hand to hand combat. The difference is that there is a lot of story and activities to do on top of the fighting.
It’s not all punching and kicking, there are weapons in this series as well, including guns, but again, they are used a lot more like something in an old school brawler as opposed to the lethality of guns and weapons in a game like Grand Theft Auto.
This game is a really strange mix you don’t see anywhere else really. It’s hard to come up with a one of one comparison to a Yakuza game. I suppose it’s most like Shenmue but a lot faster paced, a lot more focused on action, and a lot more modern.
What makes Yakuza 0 and the Series so Great?
The charm of this franchise is that you cannot put it in a box. At their heart, the Yakuza games are action-adventure brawlers with deep story and light RPG elements. Saying that is distilling Yakuza to its most basic essence, that’s also not a great job of describing what the game truly is.
This is an action game. It is an adventure game with deeply rich characters and dense story. Yakuza 0 is a glorified soap opera with all the twists and turns that entails. It is cheesy and magnificently well crafted at the same time. Sentimental and brutally callous. The themes in this game can be incredibly shallow and ridiculous but also moving and grounded in emotions so strongly that you can’t help but resonate with them..
To be blunt, I consider Yakuza 0 a masterpiece, a creative production of art that is wholly its own even while being heavily derivative of other video games and genres. There is nothing else out there quite like it and after you experience a Yakuza game you will be able to recognize one any time you come across a new entry.
Yakuza 0 isn’t perfect though it may be perfect for you
As amazing as I feel this series is, these games like all games, are not for everyone. The story in Yakuza games is quite involved, there are many cutscenes that can take upwards 3-5 minutes. The story is very cinematic, with frequent scenes when you are progressing the main story thread.
For people who don’t have a lot of patience for story and dialogue, this game can drag, especially in the early hours. If you don’t mind a lot of story though, it’s very well done and the payoffs are well worth the initial investment.
The gameplay is finely tuned but a bit dated. Yakuza 0 came out a few years ago and even then it was running on a refined version of a game engine that was long in the tooth. For some this may be a big detriment but for many it will be a non issue.
The graphics are also dated, the game still looks good but you can tell that it’s not on par with the high end titles today. This was the last game in the series to use the old engine that started back on the PS3.
Yakuza is worth checking out for any fan of action games
Even if some of the above issues seem like they may dissuade you, I still highly suggest you try the game out for yourself. Yakuza 0 is available to play right now on Xbox Game Pass. The game is routinely on sale on PC for dirt cheap prices. The game can also be found for sale frequently on the PlayStation 4 where it originally launched in 2015.
Yakuza 0 is the best place to start off if you are looking to get into the Yakuza series. and you can play it on nearly every platform for cheap. If you have Game Pass and are looking for a new action adventure, give it a download at no extra cost.
If you enjoy action games, enjoy a good story, and enjoy some serious drama, Yakuza 0 could be the absolute gem you didn’t know you were looking for. This is a game that offers up enough content and intrigue to keep gamers happy for weeks.
There are no more excuses left, you have heard it from friends, from gaming outlets, from gamers on social media, and now from Omni Game Player, try Yakuza, get one of the games on sale or in a deal when one comes up you are willing you to pull the trigger on.
The barrier to entry is pretty low across the board and the benefit of finding a beloved new game series is well worth it.
The games are out there, just floating around in cyberspace being amazing and they are waiting for you to play them. Experience one of the most unique and fantastically fun franchise in gaming today.
Are you fan of the Yakuza series? Which is your favorite? Leave a comment below and let’s talk discuss it!
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