Release date: 12 March 2015

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku

Publisher: SEGA

Platforms: Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X, PS4, and PS5.

 

“Yakuza 0 improved the gameplay formula that was nurtured by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio for 10 years and added the missing links: a powerful, cohesive, and moving story plus unforgettable characters and meaningful connections. Yakuza 0 is a smash hit and a perfect entry point for players who want to get acquainted with the legendary franchise.”

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For a long time, the Yakuza series by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, one of the key SEGA studios was regarded as hit or miss among the players. Inspired by yakuza movies and pre-millennial Japanese crime dramas, Yakuza games mix action beat‘em up in the semi-open world with quirky mini-games, activities, and funny yet emotional side content. In most cases for players, it is a love-or-hate relationship with no middle ground. No wonder the previous title “Yakuza 5” which was the biggest, the most ambitious, and technologically advanced title was initially released as a Japanese market exclusive with no localizalized version for the Western audience. But with Yakuza 0 the approach was changed by 180 degrees. With the new title, RGG targeted global players right from the start.

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One of the essential elements of the Yakuza 0 foundation is that RGG carefully revised their mistakes from the previous games, especially Yakuza 5. The team carefully analyzed what things made the games great and what was redundant and hurt the next title’s potential success. First of all multiple-protagonist storytelling which was introduced in Yakuza 4. Yakuza 4 has arguably the weakest and the most fragmented story of all games by featuring 4 main characters whose story arcs should be completed one by one. RGG saw the issue and they went with a new approach in Yakuza 5 in making a HUGE game. More protagonists (5), more content, more mini-games, more cities, more of just everything. But this didn’t solve the problem after all as the approach itself goes against the natural drama flow rule of rising action. Each time after reaching the highest point of dramatic tension in a certain character story arc it was due to reset, losing all the momentum and player’s excitement and interest. With Yakuza 0 RGG going a different route with two arguably the most popular protagonists with contrasting personalities and backgrounds with the simultaneous turn-by-turn story flow. That was an elegant decision that allowed the game to save previous titles’ different angle story views and to keep the drama tension momentum intact.

 

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Another key feature point is the game setting. The events take place in familiar environments of Kamurocho (real Kabukichō) and Sotenbori (real Dōtonbori). The Late 1980s is the time of the real-estate boom in Japan, making it one of the leaders of the world economy at that time. Yakuza, money, influence, fashion, and disco are the keywords of that era. The atmosphere of the bustling 80s was recreated with care and professionalism. The way how the city looks, the way how people dress, the way how they act. Even further to emphasize the “money mania” mindset of 80s Yakuza 0 featured moneybag enemies. While you heating the enemies the money rains from them with each successful hit making it easy to earn multiple figures of funds. Moreover, to improve and train your skills the player needs to spend actual money rather than experience points – money earned  - money wasted! The visuals follow the trend, the lighting during the night works magic giving Yakuza 0 a unique vibe that is not present in any other games of the Yakuza franchise.

 

The story kicks off on a high note for both characters and never loses steam. In December 1988, yakuza Kazuma Kiryu is framed for murder in an empty lot in Kamurochō, Tokyo. As the Empty Lot is the last piece of land needing to be purchased before the Tojo Clan can redevelop the area, it has become the target of Dojima Family patriarch Sohei Dojima. At the same time, In Sotenbori, ex-yakuza Goro Majima is forced to run a cabaret club, as punishment for his involvement in the Ueno-Seiwa assassination in 1985. Following a new order from his boss, Majima is offered a chance to rejoin the Yakuza Family by assassinating a person named Makoto.  The emergence of Tsuyoshi Furuta in the scriptwriting team turned the tide as the story of Yakuza 0 is arguably the best in the franchise’s history, full of twists, personality, and adrenaline. It rarely loses common sense ground while maintaining an emotional roller coaster feeling throughout the game and is head and shoulders above the competition of previous titles. Characters are full of personality, believable, memorable, and the most important thing - consistent. No matter whom are we talking about – friends or foes, recurring or brand new characters. They shall stick with you for quite a while after the playthrough and today's Dramatic Analysis shall be dedicated to one of the Yakuza 0 key characters.

 

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The core gameplay feels similar to Yakuza 5 but with major improvements. In Yakuza 5 player had four characters each with distinct fighting styles, but in Yakuza 0 the player is offered two characters and three different fighting styles for each making it to six fighting styles in total. More importantly, the player can switch styles in the heat of battle. Every player shall find what he likes best choosing from Kiryu’s gorilla mode to agile puncher or going for a disco (yes!) madness from Majima. As before the fighting sequences in Yakuza 0 are brutally beautiful featuring a respectable amount of gore and violence which is appreciated by the fans of the franchise. The game is full of varying difficulty and diverse encounters that shall keep players on their toes, although there is a noticeable jump in difficulty in the last third of the game. One of the most welcome addition is the recurring antagonist that builds up hatred and drama tension, something that was hardly done before (except for a brief moment in Yakuza 2). The technical nuisances would include loading times while entering indoors and the inability to save from the menu.

 

The game boasts a beautiful collection of substories that are traditionally comic but touch upon quite serious and emotional topics. In these terms, there are no filler substories in the game and the quality varies from “good” to “brilliant”. You shall teach the rock star how to act “cool”, take part in shooting the movie, dive into the cult investigation, and a lot of other exciting stuff. Some of the substories are directly connected to the mini-games. The most notable addition is cabaret club management which itself contains smaller activities such as hostess training, running the operations, and beating rival clubs at party contests. The mini-game quickly became fan popular and was featured again with very minor changes in the remake of Yakuza 2 which was released in 2017. The real estate business provides another opportunity for players to distract themselves from daily skull cracking and running around the lively environments of Sotenbori and Kamurocho. The special prize takes a Disco dancing mini-game which perfectly makes sense in the fresh setting and adds style points.

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The cutscenes are done beautifully and the character animation looks excellent, but overall how the game looks and plays feel is very similar to Yakuza 5 experience. There is improvement in graphics, in-game animations, and lighting but not on a different level, as Yakuza 0 is a cross-gen title that was also released on the 9-year-old console. The music score could very well be the best in the series featuring Hidenori Shoji as the main composer and chief sound producer. The original soundtrack includes absolute bangers with multiple million listens on the popular streaming platforms. The fighting themes are an absolute pleasure musically and add to the already full of intensity and adrenaline scenes making these sequences one of the most memorable in the franchise’s history. Baka Mitai which has become an internet meme is an absolutely beautiful music piece that contributed a great deal to the Yakuza 0 success, especially in the Western market. But Yakuza 0 wouldn’t be an RGG Yakuza game without its top-notch voice acting and again, this time RGG brought their game to a new level. The mainline story voices are full of charisma and add to the immersion of the experience. What is more important this can be said both about the main cast which appears on the front cover and supporting cast members whose roles might not be very significant in the bigger story picture but are taken care of professionally with an individual approach. The only real weak link of the game in the sound department is the lack of voiceovers in substories as in other Yakuza games, sadly but it is one of the few things that separates Yakuza 0 from being a true AAA product quality. This issue would be taken care of in the next entry from RGG Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Despite minor technical issues it is safe to say that Yakuza 0 is a fan favourite and a one-of-a-kind experience to remember.

 

Yakuza 0 improved the gameplay formula that was nurtured by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio for 10 years and added missing key elements: a powerful, cohesive, and moving story plus unforgettable characters and meaningful connections. Yakuza 0 is a smash hit and a perfect entry point for players who want to get acquainted with the legendary franchise.

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WARNING: The section below contains spoilers about story, characters and endings. If you haven't played completed Yakuza 0 reading this analysis shall ruin once beautiful experience.

 

 

Strong points:

• Perfect Drama flow chart, the dramatic tension is high at the start and rarely ever goes down, making Yakuza 0 story the most exciting and dynamic in the series.

• The antagonist and supporting cast writing are the best in the series.

• Double protagonist with contrasting personalities dynamic works in great favour.

• The story is full of twists, misleading clues, and characters switching sides. The player never has any idea what to expect next.

 

Weak points:

• The outro sequence looks forced taking into account the considerable time gap between the events of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami.

 

I would like to dedicate the dramatic analysis to my all-time favourite supporting character in the Yakuza 0 – Tetsu Tachibana. This character’s emotional writing, deep background, full of hardships lifepath, the evolution of his relationship with Kiryu, and attachment build-up is a special case of delicate artistry in the narrative dimension of the gaming industry. The player’s perception of this character changes through the course of the game starting from a suspicious stranger, continuing with the enemy, situational ally, friend, and finishing as a sworn brother.  Being born to a Japanese mother in China, Tachibana's life was one born of discrimination and strife as in his youth he and his little sister Makoto Makimura would endure humiliation and insults from their peers for their Japanese heritage. He came to Japan when he was only 15 years old leaving his mother and little sister behind in China. Tachibana became a ruthless man with little regard for people around him leading a life of a criminal forming a gang with his partner Jun Oda. After becoming a notorious man in the criminal underworld he learns that his little sister came to Japan looking for her brother. Tachibana deeply regrets his actions and that he left his family behind and he tries his best to save his little sister as she became a target of a Yakuza clan.

 

Through his encounter with the game protagonist Kiryu Tachibana regains a connection with the real values in this life – true friendship, and unquestionable loyalty. He easily says goodbye to a huge sum of money to buy out the guarantees of Kiryu’s safety against Yakuza grunts and risks his life a couple of times to save Kiryu’s life as one of the encounters directly leads to his ultimate tragic end as he is just not in time to reunite with his little sister. The scene of Tachibana’s last moments of life and his sister observing his dead body is arguably the most emotionally intense and impactful moment in the whole series.

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The narrative design of this particular character as the evolution of his perception image along with bonds he formed with other key characters, emotional depth, complex background, and ultimately tragic end make Tetsu Tachibana a standout supporting character.