I have been meaning to play the Yakuza games for a very long time. There's nothing but glowing praise for the series in reviews, forums, groups, etc, but every time I started playing I couldn't get into it. Someone told me that I need to give it a good amount of time before the game clicks and I can safely say they were 100% right. Although at first the story of Yakuza 0 might seem a little boring since it's wrapped up in a battle for real estate, it's only a tiny part of a much, much larger picture.

Yakuza 0 may not be a game that takes itself too seriously, with its goofy side quests, larger than life characters, and dozens of bizarre yet delightful mini games, but the times where it does get serious, it becomes a genuinely gripping story which you can't wait to see what comes next, and I guarantee you there will be moments throughout this where you absolutely will be surprised by its many twists and turns. Yakuza's reputation for its absurd diversions tend to ignore how great its main story is, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed most side activities, the main story is what kept me going, and near the end I was tearing up at some of the events that transpired, which few games have managed to accomplish.

The gameplay and visuals are a little dated at time, but if you can get past those (which is easy enough to do) you will find a game that I promise you will love, and I can also promise that you'll love Kiryu and Majima, two truly excellent characters.

Just remember to give the game some time, and it will reward you for doing so.

I have been meaning to play the Yakuza games for a very long time. There's nothing but glowing praise for the series in reviews, forums, groups, etc, but every time I started playing I couldn't get into it. Someone told me that I need to give it a good amount of time before the game clicks and I can safely say they were 100% right. Although at first the story of Yakuza 0 might seem a little boring since it's wrapped up in a battle for real estate, it's only a tiny part of a much, much larger picture. Yakuza 0 may not be a game that takes itself too seriously, with its goofy side quests, larger than life characters, and dozens of bizarre yet delightful mini games, but the times where it does get serious, it becomes a genuinely gripping story which you can't wait to see what comes next, and I guarantee you there will be moments throughout this where you absolutely will be surprised by its many twists and turns. Yakuza's reputation for its absurd diversions tend to ignore how great its main story is, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed most side activities, the main story is what kept me going, and near the end I was tearing up at some of the events that transpired, which few games have managed to accomplish. The gameplay and visuals are a little dated at time, but if you can get past those (which is easy enough to do) you will find a game that I promise you will love, and I can also promise that you'll love Kiryu and Majima, two truly excellent characters. Just remember to give the game some time, and it will reward you for doing so.