Ryû ga gotoku Zero: Chikai no basho

One of the BEST games ever made.

Yakuza 0 (Ryu ga gotoku Zero: Chikai no Basho) is a 2015 videogame, genre adventure, beatem up, directed by Toshihiro Nagoshi and starring as voice actor Takaya Kuroda and Hidenari Ugaki. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the first game in the Yakuza series, released in 2005, and which currently has 7 main games.

The plot focuses on two main protagonist - Kazuma Kiryu (who is still quite new to the criminal world) and Goro Majima ( a cabaret manager, expelled from the clan and trying with all his might to return to it). Two characters have been involved in an "empty lot" case fought by clans from all over Japan. The plot is broken into a story of two characters, and this story gradually converges into one line of two characters.

The action takes place in December 1988, the Kamurocho district (which is written off from the real area in Tokyo - Kabukicho), and the atmosphere of that time is very well shown and registered. The main characters, as well as the rest of the secondary characters, are very well written and by the end of the story they fall into your soul. The plot is one of the best in the gaming series. And, of course, the soundtrack is amazing.

The word that best describes this game is fantastic. The gameplay is fun, a lot of content, and for those, who love Japanese games, I highly recommend trying out this series, and it's better to start with this game.

This is honestly a top 5 game for me at worst, I finished it recently due to a friend recommending it as a starting point and this was perfect for that

The game is all over the place and messy in the perfect way, one moment I'm laughing at something stupid, the next I'm angry at a character in the game and wanna beat them with the wrath of god, then I'm emotional devastated over something because let me say this games ending hurts

The story is paced well and constantly has my investment each chapter, plus the characters were all brilliantly written, with my favourite of the bunch being Goro Majima, this is all further complimented by the simple yet satisfying melee combat system which can make you feel like an absolute badass at certain points

Either way I'd 100% recommend this game as a start to Yakuza as it really shows you the bond between two characters Kiryu and Nishiki before Kiwami, which makes that games story even more impactful, as well as making Majima more than just a funny guy used for comic relief

"This truly was our Yakuza 0" - Goro Majima.

S tier, 10/10. Such a brilliantly over the top game. The story goes in so many different directions and is just a joy to watch. The combat is satisfying, I loved Majima's set the best and the baseball bat the most. Kiru's beast mode was great too. The open world was perfectly condensed with interesting side missions and plenty of things to do.

The infamous kareoke songs are brilliant, the race car game was exceptional, my favorite was however the dancing, just perfect. It did definitely drag at the end and felt a bit repetitive with the combat but there are so many great story moments and things to keep you playing. The last mission is so great and is such a brilliant set piece ending.

The customisation of your character however is very limited and pretty much non existent. The side missions are great but it is very easy to miss them as you have to explore in so many different areas. This is both good and bad as it forces you to explore but is just very time consuming and fustrating for me personally. I did go back to complete the side missions I missed in free roam mode but it just felt really repetitive and tedious to wander around the streets, exploring every inch of this place just to find a questline. Majima's story goes a bit all over the place after the incredible introduction. Over time it definitely got better but was weaker compared to Kiru's.

I haven't played the later games but several characters such as Kiru's best friend who felt like a major character didn't have much of a role. I'm sure that he is more important in the later games but i am very hesitant to play them, as I feel this style of combat and exploration could really get old after a while. I was interested in the story but I just looked up a video online, which definitely made me want to check out some of the games, I probably will but at a later date.

I did get this game because of Dunkey's review and am glad to say I enjoyed it allot more than him. I do agree with most of his points but the story is definitely better than he made it out to be. I'm not angry or anything I just wish he enjoyed it as much as I did.

In all a game I really enjoyed and just wanted to keep on playing and playing till the end. Definitely one of the most fun games I have played.

This is the first Yakuza game I ever played in the Yakuza franchise and the prequel game where it all started from the beginning.

Yakuza 0 has absolutely shown that this game has blown many expectations along the way. Not only that I get to play one but two protagonists to play along the storyline and each of them has their own fighting style, their own storyline, and one of my favorites is the heat actions. Their heat actions are devastating and satisfying and this is what makes the Yakuza games absolutely playable and fun.

Not just the main storyline that has serious moments but the substories is that make the game have a more and-go-lucky feeling. Plus the minigames here are absolutely entertaining. The best part of minigames is the arcades and secret arena fights.

In conclusion, Yakuza 0 is absolutely the best game recommended for new players who want to know about the Yakuza franchise from the beginning. If you want to know about the Yakuza franchise you have to play the game on where it absolutely all started. With Kiryu and Majima together with their own stories.

A great prequel story for some of the main stays. The story grabbed me and the characters intrigued me. Everything just fell into place.