Yakuza 0 Standard Edition - PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Great game. Even though graphics were not upgraded that much from the anticipated PS3 release the game looks fantastic. A Japanese take on GTA it fits right into the conversion of a sandbox game, with great fighting styles and has great potential to invoke a new series on PlayStation fans!

Giving a one star rating just because I can't go lower. Ordered online and chose to pick up in-store. The box was all tore up and they told me they couldn't get me another one or a refund, so I'm stuck with a damaged copy that I was supposed to give as a gift to a friend. Is this your quality standard Best Buy? Never buying again from you.

As someone whose never played a Yakuza game before, I must say I've really enjoyed it overall. The story is gripping and intense and in my opinion is the highlight of the game. Other positives are the combat which is fun and satisfying, and the side missions which can be quite goofy and entertaining distractions from the main story. This game is a fantastic beat em up which makes this a must get if that's what you are looking for. I did enjoy the ability to play some classic Sega arcade titles such as Outrun and Space Harrier. The other mini games feel like they would have been their own stand alone titles in some regards - the pocket circuit mini game and the business mini games have incredible and surprising depth to them which can be quite time consuming and add longevity to the game. All of these things make the game pretty unique from most games I've played. Some of the slight downsides to the game are that it can get repetitive but that can be expected in an open world game. The game does feel slightly marred by outdated technical performance and poor gameplay choices in my opinion. The game will consist of going from one long cutscene to another with a few brief brawls on the way, but the dialogue and cutscenes make up for that since they are very good. This is the main reason for giving it 4 stars but in no way does that make it bad at all...just minor gripes to a very good game. Overall I would definitely recommend this game to those who enjoy the series or first-time players like myself. It's a nice change from most games out now, and offers fun combat with a great, engaging story and enough distractions with mini-games to keep you playing.

Great game. I don’t think this is the best one like love other people do, but it’s still a really good game. Solid gameplay, lots of SyQuest, and engaging story. Two minute pics from me. There are two big sub games in this, and I felt they were a little too intensive and took to long for their own good. Also, the story Hass to align with the first yakuza game, so new players may not exactly be pleased with how exactly everyone ends up in this.

Fun and interesting, the game is strongly divided between involved/invested story telling, and goofy side quests that help you cool off from the intense action. The combat pretends to be simple, but it has a lot of depth, so you’ll need to actually invest in learning it. There are quite a lot of mini games that are fun and involved, but they expect you to master them, truly master them. This can be frustrating at times since there’s so much to do in the game that is can be overwhelming. You want to finish the mini game and do well, but you also want to go to the next mini game. The only real complaints I have are in regards to a clunky and annoying menu/UI. It isn’t too apparent at first, but it never feels like the menus were made to be convenient. It isn’t intolerable, just a minor complaint. Over all, fun and engaging, a solid recommendation from me.

Yakuza 0 is a mix of a Grand Theft Auto type world (albeit quite a bit smaller) with Sleeping Dogs type fighting (albeit a little more arcade-like). This description can tie to pretty much any Yakuza game released since Yakuza 3. However, having played both Yakuza 3 and 4, the fighting system has been fleshed out a bit more with different types of fighting styles that you can skill up. If you've never played a Yakuza game, fair warning, this game can get pretty graphic with the blood and gore (though Sega has now included an option for you to turn the bloodshed to only a mild amount) but if you can get passed that, you'll feel really gratified when you get out on to the streets and start to unleash some really devastating looking combos. The story of the Yakuza games have always been stellar and this one is no different. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the rest of the Yakuza games so this is a good place to start if you're new to the series as it'll flesh out the life of two of the main characters in the rest of the Yakuza games. As with all Yakuza games, expect A LOT of cut scenes and dialogue (think Final Fantasy). If cut scenes aren't for you, this isn't the game for you. The game also starts out a little bit slow but if you stick with it passed the tutorials and get an hour or so into the game, you won't be disappointed as it starts to speed up. You'll be enamored in the story and will soon find yourself staying up to play this game so that you can find out about the next part of the story! I've been keeping up with the last few Yakuza games as they've come out in the United States and continually hoped for more Yakuza games to be localized as I loved both Yakuza 3 and 4 (PS3). To be honest, there wasn't much hype for Yakuza 0 out here in the States and I did not realize they were releasing a Yakuza game until about 2 months ago and I had it pre-ordered since I knew it was coming. I'm definitely not disappointed, it's a great buy for newbies to the Yakuza series and I'd say a must buy to diehard Sega Yakuza fans (though I probably shouldn't have to tell you to buy it if you're a diehard!).

Japanese games usually don't click with me. I find, in general, the plots to be labyrinthine and characters unrealistically emotional for me. However, I really enjoyed this game. It was my first Yakuza game, and I found the main story well written. It feels like a serious 80's noir crime thriller. The side quests have a more humorous flavor, and I found some of them to be genuinely funny. Game play is fun. Brawling mechanics are solid, and there are a ton of little mini/meta games (real estate meta game, pool, darts, claw machine, RC car racing, old Sega arcade games, fishing, etc.). They do get repetitive though, and most do not offer rewards that you really need to get through the game (the game is fairly easy). I found myself trying to avoid fights and skipping the mini/meta games maybe halfway through the game. Also, note that the voice acting is in Japanese with subtitles, and that the side quests do not have voice over work. I'm fine with the Japanese, but wish everything was voiced. Graphics are not the best, but they're fine. The facial expressions are really well done. Also, although the title lists that this is the business pre-order edition, I ordered it after it came out, and only got the standard edition. All in all, 4 out of 5 stars. Excellent game with a few minor shortcomings that are easy to get over.

An absolute masterpiece of a game from story to the gameplay to the small details. An absolute must have for any action rpg fan. Fantastic voice acting, hilarious side quests, and fun and addicting fighting.