PLFT Games

Game completed: January 2025. Article written: June 2025.

The year is somewhere between 2017 and 2020. I’m seated on my couch, almost certainly night and I’m deep in my nightly routine of unwinding from life with some time on my PlayStation. In my endless need to self-medicate with retail therapy in the form of an ever-expanding backlog of games that I’ll never get to, I’m pulled by my weeaboo sensibilities to the often on-sale Yakuza series. “Hmm, that looks interesting,” I think to myself as I pull the trigger on yet another game I won’t get to for years. I’m a sucker for deals, especially on video games. Since I already have several other games in the Yakuza series (thank you PSN sales and Steam sales) I figure I might as well get Yakuza 0 for when I eventually get around to playing this underappreciated series. Just as predicted, I pull the trigger on my purchase, and there it sat in my PSN library of 829 titles to collect digital dust as I ground for new gear in Destiny 2 for the next four or more years.

Fast forward to 2025 and now I have a new kid (my first, although I’m a stepparent) and my life has significantly changed. Although I’m not working at the time and have plenty of time to play games (fuck around while I’m overwhelmed by depression). Trying to get my life together but not give up on what has been my main hobby for my whole life, I resolved to start finishing games. You see, at that point in time I had finished the campaign for The Final Shape, Destiny 2’s conclusion to a ten-plus years long story arc. After sunsetting Destiny 2 from my life, like how Bungie has sunset numerous weapons both treasured and hard-fought by their fans, I decided my life still had time for games, but not for MMO type games. I decided I would try to finish one game a month in 2025, without any real pressure – after all, there are more important things, like oh you know, finding a job. But I would still try to shoot for the goal.

After some thought, I decided I’d give Yakuza 0 a try and see if it grabed me. After all, I had heard from numerous sources that it was a series treasured by fans and often unsung in many conversations. I’m not typically a fan of brawler games and I am unfortunately one of those who often prefers dubs to subs in my foreign-language media. I know, I know. I am aware of all the arguments against dubs and for subs – I’m just a slow reader when it comes to things like this. I would rather focus on the imagery, body language, shot composition, etc. However, I did acquiesce to subs for Yakuza 0 out of necessity. I’m glad that I did! I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to start what would be one of my favorite games of all time, and I would say my new favorite game series.

For those not aware, Yakuza 0 takes place in a fictionalized version of two Japanese cities: Kamurocho – a fictionalized version of Kabukicho, an entertainment and red-light district in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo prefecture and Sotenbori – a fictionalized version of Dotonbori, another entertainment district in Osaka. The story follows the exploits and adventures of Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Yakuza, a Japanese organized crime organization. The story follows Kiryu and his friends and associates. Notably, Yakuza 0 features two protagonists. Majima Goro is the second protagonist who is almost like a dark twin of Kiryu, if not by blood, then by deed and character arc. Without giving away too much of the story, Kiryu is framed for a murder, and he must prove his innocence while uncovering a conspiracy for control of Kamurocho and navigating the constantly shifting tides of the criminal underworld. Along the way we alternate between Kiryu and Majima as their stories intertwine. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the other games in the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series. There is much debate online as to whether one should start with Yakuza or start with Yakuza 0, but I would say based on my experience starting with 0 and then continuing onto the first Yakuza game, I think it’s a good starting point.

While playing and immensely enjoying my time, I couldn’t help but feel like I was enjoying a soap opera for weeaboos. In-fact, I think that’s a large part of what makes Yakuza 0 and by extension the series, so awesome. Everything about Yakuza 0 pulled me further into its world. The more I played, the more I felt compelled to spend more time there. Yakuza 0 pulls the player into its world with a highly detailed and immersive setting, intense action combat, fun minigames and side-plots, and zany humor juxtaposed against soap-opera drama.

Kamurocho and Sotenbori are these almost perversely inviting locales. While there are differences in tone and layout, both locations are brimming with a recreation of 1980s Japan that is more than merely a façade. Strolling down the streets day or night, you’re greeted, nay compelled, to soak in the glitz and prosperity of 1980s Japan. On nearly every street are neon signs coating nearly every two-dimensional surface of businesses, calling to the player to enter and sample their wares, be it coffee, sushi, pasta, beer and cocktails, hostess cafes, phone dating clubs, adult video stores, pawn shops, arcades, jewelry stores – you name it. The streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori are alive with NPCs having conversations, walking around and going about their daily “lives,” along with thugs and ruffians who are just waiting to pick a fight with you, so you can inevitably beat the shit out of them for money which can be spent to level up your characters and live lavishly like a Yakuza at the forementioned businesses. There are numerous locations for the player to visit when not focusing on the main story and their inclusion makes the world of Yakuza a fun playground.

I mentioned earlier that I’m not really into brawler type games. I can’t recall the last one I played before Yakuza 0 – maybe one of the remastered/re-released old Ninja Turtle games I accessed through PlayStation Plus. It’s not that I don’t like them or can’t. I just hadn’t played any for a long time, especially after playing Destiny 2 for so long and in such a dedicated fashion. That said, I think the combat in Yakuza 0 really shines. Yakuza’s combat entails brawler style fighting in what amount to small arenas, whether you’re fighting in the street or an alleyway, a plaza, or an office room. There are four fighting styles to use for each character – three main styles and one unlockable style. Players can enjoy a combo system with RPG-like character progression, allocating points into different styles for new moves, combos and stat boosts. I don’t think I ever really mastered the combat, but I got the feeling that advanced players could string together moves among different combat styles and really feel like a badass. While I’m not feeling confident enough to brag about my prowess in Yakuza 0’s combat, I will say that I still enjoyed it immensely. It’s almost hyper violent at times with blistering combos and quick-time-event sequences, smashing opponents faces with fists, pipes, traffic cones, motorcycles, car doors and anything else the player can get their hands on. While very violent (I mean, why wouldn’t a game about Yakuza be violent?) the fighting comes across as almost comical at times, but in a good way. There were moments where I laughed out loud at the comic nature of the beatdowns I was handing out like condoms at a university health center. 

Speaking of comic misadventures and fun distractions, I immensely enjoyed the mini-games and side-stories in Yakuza 0. I would say it’s what I enjoyed most about the game, along with the story and characters. Gameplaywise, it was my favorite part. The businesses I mentioned earlier that one can enter offer actual activities. Granted that restaurants merely have you choosing from a menu and watching your character eat, the locations like arcades, bowling alleys, batting cages, RC car racing, adult video stores and more include numerous fun distractions. Because Sega is the publisher and owner of the developer, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, they can include real Sega arcade titles in the in-game arcades. Maybe it’s my age showing, but being able to go into a virtual arcade in a faithful recreation of 1980s Japan and then play crane games for prizes and sit down and play Space Harrier and Out Run, which are actual games I played in an actual arcade in the 80s and 90s, is a real nostalgia hit that just can’t be beat by much else. Is it necessary? No. Does it add a lot? Absolutely. 

Besides the arcades and other sports-related activities, there is a whole optional “mini-game” where you run a cabaret club. I say mini-game in quotes here because while it is a mini-game, it has a series of side stories attached to it that could make a whole game in its own right. The Cabaret Club Tsar mini-game involves scouting out and recruiting hostesses to work at what’s basically a hostess club, then managing them and their productivity, being a floor manager and maître di when the club is open and even taking the ladies on dates to help them grow their conversational skills and gain confidence. Now, with the adult video stores I’ve mentioned previously and the cabaret club, you’ll have figured out by now that the game includes a fair amount of fan service. It does – no question. Whether or not this appeals to you is entirely individual, and I’d say that the fan service is almost entirely optional. I’m writing this six months after finishing the game, but from my memory, there isn’t much in the main story that is sexual in nature or even adjacent, really. If you do all the side stories, there definitely are, and at times it’s even a bit uncomfortable. That may be due to being from a different culture with different sensibilities – I’m not here to question the artistic decisions of the studio. Suffice to say if you like beautiful women, there are plenty in the game, and in the cabaret club portion of the game, many of the characters you interact with are based on real-life adult video stars in the Japanese adult entertainment industry. Regardless of any fan service or attempts at titillation, the cabaret club portion of the game is well worth pursuing on its own for the fun gameplay and the story elements.

There is a second optional mini-game called Real Estate Royale where you can acquire different real estate properties around the city and “manage” them to a degree. It’s another management game; however, it lacks the same charm and appeal that the Cabaret Club Tsar has. There are people to recruit for your business around the game, and they boost stats and performance of different properties. There are boss fights of a kind in both Real Estate Royale and its counterpart. These optional portions of the game offer a lot of added character and depth to the world in addition to money, which is crucial for progressing in the different combat styles and their related skill trees.

Yakuza 0 is filled with melodrama of the best kind. It really does feel like a soap opera and after the initial realization, I found it amusing in a way. Many of the characters are bombastic and larger than life, oozing with a bravado and presence that leaps off the screen. Despite not speaking Japanese, I found the Japanese language voice-over to be of very high quality and the performances to bring an intensity and sincerity that elevated the presentation of the game. My need to read subtitles along with the voice-over didn’t diminish the quality of the performances in any way. 

The actors had good material to work with as well. The story introduces numerous memorable characters throughout the game, and they all have their own unique charms and appeal. No characters really felt too tropey to me. Kiryu, the main protagonist, perhaps felt the most this way in his rigid stoicism and insistence upon following a code that seems to necessitate his own suffering at every turn. Thankfully though, his character grew on me. I did follow up and play Yakuza Kiwami 1, the remaster of the original Yakuza later in the year, and at that point I had developed a real affinity for Kiryu. This is probably the only real point where I can understand the perspective of fans who recommend playing the Yakuza series in release order, rather than their chronology in the story itself. Players who had already played several of the Yakuza games prior to Yakuza 0 would probably already have a greater appreciation for Kiryu and his personality quirks. Although having played Yakuza 0 already and having that context, I think I got more out of Yakuza Kiwami 1 than I would have otherwise. 

All told, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Yakuza 0 and the game turned me into a fan of the franchise. I had bought probably the first 6 games twice, once on PSN and once on Steam, before even playing any of them. The temptation to buy them on deep discount on both platforms was too much to turn down. I’m glad that I have them, though. I wish that I had tried them earlier, but I get the sense that I’m not the only person in that situation. My intuition and understand from seeing the series continue and seemingly perform well, is that the deep discounts, collections offering multiple titles, and being featured on Xbox Game Pass all helped Sega to build a bigger audience for the franchise. 

When I found myself loading into Yakuza Kiwami 1 and even later in the year, Yakuza Kiwami 2, I found myself feeling like I was returning home. The moody, damp neon streets of Kamurocho now feel like home in a way, and Kiryu no longer feels like a stubborn blowhard, but a loveable protagonist who lives and dies by a code of honor. I have not previously experienced a series or singular game that had such a memorable supporting cast alongside an excellent main cast, nor such a memorable setting. I’m eagerly anticipating returning to the world of Yakuza and finishing Yakuza Kiwami 2 and really, all the other titles in the series.