Yakuza 0
In Japan, Ryuu ga Gotoku games are released annually and have a large audience. In the west, unfortunately, not everyone has heard of Yakuza. The reason for the low popularity of this series in other countries, of course, is the policy of the developer. Localizations of games are released in the West in a few years and are not getting the publicity they deserve.
In the heads of Western gamers, Yakuza is a kind of clone of GTA, but instead of shooting, the main characters are engaged in one massacre. But this is not the case. Yes, the player spends the first 30 minutes of the game in fights according to the main plot. But as soon as we are allowed to float freely to explore the streets of Kamurocho, the game unfolds as the most realistic simulator in Japan.
Yakuza is more than family
In Yakuza 0, there are two protagonists, between whom the game switches from time to time. One of them is Kazuma Kiryu, the unchanging protagonist of the series. He was framed and accused of murder, and responsibility for the crime also falls on the hero's mentor - after all, it was he who brought Kiryu to the family. In order to clear his teacher's name, Kiryu makes an insane decision to leave the yakuza, despite attempts by his friends to dissuade him.
The second protagonist, Goro Majima, was expelled from the Yakuza, disobeying the order of the head. The next year he spent in the torture chamber, all the time asking the same question "What happened to my brother?" and getting only a smirk in return. There he lost an eye. The boss sends Majima into exile in Osaka, where he has to work as a cabaret manager, and hope that the pile of money earned will be enough for the overseer to allow him to return to the family. The overseer takes advantage of the hero's helplessness and chases him to the neck and mane, until he finally hands over the task - to kill Makoto Makimura. So what will Goro do, get blood on his hands, or forever lose the chance to return to the family?
Yakuza 0 tells us about the formation of two heroes. Here they have not yet become the kings of the underworld, with whom all the bigwigs reckon. Kiryu is a naive young man who wants to be decent and help everyone, and Majima is not as eccentric as fans of the series are used to seeing. Over the course of the game, the storylines of the characters intertwine, and begin to intrigue so much that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the monitor. After the passage, it feels like watching a good movie.
Variety of the underworld in Yakuza 0
Besides the main plot, Yakuza 0 has a lot to do. There are so many side quests and mini-games that even after passing you can "hang" for another tens of hours. Toy car races, toy machines, battles on the dance floor, clubs with erotic videos, dating girls by phone, bowling, fishing. And this is just a small part of the content.
The main plot of Yakuza 0 is a serious crime drama. Side quests, on the other hand, are the most ridiculous, here the developers come off to the fullest. The player will have to tell a high-ranking economist how best to raise taxes, and then refuse to believe that he offered help in this; pretending to be the boyfriend of a girl who cannot prove to her father that she can decide to marry on her own; make real punks out of modest and reserved members of a rock group; win a chicken bowling and make her the manager of a real estate agency ...
In Yakuza 0, not only are the side stories beautiful, but also the places where they happen. The game reveals to us the hottest parts of Kamurocho and Sotenbori, clubs where people from all over the area flock to unwind after a hard day at work. Japanese game makers are very careful with details. Every corner and signboard is drawn with love and attention. Even the menu in every new café you meet is always different.
Combat system and economy in Yakuza 0
Battles in Yakuza 0 are in the beat'em-up genre. The battles here are spectacular and enjoyable. Competent camera angles and controller vibration help to plunge into battle. A pleasant feeling when another street bully goes flying with a powerful blow, just does not get bored. In fights, heroes use environmental objects, from bicycles to boxes of nails.
To diversify the battle, each of the protagonists has 3 styles that can be changed at any time of the battle. Kiryu can become a kickboxer flying around the battlefield and delivering quick blows, or vice versa into a berserker who beats an opponent with heavy objects. Majima takes out his bat, which does not crumble after several blows, like other weapons. And then he scatters the crowd of enemies with his break-dance style.
You need to spend yen to upgrade skills in Yakuza 0. And if at first the sums are needed quite small, then some sky-high figures are needed to pump all the skills. The yen knocked out of the street brawlers won't be enough for that. Therefore, the game has an additional opportunity to earn money.
