Yakuza 0 - Part 11: Substories, Pocket Racing and the Electronics King

Описание: I had never played a Yakuza game prior to this, though it’s a franchise that several have convinced me to dip my toes into – much the same as everybody else, my backlog has always gotten in the way. Thankfully, the New Year Free For All concept (where I play every suggestion made by each Discord member) forced me into the criminal underworlds of Komurocho and Sotenbori. The mainline Yakuza games are sandbox action RPGs, each featuring a gritty crime drama story built around impressively well-written characters such as the instantly likeable Kiryu Kazama (an honourable, loyal and morally grounded member of the Dojima Family), or the complex and unpredictable “Mad Dog of Shimano” Goro Majima. Both characters serve as the dual protagonists of Yakuza 0, where they find themselves in the bad books with their respective organisations. Kiryu has been set up for a murder that he didn’t commit which has led to expulsion, and Goro is seeking redemption after going against instruction of his higher ups. Their stories come together as a conspiracy is gradually uncovered, relating to a power struggle for a tiny plot of land called the Empty Lot. Whoever comes into possession of this vacant lot, would have the control of a revitalisation project for Komurocho and enormous profits. The narrative is brilliantly crafted, full of dramatic twists and turns and insanely good acting that would be worthy of a theatrical blockbuster.

My immediate impression when entering the world of Yakuza 0 was that this is a true spiritual successor to the ground-breaking Sega epic, Shenmue. I based my opinion on how each area is bursting with life, and how interactive each area is. It is incredibly immersive, and you never find yourself short on things to do (minigames, gambling, Sega classics, dining out, substories – more on them shortly). The combat is something that you will gradually work at throughout the game and get better at – and there are daily grinds in order to top up your funds whether buying up properties in real estate or overseeing the running of a Cabaret Club. The comparison with Shenmue is warranted as I later discovered that the creator of Yakuza, Toshihiro Nagoshi was a co-director on Yu Suzuki’s Dreamcast classic – However, Yakuza 0 completely eclipses Shenmue tenfold in practically every way.

It isn’t all serious however, and what is unique to Yakuza is that it somehow manages to counterbalance the grimy and gritty seriousness with absurdity and comedy, thanks to substories that are activated by speaking to many eccentric characters that litter the streets of both areas. These sidequests and ministories range from standard fetch quest or combat trials to absolutely batshit insane tasks. For example, you could help out a character by pretending to be their boyfriend so that their father will refrain from setting up an arranged marriage – or you may have to protect a world renowned pop star from being assaulted by zombies. Each substory carries it’s own reward that makes them well worthwhile completing – and they really enhance the world building as you are interacting with several unique city dwellers with their own mini dramas/backstories. It still blows my mind that the main story can co-exist with these optional missions and feel like the same game. One minute you’re knocked for six by an impactful main story occurance, and the next you may find yourself staffing a real estate firm with a Chicken named Nugget.

Combat is simultaneously one of the strongest and weakest points in Yakuza 0. It initially seems extremely broad with a 2 sets of 4 unique fighting styles each available to Majima and Kiryu – Breakdancing will see you zipping around enemies with capoeira-style kicks and punches, Slugger style is built around the satisfaction of bludgeoning people with a baseball bat, Rush mode enables you to quickly dodge and jab your opponent to defeat them – and you can switch styles mid-fight, utilising whichever is best for whatever fight you may be engaging in. You can funnel your hard earned yen into increasing your stats and learning new special moves which can be used as your heat meter builds with each punch/kick/suplex/DDT/dropkick/Headbutt/etc. Many environments can also be used to bash your opponent into (often to comedic satisfaction). Although not as fluid as it could be, the fighting is fun and exhilarating – but despite all of the options available for customisation it still feels very repetitive at times, and the ridiculous amount of random encounters really starts to grate when you’re trying to enjoy something else. It should never be a chore to fight enemies, and the frequency of these fights really disrupts the pacing and fun.

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