Yakuza 0 treads the finest line between life-changing soap opera and nonsensical beat-em-up

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is out now, and while I couldn’t be more excited to set sail with Goro Majima and his crew of misfits, I fear I’d be doing it a disservice.

You see, I haven’t quite found my way as a yakuza yet, I’ve got a long journey ahead of me but it’s one I couldn’t be more excited to undertake, because the Yakuza games really are life-changing stories wrapped up in a nonsensical bow.

Regardless I’d urge you to check out Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, it’s as crazy as it sounds

The undisputed starting point for anyone interested in checking out the Yakuza series is undoubtedly Yakuza 0, which not only acts as a prequel to the franchise, but you could also argue it to be the best of the bunch. Sharing the spotlight is Kazuma Kiryu, who’s the protagonist for most of the games, and Goro Majima, who’s appearances in the series are slightly more flexible.

This dynamic duo will share a lot of history together as time goes on but in Yakuza 0 they’ve never met before. Despite being on two very different paths they both have a shared goal, freedom from a life they really don’t want to be part of anymore, if ever.

Kiryu’s story revolves around him being framed for a crime he didn’t commit, which turns the yakuza against him as he tries to clear his name. On the flipside, Majima is in far too deep with the yakuza, and is chosen for a job that’ll change his life forever. In the middle all this is an overarching plot revolving around The Empty Lot, a patch of land in the middle of Kamurochō that several sinister parties want ownership of.

The stage is set beautifully, and over the 50-60ish hours you’ll spend with them (assuming you indulge in some side content) I guarantee you’ll fall in love with their characters the same way I did when I first played.

Yakuza 0 may do a lot right, from the living, breathing, vibrant town of Kamurochō, to the explosive combat, to the heaps of side content for when you’re not cracking skulls. What it does best though, like nearly every other Yakuza game, is perfectly split the difference. Yakuza 0 delivers one of the most emotionally heavy stories I’ve seen in a singleplayer game before, with scenes that’d bring a tear to the eye of even the most stoic players. This darker side to the game is then offset by hitting up a karaoke bar, or side questing with a chicken in a bowling alley (yes that’s real).

You get this beautiful duality between serious and silly but neither ever feel out of place if that makes sense? Without going into spoilers some of the story developments shocked me to my core, so I was grateful I could blow off some steam afterwards with a bit of darts or pool. Vice-versa, sometimes the side activities can feel a little overwhelming, so breaking up your exploration with a story mission or doesn’t feel like you’re being dragged back to reality, more like a mature decision to lock-in and make some progress.

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This balance is even more apparent amidst the heat of battle. There’s nothing inherently funny about caving a man’s head in with a bicycle or twisting a fella’s neck till you hear a crack, but it’s nothing short of hilarious seeing Majima breakdance like a human-beyblade and send goons flying. One of my favourite takedowns, Heat Actions as the game calls them, is one where Kiryu picks himself off the floor and lunges into a flying headbutt at an enemy. It’s absolutely brutal, but watching this beast of a man semi-gracefully soar through the air to his target had me cracking up every time.

And that’s the difference, it’s seeing these serious characters letting loose that makes those more somber moments more impactful. Kiryu and Majima at their core are tragic characters, not because that’s just who they are but because circumstances made them that way. Adding some levity, some comedy, showing them actually having a bit of fun is not only rewarding for them but rewarding for the player as well.

Hearing other players’ thoughts on the Yakuza series a common saying is it’s all about life. I couldn’t agree more with that logic, as a huge part of everyday life is balancing the good with the bad. Nobody wants to live a doomed existence so those fun little distractions, fleeting they may be, are incredibly precious, and Yakuza 0 as well as the titles that followed illustrate that brilliantly.

If you’re interested in giving the Yakuza series a try for yourself I’d urge you to start with Yakuza 0. It tells a solid story from start to finish, and if the weight of the plot is ever too much to bear, spend an evening in Kamurochō and sing the sorrow away with some karaoke, it helps, honestly.