Yakuza 0 (龍が如く0 誓いの場所 Ryū Ga Gotoku Zero: Chikai No Basho, lit. "Like a Dragon 0: The Place of Oath") is an action-adventure title released in 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows and Steam. An enhanced version of the game, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, with extra cutscenes, an online mode, and an English Dub, is set to release on June 5, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Plot
The year is 1988.
After Kazuma Kiryu is requested to collect a debt from a salaryman in an abandoned lot by roughing him up, he wakes up the following day to discover the man who he beat up has died and Kiryu's wanted for murder. The man's cause of death was a gunshot to the head...something Kiryu never used in his collection.
The heads of the Dojima Family call him in, and demand he hand himself in to the police as Yakuza killing civilians like this is an unacceptable act, although Kiryu insists he has been framed for murder.
As Kiryu attempts to prove his innocence he discovers that the lot is part of a major redevelopment project by the city and the last untapped piece of land. The Dojima family had been trying to acquire that land for the Tojo Clan with plans to sell it on to the city at a massively inflated price, and the murder has complicated the obtainment.
Kiryu also discovers that the lieutenants of the Dojima family have been promised by the Patriarch of the Dojima the position of Family Captain to whichever one gets him that lot. Kiryu begins to suspect that one of them is behind his framing, allowing them to also pin the blame of Kiryu's foster father, the current Family Captain Shintaro Kazama and sets out to get to the bottom of the situation...
Goro Majima meanwhile, having survived being tortured for a year, is placed in charge of a caberet club run by the Tojo Clan. Whilst he's extremely skilled at it, he wishes to return to the Shimano Family as a Yakuza instead of merely working in one of their businesses. His supervisor offers him the chance to return if he assasinates a horrific thug target by the name of Makoto which Majima accepts...but soon discovers Makoto isn't quite the person he was told they were...
Gameplay
The player takes control of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, alternating between the two every two chapters as their stories unfold.
Players can explore the city areas of Kamurocho (Kiryu) and Sotenbori (Majima), activating side quests with NPCs, getting into brawls with Hooligans, Bikers, Punks, Goons, Men in Black and fellow Yakuza on the street which will earn them money, upgrade their abilities, learn new fighting styles from masters and even engage in some arcade style mini games including full playable versions of Out Run, Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier and Super Hang-On.
Kiryu and Majima can both learn three different fighting styles that make up their ultimate fighting style. Kiryu gets the fighting styles of Brawler, Rush and Beast whilst Majima gets Thug, Slugger and Breaker. These styles each have their own skill tree to level up as well as the player being able to switch between them on the fly, allowing them flexibility in how to approach an enemy.
There's also an additional side job mode which both Kiryu and Majima can earn money in, useful for upgrading their abilities. Kiryu invests in real estate in Kamurocho, whilst Majima's job as a Cabaret owner has him managing the girls of the club to draw in new customers.
Other optional distractions within the game include Fishing, Bowling, Darts, Shogi, Mahjong, Karaoke, Poker, Telephone Clubs and Pocket Circuit Racing in which you can customise a tiny pocket sized car and race against NPCs.
Trivia
- This game is the 7th released in the series but is a prequel to the events of Yakuza, putting it first chronologically.
- During development, fans were asked to vote for their top AV Idols. The top 30 would be added into the game as NPCs with the top 10 having more significant roles. The top 5 would become the highest ranking hostesses in the Cabaret Club minigame.
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