YAKUZA 0: 1988, NEON, AND TWO GOOD MEN

Name: Yakuza 0
Item: Yakuza 0
Rating: 9.0
Author: The Alpha

Yakuza 0 Steam header — Steam store header for Yakuza 0 (app 638970). Used as review art.

9.0 of 10 bananas. The best place to start the Dragon saga: a crime drama with heart and a disco floor.

By the Alpha. Steam storefront. Updated Oct 2026.

Honest note: This verdict is not from a fresh hands-on playtest. I built it from launch coverage, critic consensus, patch history, and known play. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: PC on Steam is the button. PS4 and Xbox One versions also exist. No Amazon listing is linked yet, so Steam is the only button.

Action Adventure

Get Yakuza 0 on Steam

Sit with me a moment. Some games want you to feel powerful. Yakuza 0 wants you to feel loyal. It spends hours on a man who will not betray his family, then sends him to sing karaoke. That balance is rare, and it is earned.

What It Wants To Be

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio built it and Sega published it. It came out in Japan in 2015 and in the West in early 2017. It is a prequel set in 1988, split between Kazuma Kiryu in Kamurocho, Tokyo, and Goro Majima in Sotenbori, Osaka. Both are caught in a fight over a small empty lot that everyone wants.

What Works

The main story is a serious crime drama with strong performances and real stakes. Combat lets you switch fighting styles, and the heat actions hit hard. The bubble era cities are dense and full of life. Side stories, karaoke, a real estate business, and a cabaret club manager are absurd and warm at the same time. Majima steals the show.

What Breaks

Listen well. Combat is button heavy and can feel repetitive across a long game. Random street fights interrupt you often. The tone swings hard between grim and silly, and some players never settle into that. Story heavy cutscenes run long.

Who Should Play

Play if you want a crime story with heart and a city packed with things to do. This is the right first Yakuza. Skip if you want deep, precise combat or short sessions.

STRENGTHS

A strong crime drama
Majima at his best
Dense, lively 1988 cities
Side stories full of heart

HONEST COSTS

Combat repeats
Frequent random fights
Long cutscenes
No Amazon offer to link yet

ALPHA VERDICT: 9.0 of 10. A crime saga with real weight and the funniest side stories in the jungle. Get Yakuza 0 on Steam, then meet the troop on Twitch.

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Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. Steam is the only button until that listing is real.