PS4 Top 10 -- #8 Yakuza 0

#8 Yakuza 0

    

     I am kinda shocked to see a Yakuza title jump into my top 10 list. I haven't been exposed to many Yakuza games seeing as the remake of Yakuza 1, subtitled Kiwami, was my first exposure to the series. While I loved that game, I noticed it was a bit bite-sized when compared to Yakuza 0. Kiwami was by no means a small game, but 0 managed to dwarf it; double the map space, many more side quests, and two different campaigns that merged together. Yakuza 0 gave me many choices on how to occupy my time. All of its many distractions were interesting diversions from a superb main story. It is a violent, compelling crime drama that has a charming silliness to it. You will feel a wide range of emotions as the story plays out in a wonderful 1980's Tokyo setting. It is the origin story for two of Yakuza's biggest characters. The writing is powerful and the voice acting comes across as very moving with some of the best motion capture acting I have ever seen in a videogame. It isn't quite up to the level of L.A. Noire, but it is still impressive none the less. I also have to mention that the entire game is voiced in Japanese, which is something that usually bothers me. I like to admire the art of my games (and anime) and I think that staring at subtitles takes away from the experience. Yet, both Yakuza games that I've played have avoided this somehow. I can't explain how some studios pull this off, but I'm glad they can.

     I can't put Yakuza 0 on this list without explaining why the gameplay stands out so much. At first glance, I always assumed that the Yakuza series was just GTA set in Japan. I'm personally not a fan of the GTA series, so I stayed far away from it. I couldn't have been more wrong about it. The only way that I know how to describe Yakuza's style is to say it's Streets of Rage injected with modern gameplay elements such as an open world, cinematic story, and plenty of side activities. At its core, Yakuza 0 is a brawler. The main draw for me is the combat. It's not the deepest system in the world, but it certainly has enough bells and whistles to keep you entertained for many hours. You punch and kick gangsters up and down the streets of Tokyo in style. Things tend to get completely crazy and over the top due to the ability to pick up all sorts of weapons that are scattered across the place; from knives to baseball bats and even bicycles and street signs. Things get a bit insane, but I loved every second of it. I never grew tired of enemy encounters. I went into each encounter ready to see just how far I could push things. Yakuza 0 also gives you a wide range of side activities and quests to take part in. Just like the combat, these parts of the game don't shy away from silliness or insanity. You will always be entertained during your time with Yakuza 0. Whether you're racing remote control cars, disco dancing, saving people on the streets, or taking on the criminal underworld of Tokyo, Yakuza 0 won't let you down.

PS4 Top 10 Homepage