izigame.me

Yakuza is very interesting to review. scrolling down, its mostly memes, because theres a consensus that most people have at least heard of this series by now, after almost 20 years since its original PS2 release. tdlr: get these games--no need to wait for a sale, as each are easily undervalued by SEGA considering the wealth of content each provides.
if all you know is the memes, you really have no idea what these games are about. Yakuza is a mixed cocktail consisting of some parts high-drama gangster cinema (including many iconic Japanese gangster film actors bringing these characters to life) with genuinely excellent writing and set-up, a part low-brow Japanese comedy highlighted in the many substories, and part Virtua Fighter. For those who are aware of the Shenmue series of games, Yakuza serves in many ways as a spiritual sequel series, albeit much more intentionally funny.
Gameplay is a mix of third person exploration and third person combo fighter. As one of the protagonists, you'll explore a few blocks of Japan's nightlife districts, complete with bars to drink, sing karaoke, shoot pool, throw darts, or spend time with a host at; also around are many restaurants, shops, and arcades to visit. In the case of arcades, you can play full recreations of classic SEGA titles like Space Harrier, Out-Run, or indeed Virtua Fighter (in chronologically later games). You could also try your luck at the prize claw machine or various traditional gambling games like Poker, Blackjack, or Roulette, although the real gambling takes place in underground casinos. You could also spend your time at the batting cages, customizing and racing cars in the Pocket Circuit, bowling, or like every Japanese game, fishing. While walking the streets, you'll find yourself accosted by daring youth, drunken businessmen, Yakuza enforcers, or mysterious men in black, during which you'll gain access to a deep and evolving set of fighting styles, and weapons ranging from swords and bats to whatever you can pick up off the ground nearby, like traffic cones, signs, and bicycles.
About a quarter of the way through the story, you'll start Real Estate Royale as one protagonist, a solidly deep management/investment meta-game where you'll buy various properties and select the proper management staff before investing money into said properties to make them better, increasing the amount you can collect. People you help around town will eventually be available to help you with this business as better staff.
Sometime later, the other protagonist will start Cabaret Club Czar with a similar premise and mechanics. Like Real Estate, you will partner with many locations who will then send their customers to you. Meanwhile, you will need to recruit new hosts by getting them a desired gift. Some girls you help through side missions may also wait outside your club to be recruited. Money gained this way will be mainly used to upgrade each protagonist's fighting ability with upper tier abilities costing A LOT of money. However, you will always be able to afford simple food items, medicine, quest items, and most activities, so don't feel awkward about wasting time whenever possible, as a single fight will provide you with at least a couple hundred thousand yen.
the pacing is somewhat similar to a Grand Theft Auto game; going to an indicated mission location advances the story (and over time, the day to night) as you piece together the narrative. In between mission cutscenes, you are pretty much free to explore at your own pace and participate in the various side stories and minigames around town while making your way to the next story beat. Whenever the game asks you if you wish to proceed, check to make sure you have a couple of health items, weapons, and snacks, as these are usually moments that lead to boss fights or difficult group fights. At certain times, exploring becomes vital as you will have to find information to proceed. AND THESE ARE LONG GAMES, Zero in particular taking around 30 hours at minimum but can stretch upwards of 150 for completionists (my 70 hour playthrough claimed i was only 43 percent finished). Other games in the series are often shorter but still have a wide range for those who really want to dig into them.
Beating each story fight unlocks it for replay in the climax battle mode, and beating the story unlocks the standard new game plus feature and a new difficulty mode, along with the ability to roam Kamurocho and Sotenbori freely to complete Real Estate Royale, Cabaret Club Czar, and everything else.
Graphically, Yakuza games, including Zero, are excellent looking, but generally ignore a lot of "immersion" related animations that you find in Western games. Cutscenes can feel a little static as a result, but excellent VO across the board can easily make up for those moments. however, most dialogue uses the more old school JRPG tropes of scrolling text boxes and little "hmms" and "ah"s to add some vocalization. The din of the crowd out on the street feels appropriately drowning, and the large amount of NPCs walking about adds a lot of the "sense of place" the world has as well, not to mention its soundtrack of bubbly J-Pop and Disco contrasted with cool noir tones.