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+title = "Yakuza 0 (2015)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-06-12T19:32:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2003
+reviewSection = ["Games"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review of the prequel"
+primary_menu = "brain-rot-modern-games"
+rating = 3.75
+image = "reviews/covers/yakuza-0.jpg"
+aliases = ["brain-rot/modern-games/yakuza/yakuza-0/"]
+[menu]
+  [menu.brain-rot-modern-games]
+    weight = 2003
+    identifier = "yakuza-0-2015"
++++
+
+I have terrible reflexes, and therefore I am very disappointed with modern gaming's obsession with action-oriented games.
+_Yakuza 0_ is a beat-em-up, so I should hate it.
+I partially do.
+
+As for the gameplay, I am not sold due to aforementioned problem.
+In _Yakuza 0_ you walk around the town and fight bad guys.
+We've got 3-D combat, combos, and quick time events.
+Most of the time, this was all I've got.
+A grueling mess of the type of gameplay I suck at horribly.
+Luckily, this is a very easy game, so on normal difficulty I had very little problems with just mushing around and winning.
+
+Then there's also a lot of additional content in the form of mini-games dressed as side quests.
+You can buy properties, watch porn movies, manage a bordello, help make a movie, play classic Sega games, became a pro at some strange form of RC car racing.
+But I don't care.
+My biggest issue with Japanese games is the sheer amount of random stuff you can do, but has no real impact on the game world.
+_Yakuza 0_ has a deep system for playing Shogi, as well as Dance Dance Revolution.
+I may be too old for this, or I have not enough time (nor mental capacity), but I never get any enjoyment from such activities.
+Make it integral to the main gameplay loop or don't bother.
+I will not learn complex mechanics for a _mini-game_.
+I barely have time to remember your combos!
+
+As a gamey-game, _Yakuza 0_ is definitely not my type.
+It may be yours - and if you like _modern_ games, then it most likely is.
+
+But there is also the story and characters.
+Those are the real meat of the game for me, and they made it an _amazing_ experience.
+
+_Yakuza 0_ is a prequel of an already established series of games.
+We control two characters - Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Mojima.
+Kazuma wants to be a yakuza, but is presumed to be a killer of _civilian_, and as a result needs to leave the mafia.
+His mission is to find who framed him.
+Goro was a Yakuza, but due to mistakes of his past, he becomes a slave to a yakuza boss and needs to do his bidding.
+At the same time a gigantic plot to take over an empty plot of land in the middle of the city is established.
+Somewhere around middle point of the game, when all pieces started to fall on their places, I begun to be annoyed when they stopped the story for, well, game.
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.rpgfan.com/game/yakuza-0/" alt="Topless asian scraming in a dramatic pose" file="yakuza-0-2.jpg" >}}
+Yakuza 0 can be over the top
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="Asian man holdig a remote control car" file="yakuza-0-1.jpg" >}}
+It is also silly
+{{< /image >}}
+
+_Yakuza 0_ is a weird.
+The main story is serious, but rarely becomes dark.
+It's engaging, emotional, deep.
+All side activities are silly.
+Somehow it fits together nicely, but I don't know.
+I'd rather this was a movie or a limited series.
+
+Story-wise I have give my highest praises.
+The main plot is masterful, characters are amazing (voice acting is superb).
+Top bad I was thrown out of it in order to beat yet another group of thugs.
+I clocked at 34 hours completing a bit over 18% of the game, so I am not target audience.
+Still, the main plot pulled me back in.
+After I started completely ignoring all side-content, I begun to enjoy _Yakuza 0_ immensely.
+Yes, the final fight gave me thumb-blister[^fn:1], but after that we've got something like 26 ending scenes.
+Each more emotional than the other.
+
+I want to learn rest of the story of Goro and Kiryu, and therefore I'll continue playing other titles in the series.
+Too bad that there's a game attached.
+
+[^fn:1]: And it still ended in a QTE.
+    Shame.