This is maybe the first RGG product I couldn't bring myself to finish. Its such a downgrade in every way. For instance, the part where you meet Rikiya isn't even a cutscene anymore, its a text box section, Rikiya and Mikio aren't eating popsicles anymore before Kiryu shows up, they're just leaning against a building, making for a significantly less satisfying introduction for the characters and the charm of the Ryukyu yakuza.

This Rikiya is a complete and utter bastardization of one of the most comforting characters in the series by rewriting him to be less of a vision of Okinawa's homely innocent yakuza who the citizens of Ryukyu admire as a good kid who's always willing to help out, he is now characterized as a basic thug akin to Yakuza 4's Kido. The old lady who is your first introduction to tour Ryukyu who interacts with Rikiya and gives us some background on how the town residents view him is replaced by an old guy who is begging for Rikiya to help him out cause he needs a tough guy to back him, kinda missing the point of his introduction in the original.

Despite hearing nothing but praise about the combat, I found it really half baked and one of the weaker fighting mechanics in the series (however Dark Ties may perform better, I didn't play it), it's essentially what they did with Majimas 2 fighting styles in PYIH pasted onto Kiryu in Kiwami 3 and I don't think it compliments this era of Kiryus life. The graphics have rendering problems and the iconic river flowing through Okinawa uses a texture that looks like its taken straight out of Sonic Adventure DX.

The substories contain rewrites that undermine the seriousness, realism, and homeliness of the original versions of them, the country club golf course is gone, replaced by the same minigame we've had in every dragon engine installment since Kiwami 2. You can't hear the background vocals for Kiryu in I Wanna Change Myself (a personal favorite karaoke backing for me cause it really shows how much Kiryu loves his adoptive daughter and is willing to cheer her on), the Bakamitai picture is the same as in Kiwami 1 which is so lazy. Nothing feels natural about this release thus far and I think it really hurts the product. All this without mentioning the controversy of the recasting and doubling down on Hamazakis actor choice, K3 is every single issue I had with with K2 intensified by 300% so far, very disappointing and the least I have enjoyed an experience with a RGG installment since FOTNS Lost Paradise released on the PS4.

It's like Undertale had a baby with Guitar Hero on the surface level, it's actually a $10 existential crisis
Honestly one of the best games I've played this year!

While Yakuza 0 is a fantastic game, I cannot in good faith recommend you to give RGG Studios your money as this game will soon be delisted in favor of a vastly inferior version, killing the mod compatibility of the game in the process, ironically shortly after the co-op mods release. Your ownership matters and so do your financial decisions. Until RGG Studios retracts the decision to delist this title in favor of the awful "Directors Cut", I will be changing my review to a NOT RECOMMENDED. This studio needs to do better and as fans we need to make our stances known when the company promotes these anti-consumer practices.

Original Review:Yakuza 0 perfectly blends the absurd and the dramatic to create a gaming experience unlike any other. The compelling characters, insane soundtrack, and memorable characters have stuck with me for 7 years now. A brilliant starting point for a previously underrated franchise! Yakuza is the one series I replay every year and it's never gotten old, it's always a pleasure to revisit the humble beginnings of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima in the intense emotional journey that is Yakuza 0. 10/10!

Can't really say there's any game similar to New Vegas, every Courier I create is destined to have a memorable journey. This game stands out amongst most for me especially given it was made in a mere 18 months!

Even if the story is the same with every playthrough (Aside from which faction you choose to run with) every Courier has a different story to tell on what happened in their gameplay.

If you're looking for an RPG you can actually roleplay in, I strongly suggest you at least attempt to give this game a shot.

I may have had an Undertale phase, or maybe this playtime is normal idk...

Support Toby Fox!

R.I.P Moirai, was a super interesting experiment for the time!