4/5 ★ – Nestunt's review of Yakuza 0.

I had my doubts regarding this franchise. The combat seemed dated, the world roaming looked very strangling, and, all-around, I couldn’t shake the feeling of design archaism. I was wrong. It is precisely that out-of-time direction and vision that gives this game its flavor. Yakuza is a beat ‘em up done right for the XXI century. The combat is, like I suspected, not very deep; however, the designers masked that with a variety of cinematic finishers that make a lasting impression most of the times. The open-world is, without a doubt, small. At the same time, it does not feel underwhelming in terms of exploration potential. The intentional claustrophobia of the “sandbox” generates a strange comfort, where you have the sensation that the city is embracing you into its culture. Really neat. Every block has some attention-grabbing shop. And the most exciting enterprise is happening inside. This game is worth a purchase just for the mini-games you can play in these shops. When it comes to the main missions, the novelty factor is gradually replaced by anticlimactic sensations. Don’t get me wrong, the story and cinematics are on-par with the good crime dramas of other mediums. The problem is in the contribution of the “game” part to the narrative. Much of the character development of the two Yakuza you role-play comes from the arc they go through with other Yakuza. Friendships, Respect and Rivalries are very well portrayed due to excellent writing and acting. But when it’s time to pick-up the controller, all the exhilaration you are feeling to face that character is slowly metamorphosed to disappointment. The controls and the fighting gameplay are doing that. As I said above, the combat is not very deep. And even if both Yakuza have huge skill-trees in their respective four styles, all that potential is thrown to waste due to poor controls and animations, either in service of you or your enemy. So, when you realize that, at the end of almost every story beat, you are going to fight another boss with many hit-points, some several times, you become less and less engaged in the gameplaying parts. Still, the “AAA” production, cinematography and screenplay make this game a must-buy.