Yakuza 0

For anyone new to Yakuza, I'd *highly* recommend playing the original Yakuza instead of Kiwami as this game that spoils one of Yakuza 4's main plot points/characters, starts with a game that has a combat system miles away from other Yakuza games, and (sort of) spoils the original game's plot. Kiwami in general's a pretty sub-par remake. Play 0 after Yakuza 5. Ladies and gentlemen, the game that revived Yakuza for the western audience. With great Story, even greater Gameplay, and Karaoke. I can't say much without spoiling the game, but I can say with certainty, if you love RPGs and beat-em-ups, you'll LOVE Yakuza.

The combat is quite good, though at times it felt a bit BS. It is pretty much what you need to progress and finish the game. The main story is maybe a bit on the meh side, but very well directed, made me want to stick around to see how it played out. But everything around it. Yeah, this game gives you 2 districts of well and beautifully fleshed out Japan with lots of side activities to engage in, including arcade games, darts, a rhythm game or two and so much more. Add to that side stories with somewhat quirky characters and situations, and the entertaining reactions your character has to these situations. It took me around 42 hours to finish the game with 23% completion. Great place to just go back, hang out in, eat, drink, go for entertainment. Only reason for the 4 instead of 5 star review is, that some scenes did drag out a bit much, even for dramatic flair. Running around trying to progress the story if that is what you want can be a bit of a drag, and as noted, the combat can get a bit frustrating. Well recommended, if you just want a well fleshed out place to hang out, consider this 5 stars.

Great game with rididculous funny moments!

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It's a great game.