Short Review of Yakuza 0
by Sega
Finished on 2025/12/30
Review written on 2026/01/02
I played yakuza 0 over winter break because of a close friend's recommendation. This game ended up suprising me in many ways.
I didn't expect to care so much about this game or the characters (mostly because of how convoluted games with long histories can be) but I definitely did. I found not only Kiryu and Majima super cool but most of the other characters as well. I thought the world was pretty thought out and the story adventurous. Despite the game's flaws, I enjoyed it, and came out having learned something[1].
I think one of the coolest things from Yakuza 0 was the juxtaposition between the story's main characters, Kiryu Kazama and Goro Majima. They aren't subtle about it for sure -- its one of the main features of the game. They immediately set up these two characters as begining from opposite places. Kiryu is new to the whole Yakuza business, and hasn't really seen what the life can do to someone. Meanwhile, Majima has argueably seen the worst of it, having gone through both physical and mental torture for years. Kiryu is more of a pure[2], naive character while Majima has already been dirtied.
Their journeys however, head towards one another. Kiryu learns to be a little more selfish and depend on the people around him, while Majima learns to be more selfless as he fights for others, forgetting about his own goals.
Spoilers!
Eventually they end up in the same place. They have a choice to whether or not to kill their enemy, and both of them are convinced by their peers not to. The story sets this point up as their ultimate decision of good and evil, and they both choose good despite what they have gone through.
They also reach similar conclusions at the end. Kiryu is no longer completely devoted to Kazama, as by the end he want to find his own path. Majima is no longer waiting to die by the hands of his brother, now living life the way he wants to.
I thought it was really cool how their choice of clothing throughout the game reflected this comparison. Kiryu sports a white suit while Majima wears a black tuxedo. Kiryu is a pure soldier who starts by fighting to defend while Majima is a street dog who starts by fighting because he has to.
Spoilers!
Eventually, Kiryu fights out of justice/vengence to a good extent while Majima fights for what he wants. At the end of the game, Kiryu wears a gray suit. He won't live the life Kazama want him to (the clean, civilian life) but he won't live the life of a Yakuza. Somewhere in between, a way he will find himself, is best suited for him. By Contrast Majima ends up wearing the craziest costume he can find -- bare chest with a snakeskin suit. This is his way of breaking free of the leached life he has lived so far.
I think this is an analysis that is pretty well known, but thats what I got from my playthrough.
Some other stuff:
- The side stories are all interesting. It made me care about the world a little more.
- I enjoyed the battle system, but it did frustrate me sometimes. Maybe its a skill issue though lol. I loved rush and slugger style most I think.
- This game has a really good soundtrack! I might relisten and write my thoughts down later.
I played this game after a pretty bad semester of college...I think I did the worst I had ever done in school. I had forgotten the reason I had chosen to take math and physics in the first place and was honestly pretty depressed for a chunk there. But this game reminded me why. I decided to do this because I wanted to. So, I will do things my way. Even if it means taking a step back.