So, you’ve decided to step into the neon-soaked, cigarette-smoke-filled streets of 1988 Japan. Smart move. Honestly, Yakuza 0 is one of those rare games that feels like a fever dream and a Shakespearean tragedy rolled into one. You're here for a Yakuza 0 game guide because, let’s be real, this game doesn't just give you a story; it throws a thousand different systems at your face and expects you to juggle them while a guy in a diaper tries to pick a fight with you. It’s chaotic. It’s dense. It is very, very easy to waste twenty hours doing absolutely nothing of value if you don't know where to look.
Kiryu and Majima are your two leads, and they couldn't be more different. Kiryu is the stoic, slightly naive tank who’s being framed for a murder in a tiny plot of land called the Empty Lot. Majima is the "Lord of the Night" in Sotenbori, running a cabaret club with surgical precision while basically being a prisoner of the Yakuza. You’ll swap between them every two chapters. If you’re looking to dominate the economy and the combat, you need to understand that money is literally everything here. You don’t gain XP by fighting; you buy your skills with cold, hard yen.
Stop Trying to Grudge Match Mr. Shakedown Early On
Seriously. Don't do it. You'll see this giant, hulking man wandering around Kamurocho and Sotenbori. That’s Mr. Shakedown. In the beginning, he will absolutely delete your health bar in two hits. The Yakuza 0 game guide secret that most veterans will tell you is that he’s actually your best friend later on, but a nightmare early. If he catches you, he takes every single yen you have. Every. Single. One.
But there’s a trick.
If you use the "Slime Gun" or "Zap Gun," you can cheese him from a distance. Later, once you unlock the "Mr. Shakedown Deep Pocket" skill in the CP exchange (at the shrine or temple), you can actually make a profit by losing to him on purpose and then winning it back. He stores your money and adds a multiplier. It's basically a high-stakes savings account where the banker tries to kick your teeth in.
✨ Don't miss: Minecraft Cool and Easy Houses: Why Most Players Build the Wrong Way
The Real Estate Royale and Cabaret Club Czar are Not Optional
You might think, "Oh, these are just side activities." You'd be wrong. If you want to unlock the "Legend" fighting styles—the Dragon of Dojima for Kiryu and the Mad Dog of Shimano for Majima—you have to complete these storylines.
Kiryu’s Real Estate Royale is a waiting game. You buy properties, assign managers, and wait for the cash to roll in. Pro tip: focus on the Media King and the Gambling King early. They give the best returns. You'll need to hire staff with high stars. Don't just pick people randomly. Look at the icons. A "Double Circle" is what you want for security and management. While the bars fill up, go do substories. Don’t just stand around.
Majima’s Cabaret Club Czar is a whole different beast. It’s a management sim that is surprisingly addictive.
- The Platinum Girls: These are your MVPs. You need to customize their looks to maximize their "Three S" stats (Sexy, Skill, etc.).
- Hand Signals: Learn them. If a girl makes a "C" shape with her hands, she needs a guest glass. If she makes a twisting motion, she needs a towel. Getting these right boosts the mood and keeps the money flowing.
- Fever Time: Save it for when the club is full. It forces guests to spend more and prevents them from getting angry and leaving.
Combat Styles: Knowing When to Switch
You have three base styles for each character. For Kiryu, "Brawler" is your all-rounder. "Rush" is for fast enemies who won't stop dodging. "Beast" is for when there are bicycles and couches nearby. If there's a motorcycle on the ground, switch to Beast. Kiryu will auto-grab it and swing it like a madman. It’s the fastest way to clear a crowd.
🔗 Read more: Thinking game streaming: Why watching people solve puzzles is actually taking over Twitch
Majima is a bit more technical. "Thug" is precise. "Slugger" makes you nearly invincible against knife-wielders because the bat blocks everything. Then there's "Breaker." Breaker is broken. If you just spam the triple-spin move (the one where he spins on his head), you can clear entire rooms of high-level goons without taking a scratch. It’s noisy, it’s flashy, and it’s arguably the most effective style in the game for general street fights.
The CP Exchange and Why You Should Care About Toilets
Every time you eat at a restaurant, finish a substory, or even just walk a certain distance, you earn Completion Points (CP). Go to the Bob Utsunomiya clown guy at the Shrine (Kamurocho) or the Temple (Sotenbori).
Priority one: The "Bottomless Stomach" perk. This lets you eat at restaurants even when your health is full. Why does that matter? Because completing the menus at every restaurant gives you massive amounts of CP. It’s the easiest way to farm points. Also, get the "Dash" upgrades. Kamurocho is big, and Kiryu has the cardio of a chain-smoker at the start of the game. You'll get tired of him huffing and puffing after ten seconds of sprinting.
Finding the Best Gear Without Breaking the Bank
Don't buy weapons from the general stores. They suck. Instead, use the Dragon & Tiger craft shop in Sotenbori (and later the agent in Kamurocho). You send agents out across the world to find materials and blueprints. It's a bit of a gamble, but it's the only way to get the high-end stuff like the Photon Blade or the really powerful tazers.
💡 You might also like: Why 4 in a row online 2 player Games Still Hook Us After 50 Years
If you're struggling with a boss, stock up on "Staminan Royale." Don't bother with the cheap "Toughness" drinks. Staminan refills both your health and your Heat gauge. Heat is your lifeblood. Without Heat, you can't perform those brutal cinematic finishers that make the game so satisfying.
The Substories You Can't Miss
This Yakuza 0 game guide wouldn't be complete without mentioning the weirdness. Some substories give you amazing rewards.
- The Miracle Johnson Quest: You get to protect a Michael Jackson legally-distinct-clone. Do it. The reward is either a black or white box. Pick the black one. It usually has better gear, or more importantly, it leads to getting Miracle as a staff member for your real estate business.
- The Pocket Circuit Fighter: It looks like a mini-game for kids. It is actually a deep, soul-crushing simulation of physics and aerodynamics. If you win the races, you gain the Fighter as an ally.
- The Tax Lady: Helping Tano will significantly boost your income potential in the real estate game.
Honestly, the best way to play is to get distracted. If you see a guy standing on a corner looking depressed, talk to him. It usually leads to a quest that involves buying him a specific type of sake or beating up a group of fake yakuza. These moments are where the heart of the game is. They also provide the "Human Drama" that fills up your CP bar.
A Note on the "Missable" Content
Good news: very little is truly missable. If you finish the game, you unlock "Premium Adventure" mode. This lets you roam the cities freely with all your stats and gear to finish up any substories or mini-games you skipped. The only things you can really "miss" are specific trophies/achievements related to certain combat heat actions or specific choices in a few substories, but even those don't lock you out of the 100% completion.
Watch out for the telephone club mini-game. It’s... awkward. But it’s necessary if you want to complete all the substories. There are three specific girls you need to meet, and it’s mostly down to RNG which one picks up the phone. If you hear a certain voice and realize it’s a girl you’ve already met, just hang up. Don't waste your time.
Actionable Steps for Your First Five Hours
- Focus on the Main Plot until Chapter 3: This is when the world truly opens up and you get Majima.
- Invest in "Money Smelling" skills: These are found in the ability tree. They make enemies drop more cash.
- Collect Telephone Cards: They’re the shiny things on the ground. They give you CP and some... interesting... collectible images.
- Don't hoard your cash: Inflation isn't a thing in Yakuza 0, but your power level stays low if you don't spend. If you have 10 million yen, spend it on your Brawler or Thug tree immediately.
- Visit the Pocket Circuit Stadium early: It’s a great way to earn some easy CP and the parts are cheap at the start.
Mastering the rhythm of the city is more important than mastering the combos. Once you get the flow of switching between business management and head-cracking, you'll find that the "Grind" doesn't feel like a grind at all. It feels like 1988. Go get 'em, Kyodai.