Yakuza 0 portrays the genesis of Kazuma Kiryu, the rising Dragon of Dojima in the heyday of the economic bubble in the late 1980s. Starting off in series familiar location Kamurocho, Kiryu, a junior member of the Dojima family, gets blamed for a debt collection that ends in murder. Of course, this murder happens on a hotly coveted plot of land in Kamurocho, and Kiryu quickly finds himself in over his head trying to regain his honor and save the reputation of his savior and father figure, Shintaro Kazama.

Meanwhile, series familiar Goro Majima is living the life in Osaka, running a cabaret above board. But his desire to rejoin the Yakuza Clan he was ousted from is intense, and in order to do so, Majima must complete impossible tests set by increasingly unforgiving bosses. The clan keeps pushing his limits just to see how far he will really go to prove his loyalty...

• The Dragon's Origins: What lies in a man's past defines his future, and in this case, we learn a lot about what inspires Kiryu down the paths he takes in the rest of the Yakuza series. Plus, you don't get to be called "Dragon" without being able to knock a few heads. Combat styles can be hot-swapped during fights for some of the most intense battles in the Yakuza series to date.
• Embrace the Mad Dog: For the first time in a numbered game, long-time NPC Goro Majima is now playable. With his own fighting style, abilities, and his penchant for turning sleaze into profit, stepping into the role of Yakuza's most eccentric character will provide some eye-opening insight.
• The Decadence of the 1980s in Japan: Cash rules everything in the world of Yakuza 0, and in the game, there are a million ways to spend, make, or take money. From cash spilling out of the pockets of gang members you fight to Telephone Clubs, Disco Halls, or even Pocket Circuit car races, there are tons of ways to be a well-to-do gangster.