Basic Combat

Welcome to the streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori, where fists do the talking and every encounter is an opportunity to prove your dominance. Yakuza 0's combat system is a deep and rewarding experience, but mastering the basics is crucial for survival and success. This section will walk you through the fundamental mechanics, offering actionable strategies to turn you from a street brawler into a legendary Dragon of Dojima or Mad Dog of Shimano.

Understanding Your Stances

Both Kiryu and Majima possess three distinct fighting styles, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and unique Heat Actions. Switching between these styles mid-combat is key to adapting to different enemy types and situations. Familiarize yourself with the controls for switching stances (typically the D-Pad) and practice transitioning smoothly.

Kiryu's Styles:
- Brawler: Your balanced, all-rounder style. Good for crowd control and dishing out decent damage. It's excellent for learning the ropes.
- Rush: A fast, evasive style perfect for single targets or quickly closing distances. Its quick dodges and flurry of punches make it ideal for hit-and-run tactics.
- Beast: A slow but incredibly powerful style, allowing Kiryu to pick up and wield heavy objects as weapons. Use this when you're surrounded or facing tougher opponents with high health. Look for environmental weapons like bicycles, traffic cones, or even signboards to maximize its potential.
Majima's Styles:
- Thug: Majima's balanced style, offering a good mix of speed and power. It's a solid choice for general combat.
- Slugger: Majima's weapon-based style, where he wields a baseball bat. This style offers excellent range and crowd control. Remember to pick up a bat from the environment or purchase one from a weapon shop like the one in the Sotenbori Batting Center if you want to utilize this style to its fullest.
- Breaker: A unique, dance-inspired style that allows Majima to spin and breakdance, hitting multiple enemies at once. It's fantastic for clearing groups but leaves Majima vulnerable during certain animations.

Basic Offensive Maneuvers

Your primary attacks consist of light attacks (Square/X) and heavy attacks (Triangle/Y). Combining these creates various combos. Experiment with different sequences to discover what works best for each style.

Light Attack Combos: Repeatedly pressing the light attack button will unleash a quick flurry of blows. These are great for building up your Heat Gauge.
Heavy Attack Finishers: Ending a light attack combo with a heavy attack often results in a powerful finisher, knocking down or stunning enemies.
Charged Heavy Attacks: Holding down the heavy attack button will charge up a more devastating blow. This is particularly effective in Beast and Slugger styles.
Grabs: When an enemy is stunned or open, you can grab them (Circle/B). From a grab, you can perform various actions:
- Throw: Pressing Circle/B again will throw the enemy, often into other opponents or environmental hazards.
- Pummel: Pressing Square/X will deliver a series of quick punches.
- Heat Action: If your Heat Gauge is sufficiently high, a prompt for a powerful Heat Action will appear (Triangle/Y).

Defensive Tactics

Defense is just as important as offense. Knowing when to block, dodge, or parry can turn the tide of a difficult fight.

Blocking: Hold L1/LB to guard against incoming attacks. While blocking reduces damage, it doesn't make you invincible. Stronger attacks can still break your guard.
Dodging: Double-tapping X/A (or using the dedicated dodge button in some styles) allows you to quickly evade attacks. This is crucial for avoiding unblockable attacks or repositioning yourself. Kiryu's Rush style and Majima's Breaker style excel at evasion.
Parrying/Reversals: Certain styles, like Kiryu's Brawler, have specific abilities to parry or counter incoming attacks. These are often unlocked through skill upgrades and require precise timing. Pay attention to enemy attack patterns to time these effectively.

The Heat Gauge and Heat Actions

The glowing blue bar at the top left of your screen is your Heat Gauge. It fills as you land attacks, take damage, or taunt enemies. Once a segment of the Heat Gauge is full, you can unleash devastating Heat Actions (Triangle/Y when prompted). These cinematic moves deal massive damage and are often unblockable. Look for environmental cues (like being near a wall, a bicycle, or a table) as these often trigger unique and powerful Heat Actions. Don't hoard your Heat; use it strategically to finish off tough enemies or clear groups.

Environmental Interactions

The streets of Yakuza 0 are your playground. Look for objects you can use as weapons or interact with to gain an advantage:

Weapons: Pick up objects like bicycles, traffic cones, signboards, or even potted plants (Circle/B when near them). These can be used for powerful attacks, especially with Kiryu's Beast style or Majima's Slugger style. Weapons have durability and will eventually break.
Walls and Surfaces: Many Heat Actions involve slamming enemies into walls, railings, or other surfaces. Position your enemies strategically to maximize these opportunities.
Food and Drinks: If your health is low, look for vending machines, convenience stores (like Poppo or M Store), or restaurants. Consuming food and drinks will restore your health. Keep a stock of Staminan X or Toughness Z in your inventory for quick mid-fight recovery. These can be purchased from convenience stores or found in some fights.

Early Game Strategy & Upgrades

In the early chapters, focus on upgrading your basic attack power and health. For Kiryu, prioritize the Brawler style's foundational upgrades, then branch into Rush for mobility. For Majima, Thug is a solid starting point, followed by Slugger for its crowd control. You'll unlock upgrades by spending money at the various "training" spots for each style, represented by a glowing aura on the ground. visit the "Mr. Shakedown" encounters for massive cash injections that can fuel your early game upgrades.