Unlike earlier games in the series, Yakuza 0's upgrades run on a completely different system. Instead of a straight path, this upgrade tree branches out and really depends on what fighting style you prefer. Targeting specific styles instead of covering all combat, you have to be more careful about what skill you put the effort and money into.

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Luckily, the game gives up certain skills that can cover quite a lot of ground, helping with the whole experience and making life much easier. Even the ones that play to the strengths or weaknesses of one style can save a lot of time and frustration.

10 Secret Of The Boxing King - Final Round

fighting in the club

Nobody ever wants to get to the critical health point where you are barely hanging on and hoping to fight another day. However, sometimes, reaching this state can't be helped. Though hardly anyone is prepared for it, this skill will make sure that you're ready to fight back when the going gets tough.

Ramping up your attack power when the health bar hits critical, this skill gives players a chance to survive if they can still land hits. This can be a real saving grace for those who get blindsided by the enemy as it's not often players get a second chance to victory.

9 Max Health Up

stat chart upgrade

The obvious go-to for anyone looking to make it to the late game, the Max Health Up chain will gradually increase the player's health every time they upgrade it. One of the more straightforward upgrades, this also helps out the most overall.

Unless you're a Yakuza veteran who's looking to give themselves as many obstacles as possible, this skill is the way to go. Scaling with the enemy difficulty, most players will be fine with upgrading when it comes up. Given that the chain has 5 steps to it, by the late game, you should be all caught up.

8 Fighting Knowledge - Off The Charts

Yakuza 0 Heat Gauge

This upgrade is a great way to get a head start in any fight you run into. It puts the player into 3rd stage heat on their first attack and knocks the enemy off their feet. Starting the entire sequence off right, players gain momentum from the first hit.

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Smashing straight into 3rd gear heat is also great for players who like to dive right into the action with no messing around. This lets them deal immediate big damage and get away from the gradual build-up of a regular fight.

7 Attack Power Enhancement (Ultimate)

attack power in yakuza

The ultimate and more expensive version of this chain upgrades attack power across all fighting styles -- something that's needed when the player gets out of the early game. Multiple styles being as easy as a button press means that those more comfortable in combat will adjust to the situation. Unfortunately for some fans, the combat is their least favorite part of the game.

Raising the attack power of anything is tempting, but raising it for everything is a must. It especially comes in handy when the enemies get a little better at defence. This upgrade also speeds up the process and turns group fights from a marathon into a sprint.

6 Secret Of The Bat King (Iron Wall)

iron wall all sides

Defence, defence, defence -- the most important tool that not many focus on. The Iron Wall upgrade will let players defend from all directions, making it impossible to get surprised by a sneaky enemy or overwhelmed by a group.

Honestly, this might be your best asset when it comes to taking on multiple enemies. After all, it is often not the power of an attack but the quantity of them that take the player down. Setting up the best defence in the game will save players a lot of close calls and stop any future rage quits that might mean losing out on some incredible stories.

5 Heat Gauge Rate Of Increase (Ultimate)

Different moves in Yakuza

Another ultimate chain that applies itself across all styles, ramping up the heat gauge and speeding up the action. With all the wild moves being locked inside a certain gauge, players that like to fight with style will be very happy to get to the punchline fast.

This will also unlock a heap of specific abilities for the player to choose from much earlier in a fight, raising the limits for not only how fast you can take out an enemy but practicing the advanced moves to do so.

4 Indestructible Endurance

defence tactics in combat

This is the most effective tactic for players who want to use Beast style, making the inconvenient style playable. Not being able to block in this style is a pain for players, so Indestructible Endurance makes their boosts to resist guard all the more useful.

Turning the enemy's attack from game enders to minor taps, players can now rapidly build up their heat gauge without worrying about being swarmed. It will also make using those heavy objects laying around a lot more fun to use with no worrying about where the player can recover.

3 Street Fighting Knowledge (Evil Shadow)

Goro attacks from behind

Those 1-on-1 fights now become a fun timing game where the right dodge will send you facing the players back and in prime position for a big attack. This will work even better against the most intimidating enemies that throw heavy, slow attacks in your direction.

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It will also make up for the lack of defensive options for some players, giving them a big offensive edge that enemies can't escape. Any attack thrown your way is another opportunity to land a devastating strike and avoid all the damage coming forward.

2 Consecutive Attack Up

rush combination combat

The Rush style is one of the most natural for players; instead of relying on odd tactics, they can go forward and land combinations. This upgrade chain will extend the combination loop and let players use the death by a thousand cuts strategy.

Given the Rush style's lack of big heat moves, the best way to go about dealing big damage is through long lines of attack. That's something that this upgrade will extend and deal even more damage with, making the best part of the style even better.

1 Judo Knowledge

throwing an enemy to the floor

Another key defensive skill that often gets missed along the way, Judo Knowledge reduces the damage players will take when they get tossed by an enemy. While this doesn't happen as often as other attacks, throws are definitely the heavy hitter in the game.

Learning how to land and reduce the damage will save you from losing a big chunk of health anytime someone gets in close. While offence is definitely highlighted in the combat, this skill takes away one of the biggest weapons an enemy has against you.

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