Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut review – Kiryu on the Nintendo Switch 2

One of the finest Yakuza video games is remastered for the Nintendo Switch 2 with new content material and options, however is it price the inflated price ticket? 

For anybody who hasn’t performed many present gen video games over the previous few years, the Switch 2 launch line-up is a stacked compilation of hits to meet up with. Mario Kart World is perhaps the headline act, however between Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6, and upgraded variations of arguably the best two Zelda games, it’s a effectively-rounded recap of the trendy gaming panorama. 

Another one among these titles is Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, a re-launch of the PlayStation 4 sport which got here out in 2017. By most accounts, it’s recognised as one among the finest video games in the Yakuza (now Like A Dragon) collection, and helped catapult its reputation in the west. We’d argue Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a greater entry level now, when it comes to trendy gameplay requirements, however as an origin story for characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, Yakuza 0 nonetheless makes the most sense from a narrative perspective. 

This new model is mainly the identical beat ‘em-up gangster drama as before, only repackaged with some additional perks for the Switch 2. If you’re in search of a route into the collection together with your shiny new handheld, it is a worthwhile decide-up, however the moveable ingredient is the solely actual upside to this expanded minimize. 

If you need a breakdown of the sport, you possibly can try our original review of the PlayStation 4 model. The Director’s Cut is basically the identical video games, however some features are displaying their age eight years later – particularly the fight. It’s nonetheless enjoyably scrappy in its arcade sensibilities, particularly in the scripted Heat actions, however when in comparison with the selection and fluidity of contemporary entries, Yakuza 0’s fight has turn out to be a stiff throwback. 

Everything else holds up fairly effectively and there’s a visible improve on the Switch 2, with 60fps and 4K assist when docked. It helps make the metropolis streets of Kamurucho pop, particularly at evening, however it’s a disgrace different enhancements weren’t made elsewhere, like the character fashions outdoors of minimize scenes or the presentation of menus, to present it a contemporary end.

There are additionally new, if minor, additions. The Director’s Cut comes with an English dub, and whereas latest entries like Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth have respectable English voicework, the performances listed here are a drastic step down when in comparison with the Japanese actors. We is perhaps too attuned to the latter to grasp any modifications to Kiryu’s supply, however listening to the English dub is an actual slog.

The greatest addition is the multiplayer mode Red Light Raid. Here, you workforce up with as much as three different gamers on-line to combat waves of enemies over a number of phases, with the occasional boss encounter thrown in. There are six missions in complete, with every one ramping up the problem. Any cash you earn over these runs can be utilized to unlock new characters to scrap with, together with Goro Majima, Akira Nishikiyama, or obscure fighters pulled from the Coliseum like the clown Red Lip Yamamoto. 

When you’re combating alongside three different human gamers (any empty spots are crammed by CPUs), there’s a chaotic allure in seeing basic Yakuza 0 characters steamroll via enemy goons in speedy succession. However, Red Light Raid is little greater than a shallow distraction – a tacked-on mode which is a pleasant novelty for a number of rounds, however nothing you’ll return to in the weeks to come back. 

For Yakuza nerds, the driving attraction of the Director’s Cut is, as the title suggests, the inclusion of latest minimize scenes. There are 26 minutes of latest footage in complete and, as confirmed by producer Makoto Suzuki, these are scenes which have been dropped from the authentic sport, and never new innovations thrown in after the truth. 

The drawback is, as is commonly the case with deleted scenes, you realise why most of those have been minimize in the first place. At their finest, these inclusions add color to Kiryu’s relationships with characters like Nishikiyama, and whereas a neat additional, they’re not worthwhile sufficient to make up for the knocks to the pacing. At their worst, a few of these scenes are emblematic of the collection’ most irritating storytelling habits, with one character’s dying being inexplicably reversed, to the narrative’s detriment. 

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a tricky sport to guage, because it relies upon on your familiarity with the franchise. If you’ve got entry to different platforms, the authentic sport is cheaper and also you gained’t be lacking a lot.

However, in the event you’re in search of a gateway into the collection and have a Switch 2, it is a nice, if costly, choice with a number of inconsequential extras thrown in. For very long time followers although, this expanded model will doubtless turn out to be an odd curiosity over the definitive version.

Formats: Nintendo Switch 2
Price: £44.99
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Release Date: fifth June 2025
Age Rating: 18

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