ReviewPaul RobertsJuly 14, 2025Maxi Geek Review, Yakuza 0, Sega, Switch 2Comment

Yakuza 0 Directors Cut - Review

ReviewPaul RobertsJuly 14, 2025Maxi Geek Review, Yakuza 0, Sega, Switch 2Comment

It was strange that Yakuza Kiwami appeared on the Switch before the more recent (still 10 years ago) prequel: Yakuza 0. Thankfully it turns out the next game in the series on a Nintendo console is Yakuza 0 Directors Cut, just in time for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Yakuza 0 is once again centred around Kazuma Kiryu, of course before the events of the Kiwami/1, set in 1988 when Kiryu is yet to be known as the feared ‘Dragon of Dojima’. After a run of the mill debt collection, Kiryu finds himself framed for a murder he didn’t commit. To make it all the more delicate, the location of the murder is a fiercely contested piece of land that the Lieutenants of the Yakuza and a shady real estate company will do anything to obtain. With the Yakuza looking to blame Kiryu’s superior, this doesn’t sit well with Kiryu, leaving him to take matters into his own hands away from the Yakuza. Series regular Goro Majima is also playable and his story interweaves with Kiryu’s, both having their part to play in all the drama around the empty lot. It’s just as enjoyable getting time with the wild Majima and learning how he became the eccentric wild card from the following game. In a world where problems are usually solved by using your fists, Yakuza 0 remains a wild ride as the Yakuza infighting and conflict keeps everything moving along.

Yakuza 0 introduces the different fighting styles, which were carried over to Kiwami - Brawler, Rush, Beast and a fourth unlockable one. In Kiwami the styles are just there with very little in the way of introduction. In Yakuza 0, each style is introduced through the story in a way that helps to understand each style. For each style you can purchase upgrades to your health, heat and moves as long as you have the cash. Majima also gets his own fighting styles in Thug, Slugger and Breaker, with his own upgrade menus. It’s good fun getting to enjoy the differences in Kiryu’s and Majima’s combat styles, especially when it’s a few hours of Kiryu before you swap over.

When I played Yakuza Kiwami for review, one of the main disappointments was that Sega were starting with a more content-light and simpler Yakuza game, when the more jam packed prequel exists. Regardless I am happy that we are getting more Yakuza/Like a Dragon, and I can only hope the rest will follow. Not only is there a lot of story going on, there is a heap of minigames as well as all the substories scattered throughout the town.

As part of the Directors Cut there have been new additions, with 4K and 60fps performance it is currently the best way to play Yakuza 0. There is also an English dub to accompany the original Japanese voice acting. A new mode, Red Light Raid, and about half an hour of new cutscenes adds even more to the game. I will talk about the other additions later, but first let's talk about the new cutscenes. I’m not sure why they decided to mess with the solid story they already had, why put a hat on a hat! The new cutscenes expand on the story, but at times diminish the original story. Some of the additional scenes are a nice additional touch, but it would still be a push to say that the game benefits from having them. Regardless, the Yakuza 0 story is still an enjoyable rollercoaster, it’s just a shame the additional moments do little to enhance it.

One of the mentioned additions is a new English dub, with a pretty decent cast too. Honestly after so long of the Japanese VOs I couldn’t imagine Kiryu sounding any different, same for Majima. If you prefer an English dub you won’t be done a disservice here. It's cool they have both options here, especially for an older title.

Finally, the other main addition to Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is Red Light Raid, an additional mode focused on Yakuza’s combat with a multiplayer focus. In RLR, you can play as a wide variety of characters from the game brawling it out through a gauntlet of group fights until you defeat a final boss. You begin with a chunk of cash to purchase a fighter, then you’ll need to purchase the rest. Want to upgrade your fighter? Then you’ll need to earn more yen through completing runs. While it’s a nice novelty to brawl as other Yakuza characters, the mode is so fast-paced the only thing that matters is having a solid fighter like Kiryu. You can play online with anyone, with friends or solo with CPU allies. I had trouble landing an online run, so I can only really speak from the solo option. I’m unsure how much more fun it would be with friends, you’d all have to really enjoy Yakuza 0’s combat. Red Light Raid felt like a tacked on addition when the game was recently unveiled, and it’s done little since then to disprove it. Although ultimately it doesn’t detract from the fact that Yakuza 0 in itself is a lengthy adventure, with Red Light Raid offering a bonus minigame to sink some hours into.

The original Yakuza 0 is 10 years old this year, so it might not be the most graphically intensive game - it even came out on the PS3! But then the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series has nailed a pretty specific visual style that worked then and still works now. For the Switch 2 there’s not only new scenes, but the game looks nice whether it’s on the Switch handheld screen or on the TV. With the TV able to manage 4k, the framerate sticks to a smooth 60fps on handheld or TV. It gives more hope to seeing much more of the series showing up on the Switch 2.

Yakuza 0 Directors Cut is a great way to start off the new reign of the Switch 2, looking great and running smoothly regardless how you play it. You certainly get your values worth in the many hours of running around beating up thugs and partaking in lots of other activities, it makes it hard to go back to Kiwami. The new additions to the game may not hit the mark, but it’s hard to complain about a new optional mode and a visual and performance upgrade, on top of a complete package. Yakuza 0 was a game worth revisiting already, now is the perfect opportunity with the Directors Cut.