Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut (Switch 2) Review

Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut made the cut for the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch lineup, and while the game might be 10 years old now, rest assured that this edition breathes new life into one of the most beloved entries in the Like A Dragon franchise. Set in the neon-lit streets of 1980s Kamurocho and Sotenbori, this prequel to the mainline series delivers the gritty, emotional origins of some of our favourite Like A Dragon characters: Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima.

The most notable addition is the brand-new English voice acting, and fans of dubbed RPGs and action titles will find this option both an immersive and convenient experience. For the first time, players can experience Yakuza 0 with a full English dub that respects the game’s tone while adding accessibility for newcomers. Initially I was thrown off – like everyone I’ve only ever heard these young characters in Japanese – but the performances by the English cast are so impressive that I soon found myself wrapped up in the story as if it were new. The English voice actors captured both the intense emotional drama of the main story and the outrageous charm of the side quests that the Like A Dragon series is known for.

Despite being a story-driven crime drama, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut doesn’t shy away from its quirky mini-games and bizarre sub-stories — all of which look and sound better than ever. Whether you’re managing a cabaret club or fighting thugs in the street, everything feels enhanced by the new presentation. On the technical side, the improved graphics on Switch 2 are immediately noticeable, character models are sharper, lighting effects are more dynamic, and the environments feel more alive. 

Running at a stable 60 frames per second in both docked and handheld mode, it performs very smoothly without sacrificing the cinematic style that defines the series. There is a visual difference between the main characters of the game and the side characters, though, with the latter feeling refreshed rather than re-rendered. There’s an interesting balance of beautifully rendered cutscenes that often took me a few moments to notice that they had ended and the older style conversations that feature the classic white vignette that the series featured in the earlier days. While the older style scenes do have their charm, they stand out a little from the remastered scenes, and they definitely show the games age, though I don’t think they detract too much from the game overall.

The Directors Cut version also includes a new game mode to go along with Climax Battles with the addition of Red Light Raid, a way to relive the battle missions featured in the story. Red Light Raids feature the typical fighting game loop of earning currency and unlocking more characters to use in the battles, but unfortunately it falls flat beyond that. Though this mode offers the option to play these challenges in multiplayer, you’re unlikely to match with any real player beyond getting your friends involved, so there’s little point in playing the multiplayer mode.

The real letdown however is the lack of development in move sets for characters beyond Majima and Kiryu – who are obviously very fleshed out due to being the main characters – as there’s no real incentive to spend your time grinding out currency by repeatedly doing these challenges when the characters you unlock don’t feel distinct and aren’t worth using. If you really enjoy the fighting aspect of Yakuza games, and especially if you enjoy the Climax Battles, then I think you’ll enjoy giving it a go, even though neither of them were really for me.

Bonus: I am the worst at rhythm games – yes this is my very real score – feel free to laugh!

Overall, I greatly enjoyed revisiting the origins of my favourite fighting boys in Yakuza 0: Directors cut. For longtime fans, this version offers the definitive way to revisit Yakuza 0, and for first timers, it’s the perfect place to start.

Rating: 4/5