Yakuza 0: Director's Cut review: the definitive version of the definitive Like A Dragon game

Yakuza 0 is the game to play if you’re thinking of getting into the Like A Dragon series. It can be quite a daunting franchise to get into as there are so many games to play, and a lot of catching up to do before you’re ready for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth or Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii.

If you play Yakuza 0 though I can almost guarantee it’ll convince you that they’re games worth playing, as you won’t find a more gripping story of life, crime and carving your own destiny.

The game is playable on PC, Xbox and PlayStation platforms but if you want the definitive experience look no further than the recently released Nintendo Switch 2 version, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut.

As the name implies this is an enhanced and extended port of Yakuza 0 that adds a whole suite of new features, with so many improvements it’s going to be difficult to go back to the original version.

Starting off with the biggest changes, Director’s Cut adds a variety of cutscenes that can’t be found in the original version of the game, just short of 30 minutes worth of new content, all running at a higher framerate with a better resolution. While they don’t drastically change the story they do add some context and flavour to it. Thinking to myself “oh I’ve never seen this scene before” was exciting and while I never believed Yakuza 0 needed more cutscenes I can’t say they feel intrusive.

Additionally you can now experience this story in English with a new dub. Now I’ll be honest, I prefer the dialogue in the original Japanese but I can’t say I was offended by the dub either… All voice actors, specifically Yong Yea and Matt Mercer as Kiryu and Majima respectively, put in great work. There’s no right or wrong answer, it just comes down to preference. What I will say is give the dub a try for yourself and see what you think, because I honestly think it’s rather good at points.

SEGA

The game itself also looks fantastic. It’s obviously not as advanced as modern-day titles but the streets and Kamurochō have never looked ugly, and the increased resolution does it justice here, especially in the evening when the streets are illuminated with neon signs and lanterns.

Arguably the most impressive addition to the game though is the option to save anywhere. This honestly should have been a feature in the original game, and it’s one of the reasons why I think it’ll be difficult to go back to the OG after playing the Nintendo Switch 2 version. It’s such a minor change in the grand scheme of things but my God is it not a welcome one…

The final new addition are some new online multiplayer modes, which I’ve tried out a little bit but not really had a hankering to play more of. It’s nice to see them added but it’s not really the reason you’d play a Yakuza game, so their inclusion doesn’t really feel justified.

Apart from that Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is the same Yakuza 0 that launched back in 2018. If you’re completely new to the series and this will be your first game then it’s absolutely worth picking up if you have the Nintendo Switch 2. For those who have played the original it’s a tougher decision, as it feels more like a novelty purchase than something you need. If you really want to see the new cutscenes and have wanted to replay the game recently then this version is for you, but you might want to hold up until it’s on sale rather than buy it now.

SEGA

If you do decide to get Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut you’ll be getting one of the greatest games ever made, enhanced, on your shiny new Nintendo Switch 2, the decision will come down to whether you’ve played it before and fancy playing it again but via the definitive version

Pros: New cutscenes, enhanced visuals, quality-of-life improvements, more dub options

Cons: Perhaps not worth the price for those who’ve played it before

For fans of: Yakuza, Judgement,

9/10: Exceptional

Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is available now for Nintendo Switch 2. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.