Yakuza 0 Director's Cut Reviews
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut should've been an easy win, but a few baffling decisions hold it back.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is the perfect debut for the franchise on the Switch 2. With enhanced graphics, additional voice acting, and a new game mode, it goes beyond a simple port. The gripping story and impactful combat are just as good as before if not better. It’s an excellent entry point for newcomers and a worthy return for longtime fans. A promising start for the Like a Dragon universe on Nintendo’s platform.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Yakuza 0 is completely the same at its core, which will please many returning players to the game. This will also prove to be a great place to start for anyone looking to start the series from the chronological start. You’ve got an amazing port of an amazing game ready for you to jump into once again. Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a fantastic version of the game that does nothing but add to the experience that fans of the series adore, making it a great game to check out and play once again. If you’re new to Yakuza games, there isn’t a better starting point than this entry here and it's easily worth your time.
Yakuza 0 is the best of the traditional-styled Yakuza games, with the most complex story and interesting characters of the lot. It's also the ideal place for newcomers to get started with this weird and wonderful series.The new multiplayer mode is a little throwaway, for sure, and the fights do get repetitive (turn-based Yakuza FTW), but otherwise, this is a phenomenal port of an epic adventure that's now my favourite way to get down on the mean streets of 1980s Tokyo and Osaka.
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is a good way for new players to get into the series, and plays great on Nintendo Switch 2... but it's also a good bit pricier than the game on other platforms and the added cutscenes, voice work and co-op mode don't feel like enough to overcome that difference.
Yakuza 0: Director's Cut proves that great video game titles can find new life on unexpected platforms. While the new features don't fully justify the premium price tag for veterans, it's still an essential experience for any player who hasn't visited the streets of Kamurocho.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
After more than 8 years Yakuza 0 is still one hell of an action game and the best chapter in the series. Deep narrative, exceptional cast and multi-faceted gameplay. The Director's Cut version for Switch 2 improves on the original in every single aspect, elevating the tech and adding more meat around the bone with a brand new multiplayer mode.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yakuza 0 is one of the greatest entries in the long-running series, and the Switch 2 port is masterfully executed, offering excellent performance alongside new features. While the new online mode may not quite hit the mark, the core campaign remains incredible, and the added cutscenes enhance the overall experience. Although there isn’t much new content for returning players, this version serves as the perfect entry point for newcomers to the series.
This 15-year-old game has aged well, with new cutscenes and other enhancements contributing to an epic, movie-like quality to the action. This prequel makes the perfect first entry for the Switch 2.
On its own, Yakuza 0 is a great, albeit dated, entry in the overarching Yakuza franchise. Yakuza 0: Director's Cut might not feature enough content that Yakuza fans may enjoy, but it's an excellent port for a Nintendo Switch 2 owner and an even better entry into the Yakuza series for those who have not yet played a game from Ryu Ga Gotoku.
For first-timers, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is the definitive way to experience one of the greatest action-adventure games ever made.
Yakuza 0 doesn't do enough to justify its director's cut title, but the main story arc remains a benchmark for a franchise that has only grown in popularity, so what better time to give it a run on a console that can do it justice.
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is one of the best games in Switch 2 launch lineup, since it is the best version of one of the best episodes in the whole Yakuza franchise. This should be enough to recommend a buy, but the new Red Light Raid, extra story content and new localization languages round up a perfect package.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The best way to play the best entry in the series and a must have launch title for Switch 2
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is probably still the best place to start if you are new to Yakuza but previous players won’t be missing much. The new story scenes and Red Light mode aren’t worth it in my opinion to pay full price again for this if you played Yakuza 0 before. If you are new though I can’t recommend it enough and the new English voices are a nice addition.
Yakuza 0 remains among the best Yakuza games, and this Switch 2-exclusive Director's Cut is essential for those who are yet to play it. The extra content here, including additional cut scenes and a new Red Light Raid mode, isn't all that impressive, but it doesn't matter much when the base game looks and plays better than ever.
“Director’s Cut” is the right term for this Yakuza 0 release. The biggest addition is additional minutes of narrative footage, and it’s been spruced up to work on a handheld console for the first time. That’s really all it needed, because it was already the pinnacle of one of the greatest JRPG properties we’ve ever seen.
Overall, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is a solid but unexceptional port of a phenomenal game. It runs smoothly, plays well, and is a ton of fun from start to finish. However, the new content adds nothing to the game, and if you already own Yakuza 0, then there's no major reason to pick it up again. However, if you're interested in learning about the franchise or if you've only played the recent RPG-like entries, Yakuza 0 is by far the best starting point for newcomers. The unnecessary extras don't prevent it from being arguably the high point of the entire franchise and well worth playing if you're curious about the Like a Dragon/Yakuza titles.
That said, the Director's Cut is easily skippable for existing fans unless you're invested in the brand new English dub or extra languages the game has been translated into. The changes made to the story by the new cutscenes make me believe this is a worse version of the game than the original PS4 release that I played, but that is by a very small amount. If you're a Nintendo fan who's been looking for your chance to get started with the Like A Dragon franchise, this is the moment you've been waiting for.
Anyway, Yakuza 0 is an excellent game and this Director’s Cut is the best version of it yet. The story is compelling, the action is fun, and there’s a wealth of things to enjoy in its well-realized settings.