Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Review – More of a Good Thing

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is among the most surprising Switch 2 exclusive launch titles. The decade-old prequel still sits as one of the best entries to date in the long-running series, but that doesn’t make this sudden resurrection any less unexpected. For many, Yakuza 0 represents the best in the franchise’s storytelling and its classic beat ’em up era combat. The Director’s Cut brings all of the bike-swinging, shirt-throwing drama to Nintendo‘s all-new console, but with the added twist of new cutscenes, an online cooperative horde mode, and an English dub. It’s an attractive package of an already enticing experience, begging even series’ veterans to return the neon-drenched streets of Kamurocho.

The formative years of Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima make for a compelling story, one that takes us through the young duo’s evolution into the legendary personas that all manner of yakuza, from captains to foot soldiers, fear. Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut takes that engrossing 1988 gangster tale and tacks on nearly thirty minutes of new cutscenes, fleshing out certain events and character connections. There may not be anything wildly transformative embedded in the extra minutes, but it’s a pleasant addition. For the Yakuza fan, the added scenes make an enticing proposition for a replay. For the newcomer, the director’s cut represents the definitive way to experience the narrative. And the whole thing can be experienced in English for the first time ever, should that be something you desire. While Matt Mercer does a great job bringing Majima to life, the same cannot be said for Yong Yea’s delivery for Kiryu.

Classic Style

The combat takes us back to the earlier days of the beat ’em up action, before it was refined in Kiwami and evolved into a turn-based variant in Like a Dragon. It’s a bit repetitive at times, but it never fails to entertain with its impact and flair. Kiryu and Majima have three fighting styles (plus an unlockable fourth) to swap between as they pummel street thugs into the pavement. Kiryu can take on groups in Beast, become highly evasive in Rush, and take on his classic moveset in Brawler. Majima can swap between flashy and aggressive Breaker and Thug styles, or simply wield a skull-cracking bat in Slugger. It may not have the modern refinement of the latest entries, but the combat remains a joy to upgrade and evolve over the course of the criminal soap opera. It’s near impossible to tire of the insane over-the-top Heat Actions that punctuate every brawl.

If the bloodied fists need a break, there is a slew of activities awaiting the player as they wander the streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori. Of course, the always-classic karaoke pastime, which graces us with stirring performances by our criminal protagonists. Or there’s the cabaret club minigame. The goofy business management sim is all about building a thriving club by carefully tailoring the looks of a growing list of employed hostesses. For a game that is all about lengthy cutscenes and flashy fisticuffs, this wacky side piece is oddly engaging and far more involved than it has any right to be.

Co-op Comes to Kamurocho

Mostly Yakuza 0 DIrector’s Cut is as you remember it with a few changes. But there is one component of this repackaged re-release that is utterly unexpected and exciting. The new Red Light Raid is the series’ first foray into multiplayer. The horde-like mode sees four players come together to battle waves of enemies, controlling the fists of a giant roster of prominent Yakuza characters and substory stars. It is, admittedly, a bit archaic in its multiplayer systems and design, but there is something thrilling about getting to stand side-by-side with friends as iconic faces. I mean, what fan hasn’t dreamed of co-op as Kiryu and Majima.

Players are dropped into multi-stage levels teeming with waves of basic bad guys and bosses in need of clearing. The supplied beatdowns create showers of cash, which conveniently fall into the player’s in-game wallet. The accrued funds can be spent on leveling up all sixty playable characters. Those levels become important as players progress through each new level, which get progressively harder. It’s a pretty basic grind to run unlocked missions enough times to gather the money needed to boost a desired fighter to the next level. And yet the cycle is an amusing diversion as a tacked-on experience to an already phenomenal game. Diving into the Yakuza universe with friends for the first time makes for fun (and often funny) co-op sessions. With the lengthy list of characters and the ballooning upgrade costs, there’s plenty to grind through in this basic multiplayer mode for the most devout. But be prepared to bring your own friends, as online matchmaking rarely yielded a connection with anyone.

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Review Verdict

[Editor’s Note: Yakuza 0 Director’s cut was reviewed on Switch 2 and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]