Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut review: Great gameplay, but the new cutscenes bring conflicted feelings

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a Nintendo Switch 2 port of one of my absolute favorite games. As a long-time fan of the Like a Dragon franchise, I immediately fell in love with the original Yakuza 0, as it added so much to the series as a whole. Giving more depth to Kiryu, and especially Majima, I felt was important. And now we have an entry, a port, called the “Director’s Cut.” But what exactly is a Director’s Cut?

It’s the director’s vision of whatever the product is, be it video game or movie. These often differ in some ways from the original work, and Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is no different. There are some changes that some consider minor and others consider lore-breaking; don’t worry, I’m not going to offer any spoilers here. Instead, I want to talk about the game as a whole, and what it offers.

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Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is one of the best ways to begin the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is one of the first games I played after setting up my Switch 2, to be honest. It was this and Bravely Default. Since I’ve played through this game countless times by now, I was already prepared for everything that needs to be done. For those who aren’t familiar, Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the original Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, from the perspective of Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima.

It all starts in this unassuming lot (Image via SEGA)

It centers around a location called the “Empty Lot,” and its importance becomes clear the deeper you get into the story. Each of the two protagonists has its own story and trials to overcome, and frankly, it’s one of the more memorable stories to me in the series.

Set in the 80s, when the Japanese economy was at its most powerful, there’s millions of yen for players to farm up and use on getting stronger throughout this game. There are great mini-games to tackle, comical side quests to get into, and of course, Karaoke to sing. Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut looks and feels like the PC version, and that’s to its credit. Even if you’re like me and have played the game tons of times, it’s a great addition to your Switch 2 library.

However, there is some new content that is courting controversy, though I can’t say I really agree with the very loud fan sentiment right now. I enjoy both the Red Light Raid Mode, and the new cutscenes, even if some things do wind up being potentially retconned.

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What’s new in Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut?

The Red Light Raid mode is definitely a fun, chaotic time. Would be better with local co-op though (Image via SEGA)

There are a few new features in Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut: an English Dub, 25 minutes of new cutscenes, the Red Light Raid mode, and 60 FPS/4K resolution support. Some of these are obviously much bigger than others. I’ll cover the English dub and the resolution of the game in a little bit, so let’s talk about the two major additions.

The Red Light Raid, while adds nothing to the main story of the game, is a genuinely fun mode. A four-player online mode, players pick their favorite Yakuza 0 character (or some interesting generic characters), and battle it out through a series of incredibly challenging enemy waves.

I did enjoy it, though I only played solo (with NPC helpers), I can see it being so much fun with a few friends. The biggest downside is that you can’t play local co-op. That would make this a much better experience, especially on the Switch 2, which is a great multiplayer machine. Another negative to this mode is some characters are definitely better than others. Sure, Daisaku Kuze is a great character in the lore, but in this mode? Pick someone else.

It fits the overall theme of Yakuza 0, and that being “money talks.” You grind tons of cash, and use it to unlock more characters, and level them up so it’s easier to tackle the harder challenges, deeper into this mode. This isn’t where the controversy lies; that’s in the 25 minutes of new cutscenes.

You'll definitely see some familiar faces in the Red Light Raid mode (Image via SEGA)

Now, I won’t be spoiling, or showing any of the cutscenes here. If you want to find spoilers, they’re out there, I promise you. However, some of these cutscenes potentially change pivotal scenes in Yakuza 0 as a whole. Personally, I don’t think this matters too much. I don’t necessarily agree with how some of them were carried out, but it’s not my vision. I definitely don’t think this is a “the franchise is ruined” moment, like some people have shouted about online.

Do I think that they’re necessarily a net positive for the overall experience? No. Sometimes, a scene is cut from a game for a good reason, and perhaps these are some of those. I certainly don’t hate them, though.

I also want to talk about the English Dub, at least a bit. I’m so glad Matthew Mercer returned as the voice of Majima, but honestly, I very seldom play these games in English when offered. Unless I’m streaming, I prefer the Japanese voice cast.

While I do think Yong Yea has improved since his last outing as Kiryu Kazuma, he did have some truly incredible shoes to fill, in the Japanese cast’s Takaya Kuroda. The English cast overall is solid, and brought plenty of heart and emotion to their roles.

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How does Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut perform on the Nintendo Switch 2?

Sagawa is still very much a scumbag; that hasn't changed (Image via SEGA)

The 60 FPS/4K Resolution does look sharp, though there were some instances of characters popping up out of nowhere, while running around Kamurocho and Sotenbori. Not every cutscene looks brilliant though, because you have to remember, these were designed around 30 FPS originally.

At least one cutscene got weirdly blurry in the background, too. While the foreground (Majima) popped out and looked excellent, the characters behind him were blurred out. I will admit though I loved the cutscenes that went from being still-life to being animated.

That was a nice touch. The game still looks good, but you have to also remember, this was a PS4-era game (PS3/PS4 in Japan). It isn’t a remaster or a remake, so the graphics look the same as they did then. Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut’s gameplay did feel great, though. The loading times were solid, and exploration and combat both felt fantastic.

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Final thoughts

It was acceptable in the 80s (Image via SEGA)

I can certainly understand why some people are upset with Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, but I’m not one of them. I don’t know that it’s an absolute must-have, but I’ve enjoyed it for what it was: a port of a game I’m very fond of, with some added content. I’m still torn on how I feel about the new cutscenes, but I’m certain that I don’t think it’s the end of the world.

I don’t know that the English Dub is going to make the game worth it on its own, though. I think if you’re new to the franchise, this is a fantastic point of entry, though. I’ve said for years that Yakuza 0, and Yakuza 7 (Yakuza: Like a Dragon) are the best entry points for the franchise. If you’re new, you’ll find a lot to love in this iteration of the game.

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Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut brings a familiar, memorable story to a brand-new console (Image via SEGA & Sportskeeda)

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
• Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2 (Code provided by SEGA)
• Release Date: June 5, 2025
• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Publisher: SEGA