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0 As one of the final entries in the Kiryu timeline, Yakuza 0 is an almost perfect refinement of the long-running series. The original was a breakout hit in the West and began a march of remasters. All were well received, both critically and commercially. Now, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut lands on the Switch 2, with some subtly reworked graphics and additional cutscenes that connect it back to the current timeline.
Can Kiryu unleash the beast one last time? Or is it a trip back to the dojo? Let’s find out!
Just When I Thought I Was Out, They Dragged Me Back In (to the karaoke bar).
As a long-time Sega stan, I regard the Yakuza series as the missing link to the Dreamcast era of the early 2000s. While the console flopped, the company went out in a blaze of extravagant, surrealistic glory. Titles like Seaman, Jet Set Radio, and Segagaga were all grand follies. I loved every single one of them. At the top of the pile was Shenmue, an ambitious project that would set the blueprint for 3D third-person games going forward. If you were being very generous, you could say that without Shenmue, Grand Theft Auto might not have even existed.
Gameplay
Yakuza is (for me, at least) the closest surviving relative to the Shenmue series. Its mixture of hand-to-hand combat, exploration, and an assortment of distractions makes it a direct descendant. The good news is that Yakuza 0 is light years ahead of Shenmue in terms of joy factor. Roaming the streets of Kamurochōj is, for the most part, a total delight. Initially, you are kept on the rails as the cast and core elements of the story are introduced. If you are new to the series, have a pen and paper handy. Yakuza isn’t exactly known for its great story pacing, often relying on the player to keep up on their own.
The story is split between the series’ main protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, and fan favourite Goro Majima (looking far less unhinged than he would in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii). Kiryu has been framed for a murder he did not commit, while Majima works undercover, owning a cabaret club. The two stories eventually converge, with a lion’s helping of bizarre detours along the way.
Punch First, Ask Existential Questions Later
Once the stabilizers are removed, the true joy of Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut sandbox can be fully appreciated. If the story missions become monotonous, you can kill time in a thousand different ways. Thwap some balls in the baseball practice area. Hit the clubs in a slightly over-complicated disco-dance sim. There are even complete versions of the Sega classics OutRun and Space Harrier for you to enjoy. Add in the countless side quests and collectibles, and you have a full Quality Street assortment of variety on offer.
Generally, you will be speaking with your fists, and the free-roaming brawling of Yakuza 0 is the best in the series. These sections play like Streets Of Rage poured into Virtua Fighter, with three play styles to switch through. Kiryu and Majima have their own move sets and character progression. These expand via the money you earn and new moves you pick up through the odd NPC encounter. If fighting is all you’re here for, then this has enough depth to live with fighting games of a similar ilk.
Graphics & Sound
Coming back to Yakuza 0 after several years, it’s remarkable that this level of graphical fidelity is possible on a machine like the Switch 2. In both handheld and docked modes, it plays at a locked 60 frames per second. When the action fills the screen, it doesn’t break a sweat. On the negative side, this is a ten-year-old video game, so it’s not teeming with particle effects or ray-traced reflections, but what it does, it does brilliantly.
As with all Yakuza games, the soundtrack is glorious and varied. Tonally, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut shifts around at a rapid pace, and the music keeps up with that. From the high-energy NIN-sounding tracks that accompany the battle scenes to the odd J-Pop interlude, Yakuza 0 always brings the goods. English voice acting in Yakuza games has always been an acquired taste. It wasn’t until Like A Dragon that I felt we had a localisation that did the series justice. Alas, the new voices for Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut didn’t land for me. If reading subtitles is off-putting, then they are a decent alternative.
Longevity
If you can live with a convoluted story and more text than a Metal Gear Solid codec call, then you could find yourself playing Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut for the rest of your life. If any one of the multiple mini-games reels you in, you’ll lose hours in the Karaoke Bar, playing Mahjong, or maybe a few rounds of Space Harrier. There’s even a full-blown property sim in here.
For returning players, quality-of-life additions like saving your game via the menu will feel like a godsend. The fight scenes also seemed less chaotic in Director’s Cut, with a greater sense of control. 25 minutes of cut-scenes have also been added. These felt a little out of place and seemed to exist purely to retcon the story into the main timeline. In short, they felt a little forced. No spoilers, but if you remember Bobby Ewing stepping out of the shower in Dallas, you’ll know what I am getting at.
Final Thoughts
If you’re returning to Yakuza 0 after the previous console versions, I’m not sure whether there’s enough here to hold your interest. Most of the new additions are welcome, but having the QTE events mapped to the Nintendo B, A buttons might be enough for you to walk away.
That said, for newcomers, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a logical place to start. The disadvantage is that progressing further in the series will feel like a step into the Stone Age, even if you play the ‘Kiwami’ remasters. As a man who has weathered every entry in this series, I would still recommend Yakuza: Like A Dragon over this. It’s a turn-based RPG with different fighting mechanics, but it feels modern, has heaps of charisma, and a far better localisation.
That said, when taken alone, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a slice of genius. A must-play, even if its hair is going a bit grey, and it audibly groans when getting up off the sofa. An oldie, but still a winner of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you’re a fan of the Yakuza series, why not read our Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review next.
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