Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut – First Impressions Preview

One of those moments—another Like A Dragon game, bam! Hitting the Nintendo Switch 2 soon. Wait, are we still calling it Yakuza? Anyway, the Wii U snagged one before, didn’t it? And the Switch, oh yeah, it got Yakuza Kiwami. Now, who knew, Yakuza 0’s docking for the Switch 2. Got my hands on it. Messy, right?

So, Yakuza 0—big 10-year celebration in Japan. PlayStation 3 & 4 gigs. Now it’s like, “Hey, let’s do a director’s cut,” but—plot twist—the original director left SEGA. Awkward. They threw in English voices, added cutscenes, and, wow, a new bit called Red Light Raid.

Played 45 minutes, docked mode. Smooth sailing—Switch 2’s pulling a solid 60 FPS. Can’t swear it’s 4K, but looks sharp at 1440p. Asked around about HDR—nope, nada. SEGA said, not in the cards. Bummer.

Yakuza 0’s a gateway drug to the series, let’s be honest. Storyline packed with goofs and feels. Karaoke nights, retro SEGA games, batting cages—they’ve got it all. Combat is a blast too, with cool fighting styles. And seriously, wandering 1980s Japan? Sign me up. Replaying the story from my PS4 days sounds like a plan.

Red Light Raid, though.? Eh, mixed feelings. It’s the old survival mode—waves of baddies and bosses. Solo’d it with optional AI backups, but this mode’s also multiplayer. Picked Ginger Chapman (think human Chucky) to start. Knifed around. Fun, but got repetitive fast.

Always more my groove playing Kazuma Kiryu. But here’s the rub—not all styles are unlocked. You pick one and stick with it. Earn cash, level up, maybe buy characters. Solo’s alright for a quick fix, but with friends? That’s where it’s at, probably.

Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut—definitely on my radar for Switch 2’s launch. I know I’ve played it, but the English dub intrigues, gotta say. And hey, the Japanese option’s still there. Red Light Raid? We’ll see if it hooks me next month.