What parents need to know
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a new version of Yakuza 0, originally launched in Japan in 2015 and then in the West in 2017. Set in 1988, Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the franchise, and we follow the adventures of a very young Kazuma Kiryu, then in his first steps in Japanese organized crime, as he finds himself at the center of a vast conspiracy mixing politicians and yakuza (which would become his routine, basically) in Kamurocho, a fictional neighborhood imitating the Kabukicho district in Tokyo.
We also follow the genesis of Goro Majima, Kazuma Kiryu’s best enemy, while he lives in Sotenbori (emulating Dotonburi in Osaka) the events that will forge the eclectic personality that make his trademark.
Yakuza 0 is a mix between a beat ’em-up game, in which you fight against enemies who attack you in the street, and a role-playing game. As you walk through the characters’ respective quarters, you complete quests that advance the story and reveal the plot at the center of the game.
We also earn money by fighting our enemies (and by completing a host of other activities that we will talk about later), and this money allows us, among other things, to improve the abilities of our characters.
Obviously, the Yakuza franchise is known for its avalanche of mini-games and side quests, each one as absurd as the next, and Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is no exception. You can, among other things, indulge in karaoke, participate in remote-controlled car races, manage a real estate empire or a hostess cabaret.
The mini-games and side quests contribute to the absurdity of the franchise, and it’s this waltz between the main story that offers a crime thriller that takes itself completely seriously and the completely crazy optional content that makes all the charm of the series.
What’s new in this special edition of Yakuza 0 exclusive to the Switch 2?
The graphics have been greatly improved, especially in terms of the image refresh rate. The game also offers English voices for the first time, in addition to offering some additional cutscenes. The latter also change the story of the original game, which surprised players.
This version also offers a new multiplayer mode, Red Light Raid, which allows players to choose from a host of characters and face off against successive waves of enemies.
Details
Level of experience required
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Evaluation
Yakuza 0 is a violent game. The clashes are constant and the blood is very present. If officially the two protagonists do not kill (at least, not voluntarily), you have to suspend your disbelief to believe it. In particular, we can shoot our enemies with a pistol, stab them, when we don’t actually cook their heads in a microwave.
While there is no nudity per se, there is a lot of sexual content. Women are often “filmed” in a suggestive way. A mini-game offers us to watch erotic videos with real actresses. We also run a hostess bar, where women keep the customer company. If it’s not literally prostitution, the line is thin, and very early in the game, you have to face a client who has committed non-consensual touching on one of the employees.
Since there is no voice in French, those who only know the language of Molière will have to read a lot to follow the action. The vocabulary can sometimes be complex due to several borrowings from Japanese for terms that have no equivalent in our language.
In the end, Majima and Kiryu act in a noble way by defending the weak, but they remain involved in organized crime, and some of their actions are morally questionable. They also drink alcohol very often, and the gambler is sometimes even rewarded for his alcohol consumption.
Yakuza 0 isn’t particularly difficult, and the adjustable difficulty level makes the game accessible to everyone.
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is offered under the usual price of a new game, it offers a huge amount of content, and there is no additional monetization. It’s hard to complain!
Local game modes
You can play the story mode and replay some major fights at your leisure. In solo or multiplayer, you can also play mini-games and participate in the Red Light Raid.
Online Game Modes
Red Light Raid can be played online with up to 4 players.
Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)
None at this time.
Our opinion
Normally, when doing journalistic work, even if it’s something as subjective as a critique of a cultural product like a game, you should be as objective as possible.
But sometimes it’s an impossible goal to achieve, and that’s why the author of these lines wants to make it clear right off the bat that the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise is one of his favorite franchises. There you have it, so we will have to read the next few lines through this prism.
Yakuza 0 is the game that really popularized the franchise in the West, and it’s not without reason; It’s a great title, and arguably one of the best in the series.
This new version is the ultimate version of the legendary Yakuza 0. Is it a successful bet?
To a large extent, yes.
First of all, visually, Yakuza 0 has never looked so good. Well, it’s still a game that has its origins on Playstation 3. So don’t set the bar too high. But the resolution has been improved. and the cutscenes come out very well on the Switch 2 screen. The very stable refresh rate is also welcome.
Yakuza 0 continues to be a rich experience, offering a host of distractions, and the publishers SEGA have decided to offer the experience at a competitive price ($69.99 CAD instead of the $89.99 CAD minimum requested for AAA games on Switch). This makes this title easy to recommend for players who have never touched this franchise. The content offered is gigantic and varied, and Yakuza 0 is probably the best starting point for those who want to learn the saga, because it is the first game chronologically.
However, we have to talk about the most controversial point of this new version of Yakuza 0: the added cutscenes. We’ll keep it vague because we don’t want to spoil the storyline of this title, but the new cutscenes change the canon by bringing some deceased characters back to life.
This change has annoyed many players who already deplore the fact that the most recent titles have the annoying habit of bringing back to life characters who were considered dead until now, and who often survive in an unlikely way.
For our part, this new version must be seen for what it is: a Director’s cut, that is to say a special version of the director. These additional scenes are not necessarily there to change the mythology of this universe, but just to show what could have been but was left behind in the editing.
What about the new Raid Battle game mode? It’s a fun distraction. We like the fact that we can play with a host of characters, ranging from the protagonists Majima and Kiryu to the more obscure. It’s a fun mini-game with friends, but it quickly becomes repetitive and you shouldn’t expect much depth either. After 30 to 45 minutes, you’ll probably have had enough.
So, in the end, is this director’s version of Yakuza 0 worth it? In our view, yes. The additions are pleasant, without revolutionizing the game.
But the base game was already a total success. And today it is offered at a reasonable price, with minor additions and its most beautiful presentation to date. This is an offer that cannot be refused.
Note: a code has been given to us by the publisher but this does not influence our evaluation in any way.
