Yakuza 0: Director's Cut

“Director’s Cut” is the right term for this Yakuza 0 release. The biggest addition is additional minutes of narrative footage, and it’s been spruced up to work on a handheld console for the first time. That’s really all it needed, because it was already the pinnacle of one of the greatest JRPG properties we’ve ever seen.

COGConnectedStephan Adamus

90/100

The Yakuza/ Like a Dragon series has become one of the most beloved video game franchises on the planet. They’re a combination of cinematic crime drama, fun third-person brawl combat, deep open world exploration, and insanely wacky sidequests and minigames. Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is the best version of the game that brought the series into the mainstream. There are some changes that aren’t for the better, but overall, this is an excellent version of an all-time great video game.

MP1STDean James

9/10

The Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise is easily one of the most prolific series out there today, which is rather interesting considering how little impact it had on the West even as recently as a decade ago. While most entries had made their way out of Japan to that point, the series was still very niche until the release of Yakuza 0 in 2015. This prequel for the series was followed by remakes of the first two games, re-releases for the subsequent games, and now at least annual releases under th...

Pure NintendoJemma Casson

9/10

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut was one of the many third-party launch titles for the Nintendo Switch 2. Originally released in 2015, this prequel to the long-running

SiliconeraJenni Lada

9/10

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is the definitive edition of the critically acclaimed origin story, now on Nintendo Switch 2. Fight like hell through Tokyo and Osaka entertainment districts as yakuza Kazuma Kiryu and cabaret club manager Goro Majima in an epic crime drama of intertwined fates that created legends. Switch 2 version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Twisted VoxelSalal Awan

8.5/10

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut remains a masterclass in crime drama storytelling, now polished to 4K/60fps glory on Switch 2, but its 'exclusive' new content feels underwhelming.

WellPlayedMark Isaacson

8.5/10

Yakuza 0 doesn’t do enough to justify its director’s cut title, but the main story arc remains a benchmark for a franchise that has only grown in popularity, so what better time to give it a run on a console that can do it justice.

GamingTrendKatelyn Lawlor

85/100

When the story gets going, it’s a lot of fun. There are twists and turns, epic fights with sick attacks, and genuinely interesting characters. I’d argue this is one of the series' best entries but it’s not as perfect as I remember, even with that decent dub. If you want to get into Yakuza, this is a good way to start but if you’ve been to the 1980s Kamurocho before, maybe keep to memes.

DBLTAPOliver Brandt

8/10

Fans are generally split about the best starting point in the Yakuza series. Some believe that Yakuza Kiwami is the best place to start, while others think that

Push SquareRobert Ramsey

7/10

Yakuza 0 remains one of the series' best games, and so you'd think that a PS5 re-release would be something to celebrate — but the circumstances surrounding the Director's Cut, and the new content that it actually adds, are questionable at best.

GameBlastJoão Pedro Boaventura

7/10

This new version of the iconic prologue to the iconic Ryu Ga Gotoku series looks like one of those damaged works of art in the hands of its restorers.

Lords of GamingSubeg Dhaliwal

Unscored

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is Kiryu and Majima's origin story but it also serves as a great introduction to the series.