Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut – Exclusive Hands-on Preview

Sure thing, here’s a re-written version based on your request:

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Oh boy, here we go again. Another one’s dropping—Yakuza for Nintendo. And not just any old Yakuza, it’s Yakuza 0. They had a run with the Wii U, the Switch got a taste with Kiwami, and now Switch 2’s getting a shot. Kinda wild, honestly. I snagged a bit of hands-on time with it, but more on that in a sec.

So, trivia time—did you know Yakuza 0’s been kicking around for like a decade in Japan? Yep, it dropped on PS3 and PS4 back in the day. For Switch 2, they’re dubbing it a director’s cut, even though the original director’s done and dusted with SEGA. Go figure. The new version? It’s got English voices—I mean, who doesn’t love some good old voice acting misadventures—plus extra cutscenes and something called Red Light Raid. Fancy, huh?

Anyway, after fiddling around with the docked version for about 45 minutes, I gotta say, it’s smooth like butter on Switch 2. Got some direct gameplay footage, and it’s hitting 60 fps. Can’t say for sure if it’s rocking native 4K, but it’s looking like 1440p minimum. I quizzed a SEGA rep on HDR support, but nope, no joy there. Sad times.

Now, if you’re new to the Yakuza scene, 0’s a solid jumping-off point. Single player’s loaded—story’s got humor, heart, the whole shebang. Mini-games galore! Karaoke, old SEGA arcade stuff, batting cages—you name it. And those beat ‘em up sequences? Chef’s kiss. Exploring 1980s Japan is a blast, kinda nostalgic, too—though I only ever played it on a PS4 before.

Red Light Raid though—eh, mixed feelings. Maybe I just suck at these survival modes, but it’s your classic fight-wave-after-wave deal, with bosses popping up to ruin your day. Tried it solo, but you can drag friends into it, or play online. There’s a lineup of kooky characters to pick from. First one I tried out was Ginger Chapman. Picture a human version of Chucky. Kind of creepy, right? I mean, all he did was stab things, which got repetitive, to be honest.

Switching to protagonist Kazuma Kiryu was more my speed. Shame you’re stuck with one style in this mode—unlike opening up multiple styles in the main story. Playing these modes earns you cash to level up your avatar or buy others, which could be cool. Solo’s fun in short bursts, but it’s gotta be a riot with buddies. Maybe I’m wrong. Dunno.

Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is top on my list for Switch 2’s launch lineup. Played it before, sure, but I wanna see how the English dub shakes out. Fingers crossed it’s decent. Not sold on Red Light Raid just yet, but hey, I’ll give it another whirl when it’s out next month. Curious to see how this all pans out.