Summary
- Explore and complete substories in Yakuza 0 to earn rewards and enhance gameplay.
- Keep the Heat gauge up in battles to unleash powerful attacks and moves.
- Stock up on healing items and invest wisely in upgrades for an optimal gaming experience.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is now out and about, and it’s got a host of new and interesting games for it. One of which is technically a PS3 game. Still, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series has rarely graced Nintendo’s machines, so Switch 2 owners can now see what their Sony/Xbox/PC-playing compatriots were raving about with Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut.
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut New Features Explained
The recently announced Yakuza 0: Director's Cut has drawn a lot of attention, bringing a range of intriguing new features to the classic title.
It has some new bells and whistles over the older ports, like full-on English and Chinese dubs, new cutscenes to add to Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima’s stories, and a wacky online multiplayer mode in Red Light Raid. Fresh players could head in blind to see how it bowls them over, but if they want a little heads-up rather than a full FAQ, they should keep these tips in mind.
8 Take Your Time
It's an Open-World Game for a Reason
- Players are missing out on a lot of goodies if they stick to the story missions only.
- Completing substories can earn them different items as a reward.
- Players can earn more from the Odyssey in Chapter 3 if they explore Sōtenbori and gather intel first.
The game will always keep the main story missions in mind, marking their locations on maps, offering reminders in the pause menu, etc. But, players will miss out on a lot of the game if they just keep rushing from A to B just to get the story over and done with. They could even end up missing out on some handy items that would make the later chapters easier for them.
It’s better for players to just walk around and explore Kamurochō and Sōtenbori at their own pace. See the sights, learn where the minigames and activities are, and complete the substories. By doing so, they can earn extra cash and Completion Points for upgrades, as well as gain rewards like weapons and protective gear. So, it always helps to take a break from the mai nplot and see what the cities have to offer.
7 Keep Moving in Battle
No Time for Dawdling in a Fight
- Players earn Heat by fighting but can lose it if they stay idle too long or get hit.
- If they have enough Heat, players can spend it on a powerful attack or Heat move.
- If players don't want to do a Heat move by accident, they can hold ZL to disable the prompt.
In battle, players will build up their Heat gauge with each attack that lands. As it fills up, it'll let the player attack faster, hit harder, and pull off powerful Heat moves that, depending on their setup, can plow through groups of enemies and bring bosses down to size. The only problem is that, if the player doesn’t stay on the offensive, or if they get hit, it’ll start dropping, and it drops faster in Y0 than in other games in the series.
It also has a 3-tier Heat gauge. The more tiers that are filled, the better Kiryu and Majima will be in a fight. But, some of their moves and upgrades require certain tiers of Heat to pull off, which can be hard to keep topped up. For example, Kiryu's Charging Bear Hug requires all 3 tiers to be filled up to pull off. So, players must keep moving and get their hits in when possible to keep those perks.
6 Stay Stocked Up
Always Have a Pick-Me-Up on Hand
- To avoid dying in boss fights or long battles, stock Kiryu and Majima's inventory up with healing items.
- The Tauriner energy drinks and Tatsu Brand drinks will provide an instant burst of Heat for combat encounters.
- It's better to get bigger, pricier items like the Toughness Emperor, Tauriner ++, and Staminan Royals, as they provide more health/Heat.
Players likely won’t be hurting too much for healing or Heat items, unless they end up bumping into Mr Shakedown by accident. But it always helps to stay stocked up, as, if Shakedown and the grunts don’t catch players at a bad time, the story missions can lead them into a tricky boss fight or a long battle sequence where they’ll need to be prepared to survive.
9 Yakuza Storylines That Are Based on Real Life
The Yakuza series has long drawn inspiration from real-world history, aspects of life in Japan, and the meta context of the games themselves.
Luckily, Kiryu and Majima will usually give the player a heads-up if the next section will be particularly challenging. It’s best to stick to the energy drinks, with Toughness restoring health, Tauriner filling up Heat, and the Staminans filling up both. The Bento boxes and Sushi Sets also do a good job restoring health, but the smaller items like the Sandwiches and Onigiri aren’t worth the price as they don't provide enough health.
5 Invest in Yourself Wisely
Spelling the Difference Between Spending and Squandering
- Instead of experience points, players use cash to buy their upgrades.
- Some bad upgrades are unavoidable but can lead to better ones, like Kiryu's Counter Hook in Brawler style.
- Some Skill Tree branches can be safely ignored, like Majima's weapon-stealing moves in Thug style.
To get into the spirit of Japan’s bubble economy, Y0 skips using experience points in favor of giving the player more cash. That way, it makes players choose between spending cash on weapons, gear, betting on catfights, etc., and spending it on upgrades for themselves and their different fighting styles. On top of the usual attack, defense, and health boosts, they can gain new moves to take down any punk who comes their way.
They’re arranged on a skill tree, so players will have to buy some less helpful upgrades to open the way to better ones, like Kiryu’s Charged Knee Strike, which is too slow to use effectively, eventually opening the way to his much better Counter Hook. But some branches can be safely ignored, like Majima's weapon-stealing Heat moves. As handy as they sound, they're too situational. His simpler Evasion Strike and Extra Bat Nunchaku Swing upgrades are better for catching foes unaware and keeping them back.
4 Unleash the Beast
Run Through Runts and Smash the Scrubs
- Kiryu and Majima can unlock extra moves for their fighting styles from their Trainers.
- Brawler is good for dodging and dealing damage, but Rush requires high heat to make its combos worthwhile.
- Beast will see Kiryu mow through crowds with wide attacks and painful throws at the cost of his speed.
Some upgrades can’t be bought until the players learn them from Kiryu and Majima’s Trainers. As testing as their challenges can be (dodge all attacks for one minute several times for the Rush trainer Kamoji, for example), it’s wise to go through their trials and tribulations to put them up for sale. But, some styles are better than others, with Kiryu’s Rush being too weak and slow on low Heat to be relied on too much. Players would be better off sticking to Brawler for one-on-one encounters and bosses, as it's quick enough to move around them and powerful enough to hurt them.
His best style is arguably Beast style. His slow but wide-swinging fists can hit multiple foes if they’re in range, as can his shoulder barges. It lets him automatically pick up weapons and swing them around too, including larger objects like motorbikes. It’s great for clearing out crowds, though it’s probably not a good idea to use it against big bosses like, say, Mr Shakedown. Some players have kept the big guy grounded with Beast's throwing moves like the Charging Bear Hug, but they require plenty of cash and plenty of practice to perfect.
3 Break It Down
Get With the Times and Breakdance Like It's 1988
- Breaker is the best style for blitzing groups and some bosses.
- Thug is handy for taking on bosses, and pulling off throw-based moves.
- Slugger can break guards, and gives Majima an unbreakable weapon, but it's not so good in closed spaces.
Majima’s three styles also have their ups and downs. Thug is a handy all-rounder like Brawler and works best for solo fights. Slugger is more situational as, until players get the Secret of Swing upgrade, Majima will be stunned each time his wide swings hit a wall. Still, it comes with a guard break move, his Nunchaku Swing combo is good for crowd control, and its Iron Wall upgrade lets him block in all directions.
Yakuza: All Of The Main Games' Combat Systems, Ranked
From the distinctly clunky original to the turn-based action of Yakuza: Like A Dragon, here's how all the Yakuza games compare in terms of combat.
Breaker is easily the king of his styles. Players don’t even need some of its best upgrades, like the Secret of the Strut: Elbow or Essence of Friendly Fire either. His basic Light-Light-Light-Heavy rush combo will send him spinning on the ground, which can cut through groups, and stunlock them on the ground until either Majima stops spinning, or they stop moving. It takes a while to wind up, so it has to be used carefully against bigger, badder foes.
2 Master the Minigames
Become King of Kamurochō and the Lord of the Night
- Completing substories will gain extra staff and hostesses for Kiryu and Majima, respectively.
- The Five Billionaires will challenge Kiryu to a minigame, so they're worth playing in advance just in case.
- Majima can also play minigames to raise his S-rank hostesses' ranks, but he also needs to pick the right responses during training.
Y0 has a lot of minigames, from racing slot cars and singing karaoke to playing mahjong and phoning up girls at the Telephone Club. Players don’t have to master all of them unless they want to beat them 100% or build up their Completion Points for upgrades at the shrines, but they should get the hang of Real Estate Royale and Cabaret Club Czar, Kiryu and Majima’s main side activities.
The former sees Kiryu buy properties all around Kamurochō to try and beat the Five Billionaires at their own game, while the latter has Majima direct the right hostesses to the right client to earn cash. They’ll take time to complete, but doing so will unlock their fighting styles' skill trees and give the player a fourth Legend fighting style, which will let them increase Kiryu and Majima’s health, attack, and defense stats to game-breaking levels. That is, if they can afford them.
1 Shake Down Mr Shakedown
Turn the Tables on the Game's Biggest Bruisers
- Both Kiryu and Majima have two Mr Shakedowns each, but this trick only works with Kiryu in Kamurochō.
- Players have to beat the Mr Moneybags substories in both cities to trade Kiryu's money to Majima.
- 'The Show Must Go On' and 'Miracle on Tenkaichi Street' can be done in Chapters 1 and 2 respectively, but 'Miracle in Maharaja' won't turn up until Chapter 5.
Players earn Completion Points by completing substories, activities, etc., which they can trade in at the shrines for extra upgrades and items. They’re especially good for Kiryu, as they can help him turn Mr Shakedown from being a threat into a walking bank. It requires some work, as players must beat the ‘The Show Must Go On,’ ‘Miracle on Tenkaichi Street,’ and ‘Miracle in Maharaja’ substories — and pick the black gifts. This will give the player the Encounter Finder, which will add Mr Shakedown and other enemies to the map.
Then, they must use their completion points to buy the Mr Shakedown’s Deep Pockets upgrade from the shrine. Once obtained, players must find Mr Shakedown, lose to him, enter and exit a building to reset the map, find him again and beat him, then repeat. By doing this, they’ll regain all their cash with a 50% bonus on top each time. By the end of the chapter, let alone the game, this exploit can leave players swimming in billions of yen.
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Dragon Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Yakuza
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, RPG, Beat 'Em Up, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
