Sega's Games on Switch 2: Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Sonic X Shadow Generations and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S

Sega is one of the third-party publishers that has many games ready for the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. The publisher had three titles ready for launch: Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Sonic X Shadow Generations and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. It also has two more in the pipeline.

Sega has a robust line-up of games ready for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, including Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, which will be covered in a separate article, will be released shortly thereafter. Two Point Museum is also set to be released on the Switch 2. However, the most significant title is Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, raising hopes that other titles from the series, perhaps even more recent ones, will also be released on the new Nintendo console.

Yakuza 0 Director's Cut

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is a remastered and expanded version of Yakuza 0, the sixth main game in the Yakuza series, which was released in 2015. However, it is actually a prequel to the first game in the series. Set in 1988, before the events of Yakuza 1 (or Kiwami), the game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio tells the backstory of the two main characters, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, in the criminal underworld of Tokyo. The Director's Cut celebrates its Switch 2 premiere as a timed exclusive.

In this Director's Cut, players can fight their way through the entertainment districts of Tokyo and Osaka as either Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu or cabaret club manager Goro Majima. They will experience a crime drama in which the fates of the characters become intertwined. Featuring 26 minutes of new cutscenes, the Director's Cut clarifies open questions from the original and provides a more in-depth look at the background stories, particularly Majima's motivation and his connection to Makoto.

The Red Light Raid online multiplayer mode is completely new, letting players unlock 60 characters and join forces with friends to take down hordes of enemies. In these cooperative battles, which support up to four players, players can test their combat skills by switching between fists, makeshift weapons and more. The intro has also been overhauled. The fights play very well on the Switch 2.

The origins story is being given an English voiceover for the first time, with several familiar names taking on the roles of Kazuma Kiryu (Yong Yea), Goro Majima (Matt Mercer), Akira Nishikiyama (Kaiji Tang), and Osamu Kashiwagi (David Hayter). Additionally, the theme song, 'Bubble' by Shōnan no Kaze, is marking its arrival in the West. Alongside the Japanese, English and Chinese voice-overs, there are French, Italian, German, Spanish and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the first time. This makes the game more accessible to international players.

The Yakuza 0 Director's Cut for Switch 2 offers some visual enhancements, primarily in the form of higher resolution and performance, rather than a complete graphical overhaul. When docked, the game runs at 4K resolution and targets 60 frames per second, making it look sharper and play more smoothly than the original edition, even in busy city environments. However, the textures, character models and overall art style remain largely identical to those of the original releases - this is not a remaster or remake, but rather a port with improved technical specifications.

Conclusion

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is a sensible and well-executed enhancement of an excellent game, providing the ideal introduction to a legendary series.

Features

• New cutscenes bring the characters to life
• A cooperative online mode that builds on the outstanding combat
• English voice-overs and German subtitles

Sonic X Shadow Generations

Sonic X Shadow Generations has been ported to Switch 2 following its release on the PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles at the end of October 2024. By the end of January 2025, the game had sold over two million copies and received positive reviews from critics and players alike. Developed by Sonic Team, the game is a 2D and 3D platformer consisting of a remastered version of Sonic Generations (2011) and a new campaign called Shadow Generations, in which Shadow the Hedgehog plays the leading role. The new campaign can compete with Sonic Generations in terms of quality and length. This is the second Sonic the Hedgehog game to feature Shadow as the protagonist, after Shadow the Hedgehog (2005).

It's a blend of Shadow, Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. It can be played on the Switch 2 in Performance Mode at up to 60 fps or in Graphics Mode for enhanced visuals at up to 1080p and 30 fps. Compared to the Switch port, the graphics are much sharper and more vibrant, particularly in Handheld mode where the game's performance is stronger. Loading times are also much shorter. However, unlike with Nintendo's games, there is no upgrade option for owners of the Switch version to upgrade to the new version for either 10 or 20 euros. It is unclear why Sega did not choose this option, especially since the Switch 2 edition does not include additional content either.

Conclusion

This is a truly great 2D/3D platform game featuring Sonic and Shadow, which benefits greatly from the 60 fps on Nintendo Switch 2. Unfortunately, Sega does not offer an upgrade option for players who already own the Switch version of the game.

Features

• Great double pack featuring Sonic and Shadow
• Performance Mode with 60 fps or Graphics Mode with up to 1080p resolution
• Significantly faster loading times

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a slightly upgraded version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, which was released for PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in August 2020, followed by a Windows version in March 2021. The game is largely identical to the previous version, except for the new 'Puyo Tetris Doubles' mode in Party, Fusion and Versus modes. These are two-versus-two battles in which pairs use a single board to pull off combos. However, coordination is essential due to pieces colliding. The second new feature is the integration of the Joy-Con 2 mouse to control the Tetris pieces and Puyos; however, this has proven to be rather impractical in practice. Cross-play with other platforms is not available. As with Sonic X Shadow Generations, it is not possible to upgrade the Switch version to the S version for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S includes all the content from previous editions, including the extensive Adventure mode, a variety of multiplayer options and 40 playable characters in the RPG-inspired Skill Battle mode.

Conclusion

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S remains a very good, extensive puzzle game, but the new features added to the Switch 2 version are barely worth mentioning. Unfortunately, there is also no upgrade option for Switch owners who already have the game.

Features

• New multiplayer mode: Puyo Tetris Doubles
• Many solo and multiplayer modes (GameShare)
• Still a great, comprehensive puzzle game