Yakuza Kiwami
Playtime: 68 Hours
Yakuza Kiwami, the first remake of the Yakuza series and an amazing entry into the franchise!
Yakuza Kiwami is built on the same engine that Yakuza 0 uses. What this means, is that the game looks fantastic, with brilliant looking cutscenes, brilliant gameplay, this Yakuza game is a joy to play through!
The combat is straight out of Yakuza 0, although instead of using money to level up your skillset, you get exp for defeating enemies, completing side quests, and progressing through the story. This change streamlines progression and makes it more intuitive compared to the somewhat grindy money-based system in Yakuza 0. The game retains the four fighting styles—Brawler, Rush, Beast, and Dragon—with each offering distinct gameplay mechanics.
However, one key difference in Yakuza Kiwami is the Dragon of Dojima style, which is tied directly to Kiryu's character arc. Unlike the other styles, this one doesn't improve with regular EXP; instead, it develops through a unique mechanic involving Majima.
As with every Yakuza game, Kiwami is packed with side content. The game's rendition of Kamurocho, while not as expansive as Yakuza 0's dual-city setup, is bursting with activities. From quirky substories involving eccentric characters to mini-games like bowling, karaoke, and the fan-favorite Pocket Circuit racing, there’s never a dull moment. Some of these side activities are returning classics, while others have been revamped or expanded for this installment. They even kept my favorite song in Karaoke, Baki Mitai!
The story for this is fantastic. However, to enjoy it to the fullest, you need to play Yakuza 0, there are characters in that game in this game that you will be much more attached to and have stronger feelings for because of those characters going through thick and thin with you in its prequel game. It adds a lot of emotional weight that playing Kiwami exclusively doesn’t.
Overall, this is a brilliant story-heavy game. A must play for both new and longtime fans of the franchise!
