Yakuza Kiwami Reviews
Twelve years after its original release on PS2, Yakuza Kiwami is still a great adventure set in modern Japan. Some mechanics such as invisible walls or certain fighting elements feel outdated, but the story, setting and minigames are awesome.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I can’t really knock the game down too much for being what it set out to be - a faithful re-imagining of an eastern classic. This is the standard for which all remastered game releases should aim.
The original Yakuza has been remade into a sequel to its own prequel, but although it's perfectly competent it feels outdated compared to the newer entries.
Yakuza Kiwami represents the pinnacle of the series, with Sega bringing everything it has learned over the years and refining it into a single neat package. The result is a unique and unforgettable experience that far outstrips what was presented in the original entry.
As a remake, Kiwami is a triumphant success. Not only is it leaps and bounds more playable than the PS2 original, the additional scenes help flesh out character motivations. This all makes the story of Kiryu's rise feel more special, and it's a perfect continuation for those who recently played Yakuza 0. There are some disappointments, though, as just roaming around Kamurocho feels like a step backwards from previous games that featured multiple cities to explore, but that's just an unfortunate side-effect of being a remake of a much-less ambitious title. The new bells and whistles make Yakuza Kiwami a worthwhile time no matter if you've played the original or not.
For fans of the series Yakuza Kiwai delivers a high class adventure, with crazy story telling and colorful characters. For everyone else? It's Yakuza – and if you haven't played it before Yakuza Kiwai is a good one to start with.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami is an excellent remake of the cult classic PS2 game, with completely redesigned graphics, a new soundtrack and updated mechanics. Unfortunately, developers failed to completely get rid of the shortcomings of the original, which are expressed in navigation problem in the middle of the game and a small variety of locations. Nevertheless, incredibly charismatic characters and an interesting plot make this game very memorable.
Review in Russian | Read full review
For the most part, Kiwami is a good retelling of the very first game and arguably has the best story out of the entire series.
Despite Yakuza Kiwami sharing a near perfect reflection of 80's Kamurocho from Yakuza 0, there's still an important story to tell. The city of Kamurocho welcomes all with a wide array of minigames, sidequests, and the most Majima cameos of any Yakuza title to date.
Even if it can't quite measure up to Yakuza 0's near-perfection, Yakuza Kiwami is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience for series veterans and newcomers alike.
Yakuza Kiwami finds itself in a strange position. A remake that's technically a sequel to a much better game in Yakuza 0, it struggles to offer anything besides another engaging crime-drama storyline. Best described as a kind of expansion, Kiwami really shows its age in terms of narrative structure and gameplay design, but it's still worth playing through if you just can't get enough of Kaz. It goes without saying, however, that series newcomers are much better off starting with the far superior Yakuza 0.
Simultaneously a great introduction to the Yakuza series and one of its better entries, Yakuza Kiwami is precisely how you remake a classic.
Yakuza Kiwami on PC follows the original version for PlayStation 4 so faithfully that while playing we'll often doubt which platform we're playing on.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami is a stripped-down, basic version of a winning formula, but there's no denying it still wins.
Yakuza Kiwami is a welcome retelling of the original that helps bring in new folks to the fold while giving fans another opportunity to enjoy the game that started it all. Some aspects of the game haven’t aged quite as well even with the new coat of paint. A compelling story and setting, however, combined with memorable characters and an affordable price to boot makes Kiwami a welcome blast from the past that arrives just in time.
Yakuza Kiwami is a perfect example of a remake done right. The news graphics and added content give longtime fans of the series more than enough reasons to dive right back in Kamurocho's seedy underworld. And for new fans and curious gamers, Yakuza Kiwami is the perfect way to discover Kazuma Kiryu's first misadventures.
Review in French | Read full review
Slip into your suit and ready your fists: Yakuza Kiwami is a fantastic remaster of the game that spawned a franchise, and a timely dose of wackiness before Yakuza 6 drops next year.
Kiwami holds a ton of appeal for anyone coming hot off of Yakuza Zero, but there's ample reason for longtime fans to jump in, and it's even a fine starting point for new players as well. Despite the slow starting hours, once Kiwami and Kazuma Kiryu grab hold of your attention, they don't easily let go.
Yakuza Kiwami is a dazzling remake of an underappreciated classic, improving upon its source material in so many important ways. At times it can feel dated, but that doesn't stop Kiwami from proving Yakuza is once again one of the best things on PS4, and perhaps any other platform.
Lovingly overwork of a classic with chic technique, but also a few minor flaws.
Review in German | Read full review