Yakuza Kiwami Reviews
despite its drastic aging, Yakuza Kiwami is a welcoming game to both new comers and old fans. the game has been beautifully remastered and many of its elements have severely changed to be appealing to new comers.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami has really brought me back into loving the Yakuza series again by remaking the very game that made me drop it. Now that is exactly what a remake should do. Now I’m really looking forward to the sixth game and the remake of the second. In the meantime, I shall catch up on all that I have missed.
On one hand, playing Kiwami was like returning to visit an old friend, on the other it was like playing it for the first time. Scenes that made an impression and stuck with me, such as my breathless escape from a funeral gone wrong, thrilled me as much now as it did the first time.
Yakuza Kiwami does a whole lot right, while only making a few errors. Other than the control scheme being a bit dated, Yakuza Kiwami comes together as a solid remake of the original title.
It may not be on the same scale as 0 but Yakuza Kiwami still hits those highs. The retelling of Kazuma Kiryu's original outing shows some of the source material's age while still maintaining a quality overall experience.
Another remake, but a damn good one. The perfect place to begin if you've never played Yakuza before.
In essence, Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza, released for PS2 in 2005. Rather than porting, Sega has pushed the story into the new engine, giving the feel of the newer games but retaining most of the narrative from the original. For those who have not played Yakuza before, this means you take on the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Tojo Clan who spends far less time being a yakuza than you would think in a game with the word in its title.
If Yakuza 0 didn't exist, we would probably rate Yakuza Kiwami higher. But we're in kind of strange situation right now: before playing Kiwami, you should finish the prequel, but because of that you will be left with a game of smaller scale and a bit worse quality.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Early on in the game, you're told that Kiwami means “Extreme”. While this isn't an extreme makeover, Yakuza Kiwami is an extremely good retelling of an underrated PS2 gem.
Yakuza Kiwami presents the strongest mechanics in the franchise's history, as well as refined side missions and lots of fun distractions that create a fantastic reimagining of a great game.
It's great that the remake of Yakuza made it over here, but it releases at a strange time in terms of the history of the Yakuza series.
Yakuza Kiwami was like a rollercoaster ride with the most satisfying combat, the mini games were fun and exploring Kamuroch was a blast. There’s never been a better time to try out the Yakuza series and Kiwami is definitely the best game to start with.
Yakuza Kiwami shows how developers should remaster their games. It's better than the original in every aspect and that makes a must-have even if you're not a fan of the series.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami is an excellent upgrade of the first game in the long-running Yakuza series and a must-have on PlayStation 4. It might feel shorter for those of you who first got a taste of the series with either Yakuza 5 or Yakuza 0, but this release is faithful to the original on PlayStation 2, with revamped graphics and frame rate, content that was missing from the game when it arrived on PS2 back in the day, as well as additional content, all for only $29.99. I really enjoyed my time with Yakuza Kiwami, and look forward to playing Yakuza 6, as well as the recently announced Yakuza Kiwami 2.
A great entry that is equally enjoyable for those new to the series and those who played the original, with enough enhancements and additions to make it worth experiencing or revisiting.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami has an engrossing story that's unfortunately bogged down by dull gameplay and repetitive battles.
Yakuza Kiwami in an amazing remake. Not only did they take the time to polish the game for current generation hardware, but they also took the time to see the flaws that the original game had and obliterate them to make a more perfect product.
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
I really can't recommend this title enough. It may not hit as high as Zero did, but it does a damned fine job modernizing a game that fans fell in love with a decade ago. Tack that on with a budget price and an abundance of gameplay, and you'll be finding yourself among the ranks of Yakuza fans, as I have.