Yakuza Kiwami Reviews
Twelve years ago, in 2005 to be more exact, SEGA launched a game on the market based on the fearsome mafias that hit the Japanese slums, it was a game with an excellent story and an impeccable narrative that combined hand to hand combat, excellent graphics and endearing characters in a solid package that started a successful saga that remains in force until now.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yakuza is a niche series and it’s definitely an acquired taste, but if it hooks you it’s unlikely to ever let you go.
Yakuza returns to its roots with this pitch-perfect remake of the series’ debut title, brought kicking-and-punching into 2017 with a total facelift and a raft of new content
For those itching to spend more time with Kazuma Kiryu following Yakuza 0, Kiwami is exactly what you’ve been waiting for and an essential purchase. If you happen to be looking to start the series, it’s hard to recommend Yakuza Kiwami over its immediate predecessor.
Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza game, which was released on Playstation 2 nearly 12 years ago, but it may as well be regarded as its own entity. Yakuza Kiwami is a fully done remake – with all new textures, extended stories, and more depth and cohesion than the original Yakuza could have dreamed of – so it’s not to be confused with a general remaster (*cough Sleeping Dogs *cough*).
Sega reminds us that, with Yakuza Kiwami, not only is its heart in the right place, but it hasn’t missed a beat.
Yakuza Kiwami is an extremely faithful remaster of 2005 classic Yakuza, complete with generous visuals and a new mode that diversifies the awesome combat. If you like absurd humour, tight narrative, Tekken Tag synths and punishing combos, this game should definitely be on your radar.
Kiwami doesn’t replace the original. The original Yakuza is an interesting retrospective, featuring a somewhat more down-to-Earth depiction of Kamurocho. However, Kiwami serves as a brilliant follow-up to Yakuza 0 in its own right. It was honestly really hard to put down in order to even write this review. Yakuza Kiwami is just an absolute blast.
Careful research, great character writing, and a stunning feeling of being true-to-life carried the original game far, and Yakuza Kiwami marries those qualities to more refined gameplay and slick HD graphics.
Yakuza Kiwami has been another great addition to a series with nothing but great games. While I would say that its high notes aren’t as good as Yakuza 0’s, this can be excused for the most part as it technically is the first game of the series. Either way this game will please fans new and old so don’t miss out on it!
Yakuza Kiwami may not have gameplay as varied as Yakuza 0 but the gripping story, solid combat, and rewarding progression make it a must-play experience for both new and long-time fans looking to either discover or revisit Kiryu's debut adventure.
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
Lovingly overwork of a classic with chic technique, but also a few minor flaws.
Review in German | Read full review
Simultaneously a great introduction to the Yakuza series and one of its better entries, Yakuza Kiwami is precisely how you remake a classic.
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.
I certainly did enjoy Yakuza: Kiwami as my first visit of the franchise and look forward to hopefully playing more down the road.
For fans of the series, the game is like a loveletter, taking Kiryu's first story, and reimagining it with modern sensibilities. For newcomers, this game represents the best place to jump in- it's a far better product than Yakuza 0, which was great in and of itself to begin with.
Yakuza Kiwami makes great strides in updating the classic original Yakuza game to modern standards. But while it adds better combat, bizarrely charming side quests, and a gorgeous graphical revamp, it also ignores some of the original's biggest problems in pacing and storytelling. And because of its relatively short length, Yakuza Kiwami's fun trip through the tangled web of Japan's criminal underground feels like a prelude to something bigger and better to come.
A concise and emotional story that cuts out the filler and perfectly mixes in varied and interesting combat. At its core, Yakuza Kiwami is still a PlayStation 2 game, but its short and sweet nature doesn't hold it back in the long run.
Yakuza Kiwami remakes the original game in a near-perfect way.