Yakuza Kiwami Reviews

Yakuza Kiwami is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6 / 10
Aug 21, 2017

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.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2017

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.

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Aug 30, 2017

There are two kinds of players that Yakuza Kiwami should interest — existing Yakuza fans that want to give the first game a visit, and the gamers who’ve heard great things about Yakuza but never gave it a chance. When it comes to these two audiences, Sega hit it right out of the park with this remake especially with the game’s $30 price point.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2017

However, for the asking price of thirty dollars, I did get a lot more out of it than what I was expecting. It is a much needed entry point into a series that has made its own mark in the industry as a more melancholic and measured crime experience. A game that ate up forty hours of my time and had my attention, even when I was having conversations with a club hostess, picking up spares, or smashing the teeth out of some punk with a baseball bat. If you've wanted to get into the series before but didn't know where to start, this is the game you've been waiting for.

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7 / 10
Sep 5, 2017

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.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 30, 2017

And a frustration-free Yakuza Kiwami experience means more time spent at one of the many hostess bars.

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70%
Sep 3, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami has an engrossing story that's unfortunately bogged down by dull gameplay and repetitive battles.

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Aug 29, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is a stripped-down, basic version of a winning formula, but there's no denying it still wins.

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M3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Aug 29, 2017

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.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami makes it clear just how far the series has come, and just how far it still has to go. It's keenly designed to bring newly minted Yakuza fans more firmly into the fold by providing all the contemporary comforts they might expect, while also giving longtime fans more to chew on than a shot-for-shot remake ever would have. It's a patchwork, for better and for worse, and as much as I enjoyed my time with it, there's no denying that some of those patches are looking more tired than others.

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Aug 24, 2017
Yakuza Kiwami - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 11, 2019

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.

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73 / 100
Dec 24, 2017

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

PC Gamer
Top Critic
74 / 100
Feb 11, 2019

Suffers in comparison to Yakuza 0, but is still a compelling drama and an important part of the series as a whole.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is a solid remake that has the misfortune of being released in the same year as the predecessor from which it recycles most of its content. Yakuza 0 is just a better game in almost every way. Kiwami's story is plenty of fun, and the writing and side content remains as hilarious as ever. It just feels too familiar. Those looking for more Yakuza will find a lot to like here, but even at a budget price of $30, it's difficult to feel excited by any of it. Give it more time to breathe, and it'll be a fun way to re-experience Yakuza, but anyone who dives in immediately after Yakuza 0 is going to have a very severe case of déjà vu.

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7.7 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

I certainly did enjoy Yakuza: Kiwami as my first visit of the franchise and look forward to hopefully playing more down the road.

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7.8 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

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.

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7.9 / 10.0
Aug 23, 2017

While it can be an inconsistent journey in terms of gameplay and mechanics, the affordable price of $30 seems worth the price of admission for the numerous hours of content Kiwami is filled with.

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IGN
Top Critic
7.9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

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.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 3, 2020

Yakuza Kiwami does a remarkable job of bringing a PS2 era cult classic to modern audiences in a fresh way, even if some poorly aged parts drag it down a little.

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