Yakuza Kiwami

Before I get into the review, there are a couple of things I need to clarify.

First of all, this is a complete remake of the 2005 PS2 title named “Yakuza’.
The core of the story remained unchanged, and since Yakuza ’05 was the first game in the series back then, the story is self-sufficient and complete.
But a year before Kiwami, RGG Studio released “Yakuza Zero” and made it the starting point of the franchise and not a mere prequel.
Because of that, Kiwami is built on top of Zero in many ways.
While Kiwami can, and repeat, CAN be played without prior knowledge of the series, I highly advise against this. Because you’ll miss a huge chunk of the emotional moments because this saga retains a lot of main story figures from game to game.
While the main story stayed the same as in Yakuza ‘05, they added many new story cutscenes that rely on the above-mentioned emotional attachment.

Second of all, I’ve been a fan of the series since the first game in ’05.
I am biased. Also, the game’s story is something you need to experience by yourself, so I will say the bare minimum about it. Also, I’ve played through the PS4 version a couple of times before turning to PC, so there will be some comparison.

Story:

Yakuza Kiwami’s story is a criminal drama, and what a drama it is. Yet again you step into the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza enforcer who’s known as the “Dragon of Dojima.” A lot of time has passed since Y0, Kiryu got older and moved up in the world.

The game kicks off with Kiryu taking the blame for a murder he didn’t commit to protect his childhood friend, Akira Nishikiyama. After serving 10 years in prison, Kiryu returns to find his old yakuza clan in disarray with the chairman dead, Nishikiyama transformed into a cold-hearted bastard and a mysterious 10-year-old girl named Haruka who’s tied to a massive conspiracy involving a missing 10 billion yen.

Just like in Y0, the game’s story is packed with action, and drama and not shy of portraying the cruel world of yakuza.
It’s not the 80s anymore. It’s a new millennium, and things have changed. Just like Kiryu, you’ll have to navigate this new world and try to find your place in it.
Get ready to meet a lot of wacky characters, both in story and side-missions (ESPECIALLY SIDE-MISSIONS).

Graphics:

Depending on how you look at it, Kiwami is both new and old. New in terms of being a remake of the PS2 title and old in terms of being built upon Zero’s engine, assets, animations, and mechanics.

Kiwami, originally a PS3/PS4 title, retained its style and a lot of assets throughout PS4 and PC releases, textures on the other hand jumped up in resolution.

Kamurocho, the fictional red-light district based on Tokyo’s Kabukicho, is a vibrant, bustling world filled with neon lights, crowded streets, and shady back alleys. 
It’s the kind of place that feels alive, with NPCs going about their business, shops advertising their wares, and random thugs looking to pick a fight. You’ll surely see a lot of similar pedestrian and generic goons models, but usually, they’re varied enough so it’s not that noticeable. On top of that, you’re usually so caught up in your business, you simply don’t have time for that.

The main character models are a standout here. Kiryu’s stoic expressions, Nishikiyama’s descent into madness, and even the quirky side characters are all rendered with nice detail. However the same can’t be said for generic NPCs. Also, there's a slightly noticeable difference in texture quality between in-game and cutscene character models.

The combat animations are especially satisfying, with every punch, kick, and grapple looking and feeling impactful. Although if you played Zero, you’ll definitely see a lot (and mean A LOT) of re-used animations.
Also, some of the environmental textures can feel a bit dated if you look too closely, and the facial animations during minor cutscenes can be a little stiff. But overall, the game’s visual style more than makes up for these minor flaws. It’s not the most graphically advanced game out there, but it gets the job done.
At least compared to the PS4 version, LOD and draw distance got cranked up to the max, so you’ll rarely see objects pop in.

Audio:

The audio in Yakuza Kiwami is mostly fantastic.
Let’s start with the voice acting: it’s all in Japanese, and it’s excellent. Kiryu’s deep, gravelly voice perfectly captures his tough but compassionate personality. Takaya Kuroda did such amazing work voicing Kiryu, I can’t imagine ANYONE else fitting that role. He’s been doing it for 20 years, you can’t top that. Also, in this household, we don’t ever talk about cringy Yakuza ‘05s English dub full of frivolous swearing.

Hidenari Ugaki as Goro Majima is an embodiment of madness! And he’s been doing it for 20 years too! His voice is as memorable as Kiruy’s. (Fun factoid: in the Yakuza ’05 English dub, he was voiced by Mark Hamill himself).

The rest of the supporting cast delivers their lines with just the right amount of drama and flair. The soundtrack is another highlight, blending intense rock tracks for combat, emotional piano melodies for key story moments, and some genuinely catchy tunes for the mini-games (looking at you, karaoke).

Although, there is a small nitpick. There is licensed music from the Japanese version of Yakuza Kiwami that was unfortunately cut from all Western versions of the game due to SEGA refusing to license the songs in question - "Receive You [Reborn]" and "BLEED" by Japanese singer "Koshi Inaba".

Sound effects are also on point, from the crunch of fists hitting faces to the clatter of objects being used as improvised weapons. The only downside is the repetitive chatter from NPCs on the streets. Hearing the same lines over and over can get a little annoying, but it's not that noticeable.

Oh, and if you’re a fan of cheesy ’80s-style synth music, you’re in for a treat - the game’s soundtrack has plenty of that too.

Gameplay:

On the combat side of things, Kiwami is just an action brawler. The combat system is simple but incredibly satisfying. Kiryu can switch between four fighting styles: Brawler, Rush, Beast, and Dragon each with its own strengths and weaknesses. 
For those who played Zero, these are familiar. With maybe an exception of Dragon style, since it was hidden behind a kinda grindy game mode.

• Brawler is your all-around balanced style with the ability to use weapons from your inventory.
• Rush focuses on quick, dodgy attacks. Quick combos, low damage, good at avoiding oncoming attacks, but removes the ability to grab enemies.
• Beast lets you wield heavy objects like bicycles and traffic cones and allows seamlessly incorporate them into your combos. Slow attacks, slow movement, big damage.
• Dragon is Kiryu’s signature style, which is extremely weak at the start of the game, but gets upgraded over time and becomes the best weapon against any enemy. (I'm not gonna sugarcoat It, Tiger Drop is a godsend).

The fights are fast-paced, chaotic, and often hilarious, especially when you’re smashing a dude’s face into a vending machine or throwing him into a group of his buddies with the help of Heat Actions.

Dragon style being the weakest of them is an interesting decision. In Yakuza ’05, it was the only fighting style available for Kiryu, so it was the only style you needed to upgrade. But you’re not upgrading it like all the other styles.

Here, I present to you “Majima Everywhere”. The “Majima Everywhere” system is a standout feature: Kiryu’s unhinged rival, Goro Majima, will randomly ambush you in the most unexpected ways. One minute he’s disguised as a police officer, the next he’s popping out of a manhole. It’s equal parts funny and terrifying, and it keeps you on your toes. Although in my opinion, they introduce it way too early into the game.

But Kiwami isn’t just about fighting. Just like before, Kamurocho is packed with side activities that range from the absurd to the downright addictive.

You can sing karaoke, play classic real-deal Sega arcade games, go bowling, gamble, go card collecting, play the weirdest version of "rock-paper-scissors" or even manage a hostess club. Also don’t forget about slot car racing! Pocket Racer all the way babyyyy!

The game does have a few pacing issues, especially in the early chapters, where the story takes a while to get going. You'll be often restricted in terms of places you can visit early on.

Some of the side missions can feel repetitive, and the grinding required to fully upgrade Kiryu’s abilities might not be for everyone.

But once the story hits its stride, it’s hard to put the controller down. It doesn't matter if you’re brawling in the streets, helping a stranger with their bizarre problem, or just hanging out at the batting cages, Kiwami offers a ton of variety to keep you entertained.