Yakuza Kiwami Reviews

Yakuza Kiwami is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Yes
Nov 9, 2017
Yakuza Kiwami (Kiwami means Extreme) ((PS4)) video thumbnail
8.5 / 10.0
Aug 20, 2017

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.

Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Jul 29, 2017

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

4 / 5.0
Mar 12, 2019

A great game, but one that pales in comparison to Yakuza 0. Still, if you enjoyed Yakuza 0, you'll enjoy Yakuza Kiwami, though the story is different and the gameplay might have taken step back.

Read full review

80%
Mar 8, 2019

Yakuza Kiwami isn't the most innovative game under the sun, but it builds on such a solid foundation it's still definitely worth playing. However, due to the lower budget and slavish devotion to the decade old original game, it doesn't quite hold up to Yakuza 0.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

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.

Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Aug 21, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is a polished and exceptionally fun game with a fantastic and moving storyline.

Read full review

Unscored
Aug 20, 2017

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.

Read full review

9.3 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami honestly rides on the thin line between remake and reimagining of a classic game. It keeps all of the original story beats and brings the games visuals into the modern-day while incorporating a lot of the newer games mechanics without hampering the original games integrity. This game is honestly the best way to experience the original Yakuza.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Aug 20, 2017

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*).

Read full review

Aug 28, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is an exceptional game with exceptional action and exceptional stories. There are so many things to do and experience here that $30 for Yakuza Kiwami feels almost like highway robbery. Throw in Yakuza 0 and you are set for about 100 hours of great gaming.

Read full review

81 / 100
Aug 28, 2017

While the narrative isn’t as clear-cut as it was in Yakuza 0 and the fact that this is a true-to-life remake of the original game will mean it may not be as exciting as some of the more recent outings in the franchise, the classic re-telling of how everything came to be and the addictive gameplay is enough for fans of the series to give this a go. If you haven’t played Yakuza 0 yet, I strongly suggest starting there. But if you have played 0, what are you waiting for? Continue Kiryu’s story and let Sega know we want Yakuza Kiwami 2 localized as quick as possible in English after it releases in Japan at the end of this year!

Read full review

9 / 10
Aug 31, 2017

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Aug 30, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is everything a proper remaster should be. Instead of just plainly expanding ratios, this 10th anniversary version of the adventures of Kazuma Kiryu is a success in every aspect, with a complete rework visual and audio, new activities and minigames, a modernized combat system and more than 30 minutes of new cinematic features, Yakuza Kiwami is what other publishers should follow when trying to revive their old icons.

Read full review

Aug 20, 2017

Sega reminds us that, with Yakuza Kiwami, not only is its heart in the right place, but it hasn’t missed a beat.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Sep 11, 2017

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.

Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is positioned as a perfect jumping on point for newcomers just now discovering Sega’s gang-centric criminal drama. Series veterans will still find plenty to love in the carefully handcrafted remake of Kazuma Kiryu’s first appearance, with a wealth of new and enticing content. Regardless of which category you find yourself a part of, Yakuza Kiwami is hands down one of the finest remakes ever made of an already extraordinary game and provides an experience that you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Read full review

82%
Aug 20, 2017

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.

Read full review

9 / 10
Sep 17, 2017

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.

Read full review