Yakuza Kiwami Reviews

Yakuza Kiwami is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2017

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.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 20, 2017

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.

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Essential
Aug 20, 2017

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.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2017

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.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2017

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.

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8 / 10
Aug 20, 2017

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!

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8 / 10.0
Aug 23, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami is a great game. Certainly not everybody’s cup of tea, especially those that aren’t a fan of Japanese culture or media in languages other than English. But I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with Yakuza Kiwami. While not as long as other games in the Yakuza franchise, it’s great story and substories(side quests) combined with it being the perfect jumping on point for anyone looking to dive into the series for the first time make it well worth the asking price.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami follows hot on the heels of the prequal and save for a much more compact narrative nothing is drastically different and that's perfect. Yakuza is still the undisputed king of punching bad people in the face very hard and with more Yakuza games potentially on the horizon, it's never been a better time to flex Kiryu's muscles.

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8.2 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2017

If you've never played a Yakuza game before then Yakuza Kiwami is a great place to start.

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Aug 28, 2017

With Yakuza Kiwami, SEGA have brought the series starting point up to a modern standard and created the perfectly jumping in point for the series.

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85 / 100
May 28, 2020

Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza, which not only updates it in its technical section, but also knows how to implement all the improvements and possibilities of the most current Yakuzas. Without being perfect or as complete as the last installments, it is still the perfect entry point to the franchise, especially if we have never played any, or made it to its first installment so many years ago.

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8.3 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2020

Now while I wouldn’t say that Yakuza Kiwami is a perfect experience, it’s damned fun and I can see where other brawlers got their inspiration over the years. With a solid story, great mechanics and characters that you actually care about, I regret having taken this long to get into the craziness of Kamurocho with Kazuma Kiryu.

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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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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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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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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

9 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2019

Yakuza Kiwami is a fantastic remake of the original PS2 game. It improves & expands Yakuza 1 to create an experience that is new & fresh for new audiences, while being familiar & nostalgic for the old fans at the same time. Being a faithful remake, Kiwami is not as good as the newer Yakuza titles and seems a bit outdated in some spots; but just like all the games in the franchise, is a blast from start to finish.

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9 / 10
Aug 21, 2017

The story is addictive and keeps you at the edge of the seat. The general exploration and content is a step back from Yakuza 0 but the game is still a blast to play if you interested in more Yakuza games.

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Aug 21, 2017

The way Kiwami weaves itself into a symbiotic relationship with 0 enhances the pair as a sequential experience.

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Aug 21, 2017

SEGA's ... given us all something completely modern and "new" to play, and the entire Yakuza series continues to go from strength to strength.

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