Yakuza Kiwami Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
If Yakuza 0 didn't exist, we would probably rate Yakuza Kiwami higher. But we're in kind of strange situation right now: before playing Kiwami, you should finish the prequel, but because of that you will be left with a game of smaller scale and a bit worse quality.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami presents the strongest mechanics in the franchise's history, as well as refined side missions and lots of fun distractions that create a fantastic reimagining of a great game.
A great entry that is equally enjoyable for those new to the series and those who played the original, with enough enhancements and additions to make it worth experiencing or revisiting.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami is an excellent upgrade of the first game in the long-running Yakuza series and a must-have on PlayStation 4. It might feel shorter for those of you who first got a taste of the series with either Yakuza 5 or Yakuza 0, but this release is faithful to the original on PlayStation 2, with revamped graphics and frame rate, content that was missing from the game when it arrived on PS2 back in the day, as well as additional content, all for only $29.99. I really enjoyed my time with Yakuza Kiwami, and look forward to playing Yakuza 6, as well as the recently announced Yakuza Kiwami 2.
Temper your expectations and take on board that Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of a game that's over 10 years years old and you'll enjoy it for what it is – more of the same, only not quite as polished and with less to do on the side.
Yakuza Kiwami is great, then keeps being great, then continues being great to the point where you're tired of it.
Yakuza Kiwami is a worthy remake of the original game, but may leave fans hungry for more side content and minigames.
An absurdly good game. The story, the world, the characters, and the distractions all add up to one thing: immersion. This is the type of game to invest tons of time in, and for those new to the franchise, it's all the better because there are so many other Yakuza titles waiting to be played! For returning fans, Yakuza: Kiwami gives the inaugural game new life. It's been long enough removed from the original release to feel special again, and, even better, it is released at a budget price. In fact, it's a shame that only the first title has received this remaster, but with some "big announcements" coming this month, hopefully, the others in the series will see similar rereleases on PlayStation 4. Until then, dig out those PlayStation 2s and 3s and get cracking on the rest of Kiryu's story. There may just be time to catch up before Yakuza 6 - billed the finale of Kiryu's story - arrives next March in the West.
The way Kiwami weaves itself into a symbiotic relationship with 0 enhances the pair as a sequential experience.
Yakuza Kiwami is a great way to introduce anyone to the world of the Yakuza franchise