Yakuza Kiwami

I never played the original, but I think this is the good kind of remake, where they kept what made the original good, and improved all the QOL around the edges.
The biggest issue I had was that there's enough side-quests that I'd go back to the main story and I'd have forgotten what was happening.

good game. my kyodai turns into ten years funny person but steals 10 billion yen and simps for the same girl i simp for. and majima might be everywhere. kiwami is essentially a yakuza 1 but mechanically yakuza 0.5 with actually less features than 0. still amazing game 9.5/10

The main character in the story is a yakuza with a high loyalty towards his nearest family, but some people around him do not share the same loyalty. At times, I felt the story became so unrealistic and weird that it felt that some parts were just poorly written. The overall story is still very much worth experiencing, so I still recommend it. It is a mix between serious stuff with some jokes mixed into it.

There are plenty of side quests which easily draw your attention from the main story. Literally. NPCs just run up toward you if you happen to take the same street they are standing on. It became annoying at times.

Preferably this game is the first you play in the yakuza series, because if you accidentally came to this series through the later games (like me), you will experience some parts of the gameplay being a step in the backward direction. Nothing major though.

I haven’t played Yakuza Zero, which is supposedly a prequel to this game – although it was released at a later date. So, you get the feeling that you are missing the backstory of some of the characters you interact with, but it is manageable. Perhaps someone who played Yakuza zero can comment if it is better to play it first, or as number 3 in the series.

Yakuza Kiwami/龍が如く極
One of the best remakes ever made.

This game roughly follows the events of the original Yakuza game on PS2, but enhances every corner of it in a newer engine.

Story:
Again, one of the more emotional but epic stories of Kiryu. If you have already played Yakuza 0, you will know the main antagonist of this game: Nishkiyama, Kiryus oath-brother. I recommend you either play Y0 before or after Kiwami, since it looks at Kiryu and Nishikis Friendship and bond that was missing from the original game. It makes this story way more impactful like I mentioned in my Y0 review.
As Kiryu, you will be randomly attacked by Majima in the "Majima everywhere" mechanic. Hes just a kind silly guy since
he wants to make sure you'll stay strong as you progress through the story. Its one of the most fun parts in this game, since you'll randomly encounter Majima in various different situations you wouldn't expect him to be in.

Combat:
You'll only be able to fight as Kiryu in this game and not Majima, which sucks a little.
But it has the same 3 styles that Kiryu has in Yakuza 0 (Brawler, Rush, Beast) plus an extra Dragon Style that was also unlockable in Y0s Real Estate minigame. Sadly, the older Combat found in Y0 feels much better than Kiwami's Combat. You'll quickly realize that every move of Kiryu feels much weaker, which makes the game a little more challenging. It overall still provides a fun time beating people up, especially when you learn Komaki tiger drop..

Original Sound Track:
Great. A lot of songs from this game are in my and many other peoples workout playlists. It has some of the best songs in the franchise. Like in other songs found in older titles, you can feel the heat going through your body, making you be able to bench more (trust me).

Final thoughts:
Good game. If you liked 0: play this. If you've only played the original: play this. If you only have 20 bucks to spend, id recommend getting Yakuza 0.

good game but idk why they put combat in my mahjong simulator

(+) Great remake of Yakuza (PlayStation 2 version)
a. Modernized gameplay
b. Improved visuals
c. Majima Everywhere system
(+) Unlike Yakuza 0, you can now save anywhere

(-) Reuses assets from Yakuza 0
(-) Fewer mini-games compared to Yakuza 0
(-) Bosses regenerate health

I wasn't sure how they could follow up the previous game but they found a way to make me even more sad. This game evokes such a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy that I haven't experienced before. Also they didn't have to go that hard with "Tonight" in karaoke. How am I supposed to get 1000 when I can't see the notes through my tears. 10/10 would Yakuza Kiwami again.

It's worth playing mostly for the story. The combat holds your attention, though some of the bosses especially towards the end spamming dodge and stun locking you with guns/knives is so frustrating. Some fights against Majima are pretty boring. You just have to wait until he finishes his 100 move combo to finish before pecking him with a short combo of your own. The substories are hilarious, and by far my favorite part!

I did not play the original release, but I thoroughly enjoyed this remake. It looks and feels amazing. Again, do not try to complete it 100% unless you know how to play Mahjong and Shogi. Can be played before or after playing Yakuza 0 - up to you if you want to play in order of release or chronological order.

Majima really is everywhere.

the game is good but the combat is terrible, every second spent in combat I think about playing god hand instead

You can tell that it's a remaster of a PlayStation 2 game, and it is still very enjoyable. The story hooks you at all times and makes you want to know more. However, there are some bosses that I consider unfair and annoying, especially towards the end. I miss some more mini-games because the ones that exist don't quite work for me, including the side quests. It's still enjoyable if you're going to experience the story.

Yakuza Kiwami was my second Yakuza game, and it was a great one, too. The combat is good, but frustrating at times, the environment is flawless and all the cutscenes run perfectly, and the story is also incredible, although relatively short, hence I would recommend getting the game on sale. I played Yakuza 0 before this game, which I would like to recommend as that game is the prequel to this one and allowed me to understand the world and story in more depth. Overall great game, and I would recommend despite it being shorter.

I love this game and the combat

and Daddy Kiryu BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT THE GAME IS GREAT-

Kiryu could break my back and i'd thank him for it THANK U.

Beside a very annoying combat where the enemy spam grab or dodge is an amazing game just like 0.

This is game is good. Easier than yakuza 0, but still fun nonetheless.

Not a perfect remaster but it serves the purpose. The additional "flashback" scenes added help flesh out a character much better.

This is a really big downgrade from Yakuza 0, but it's still enjoyable. The Majima Everywhere feature is great.

The story can be really boring at times and I don't like how the skill tree was made.

Ta padre, el Yakuza 0 tiene mejor karaoke pero la jugabilidad ta chida, la historia está aún mejor y así.

This is a game that takes me back to my childhood, playing the demo of the original back in the PS2 era over and over again, though the most I can recall from those days was spending A LOT of time in the batting cages! In terms of the game itself, I'm reviewing this as someone who moved over after finishing Yakuza 0, so take that as you will. This took me just under 40 hours to beat, but that's with leaving a fair chunk of side content unfinished. If I were to go back and try getting said content done, I'd probably up those hours to the 70+ mark.

Kiwami's got its ups and downs, probably due to the era it was originally made. That said, seeing returning characters and finding references that tie back to 0 earned more than a few laughs or moments of "Hey, I remember that! I remember you!", which made me all the happier to have played it first. It also made some of the moments in Kiwami hit stronger than they likely otherwise would have, even if I personally found them to be lesser in their emotional impact compared to the infamous ones within 0, though they did still have me tearing up a fair bit.

In general, I will say the game's damn good, but I admittedly walked away with two issues:

Issue 1.) The combat. What I mean is how combat in this game just seemed to... not work at times, I guess? Specifically when you're in a cramped space with 5+ enemies all taking turns swinging at you, which was incredibly common in chapters 6 through 8. It's doable, but not the most comfortable.

Issue 2.) Majima Everywhere. Much like combat, I don't mean the system in general, just how certain moves are locked behind fighting certain versions of Majima out in the streets, and said versions may or may not spawn while you're trying to earn more Dragon techniques. For me, one version I needed to fight only spawned TWICE in my entire play time, which was a bit of a pain.

Other than those two issues, I'd recommend people give this one a shot if they have time or an interest in the Yakuza series. Whether it's your first foray into this criminal underworld or a stepping stone along the way to completing all of Kiryu's journey, you're in for a good time.

Up next, Kiwami 2!

Great continuation from 0. Combat is fun (Once you get Tiger Drop), the story is great, music is great, Pocket Racing is fun. Majma is hilarious.


Protip: Upgrade Essence of the Extreme Rush before going to Tojo HQ for the funeral. Will make 1st boss much easier to deal with, otherwise he will regenerate his health, the rest of the game is easy after that.

slugger majima stunlocked me for thirty seconds and oneshot me
very cool would play again

My honest recommendation is a yes and a no. If you're a big fan of the Yakuza series and want to play the first game without having to use a PS2 to do so, then it is worth snagging on sale. I will say though, that this game is rough around the edges. The story is solid, not as good as 0 or Kiwami 2 but that makes sense given what it is based on. I found it entertaining enough story-wise but the biggest issue is gameplay. While it is similar to the gameplay of 0, they nerfed Kiryu hard from the highs of 0, making it where fighting bosses is a slog due to them being way tankier, your attacks being way weaker, and them regaining health during fights. The boss fights can be a stun nightmare and honestly hurt the pace of the game at times. Majima Everywhere is honestly the gameplay at its best but it doesn't shine much elsewhere. I will also note, Kiwami 2 has a full recap of Kiwami at the beginning in case you choose to skip it, which is quite valid. Again, the recommendation is only if you wanna experience the OG without a PS2 and its on sale. If not, just go to Kiwami 2 from 0, you'll save yourself some pain.

Really good game. I recommend starting with Yakuza 0 first, and then proceeding with Kiwami. Though this game is technically the first in the series, Yakuza 0 is still the better starting point.

Another great game in the yakuza series, starts off really slow and honestly I didn’t enjoy it for the first 11 hours or so. Still not as good as yakuza 0, but the ending of this game is very emotional and beautiful which I’ve come to except from the yakuza series thus far. Excited to hop into kiwami 2 once it goes on sale again lol.

Perfect conclusion in my opinion. Really enjoyed the combat. 10/10

A worthy successor to the gameplay of Yakuza 0, huge improvements to the combat system, I guess you could say it's "Yakuza 0 2" definitely makes the story a better viewing as well

The game is incredibly good at the begining, genuinely really fun and the combat feels nice. HOWEVER, when up until chapter 10 everything is so good and joyful and youre full of whimsy, but, from that point on you'll have the worst experience ever (im exaggerating), Jingu sucks ass genuinely one of the worst bosses in the entire yakuza series, the other shooty shooty guy fucking sucks ass i hate him so much and fighting multiple enemies at once is just a stunlock simulator. The game is good, i really love it yknow, the characters are so full of charisma (especially majima) however some fall flat due to bad writting (YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI YUMI) still, i managed to have fun! 7.5/10

it was a solid game, especially after playing 0. the story was pretty good (a little predictable), the combat was the same as 0, the substories were alright, a couple stood out (the pocket circuit one and takaya one), but most were just fine. the minigames were all just fine. kinda pales in comparison to yakuza 0 (although the story is basically unchanged from the og yakuza so i cant rly complain there) but it was still definitely a great and engaging game.

I really want to give this game a positive review but no matter what I do, I end up in an endless loading screen after Chapter 1. At least 3 hours were spent waiting multiple times on that very screen

Edit: after downloading it for the 4th time I was able to get past the infinite loading screen

Yakuza Kiwami is an amazingly good follow-up to Yakuza 0, blending both a lot of elements from the original game on Playstation 2, as well as a ton of new stuff that makes it feel fresh. Though the game's a lot smaller in scope to Yakuza 0, this game removed a lot of the fat that the previous game had, while adding a lot of quality-of-life features. Simplified progression systems makes it a lot easier to focus on what to do next, and there isn't a whole lot of grinding. I'll now go further in-depth into what makes this game worth your time.

If you don't want to read the rest, just know that this game's very much worth your time if you liked Yakuza 0.

Kiwami means Extreme!

Yakuza Kiwami's combat is a step up from Yakuza 0, demanding more from you early on while providing you with quality-of-life combat features that make the combat dynamic, interesting, and rewarding to get good at. The Majima Everywhere system fast-tracks your power increasing, and while some people have issues with it I find it incredibly rewarding. With this being the remake to the first game in the series, it finally introduces the iconic Tiger Drop move, rewarding good timing with an incredibly powerful counterattack. Basically, it's a much more extreme version of what you'd be used to in Yakuza 0!

Return to Kamachuro

Being able to see the map of the old Kamachuro from Yakuza 0 at the beginning of the game, only to have it morph as you spend 10 years in prison, makes it feel like a character of its own. The setpiece of the Empty Lot has been replaced with the iconic Millenium Tower, Little Asia has been completely paved over, and other small changes make it feel like it's changing as you do. It also heavily rewards you for knowing the layout of Kamachuro in the first game: while the map changes, a lot of the layout stays the same, allowing your memory from Yakuza 0 to carry over pretty much directly.

Putting the "sub" in substory

While I enjoyed a lot of the substories in Yakuza 0, a lot of them were very long, with lots of dialogue or random sidetracks that made a one-off gimmick go on for way too long. In Kiwami, most substories are very short, with usually 1 fight and/or talking part before it's over. What would be a single substory in 0 is instead spread out across like, 4, which makes completing all of them a lot less tedious, so you can get to that coveted Jo Amon hidden boss much easier.

For Who's Sake?

I'm aware that the story is almost unchanged from the original Yakuza on PS2, but it's incredible how much it plays off of Yakuza 0. Between chapters in the story (which there are fewer of compared to Yakuza 0), you'll get flashback cutscenes of Nishikiyama between the events of the games, showing you how he became who he is. Combined with the events of Yakuza 0, he feels like much more of a significant character in the overall story, filling in the missing link that the story needed to feel more complete.

Overall, I liked this game more than Yakuza 0, though that's probably just down to personal bias. Some people don't seem to like this game, which I can understand, but it's a fantastic remake of a PS2 game that brings it to current-generation hardware that's an incredible time! I don't think I could recommend this game enough.

Yakuza Kiwami/Yakuza 1 is a great game held back by a very mediocre story that peaks simply too late for me to give it anything above a 6/10. There is simply way too much filler in the main story for me to like it anywhere near as close as 0's story. However, the progression and gameplay of this entry is very addicting and, despite being similar to Yakuza 0, still very satisfying after jumping from that entry. Experience Points are basically what money is in 0 but the unlock system being spread across 4 different trees instead of just your three styles is a welcome change as it makes progression a lot more fluid and interlaced.

Going back to the story, Nishiki is an incredible antagonist and I'm glad that his descent into such makes sense. He is a very realistic and well-written character and he's up there with one of my favourites in gaming.

Kiryu is fantastic as usual and seeing his softer side in this entry makes me wonder what exactly is going to happen in Kiwami 2 with Haruka (who I like as well).

Majima is my favourite thing about the open world in this entry though. The Majima Everywhere system is very fun and gives Majima that little sprinkle of development with his constant looming precense.

I will continue to hold the opinion (like many) that if you want to get into this series, start with 0 and not Kiwami. 0 makes the story of this one a lot more meaningful.

While Kiwami might not be as good as Yakuza 0, it is a remake of a PS2 game, and with that in mind its still a insanely good game in 2025. So far every Yakuza game ive played has been fucking amazing and this is no exception.

Very good game, as Yakuza 0. Stronger in the story than 0 imo but weaker for its side quests, Yakuza Kiwami is a very good continuation of 0's story and a very good character arc for both Kyriu and Majima. And still, you can go from singing your heart out in karaoke to serious moments that bring you tears.
Can't wait to play 2.

Really enjoyed picking up the story after Yakuza 0. Solid story, twists and turns, really good brawling fights. The climax of the game is worth the build up, and good to see characters returning from 0.

Very fun game with a very good story and tons of side stories and extras to mess around with when you aren't following the story! Not quite as good as 0 in my opinion, but one of the best game stories I've experienced - don't let the memes make you think Yakuza is just a silly series, it's filled to the brim with emotional moments.

!!!Hits even harder if you've played 0 before!!!

Good enough, but the dragon style is underwhelming unless you have mods installed.

Good starting point for the series, though drastically lower quality than other entries due to being a big asset flip and PS2 animations. Majima everywhere is fun for me, though a toggle would have been nice.

The only thing I like about this game is the Majima Everywhere system. Everything else is frustrating, the fetch quests, the awfully designed boss battles that overstay their welcome. If you want to play Yakuza and not hate it, play Yakuza 0.

It is a barely assumed recommandation for me.

I absolutely adored Yakuza 0 and I will say that playing 0 first was the best and the worst idea.

It was the best idea because the prequel introduced me to the main cast and I absolutely loved following Kiryu, Majima and Nishiki stories. It made me care for the story so much more.

It was the worst idea because so many story beats from 0 seemed heavily inspired by that first game. Most importantly, Gameplay wise, that game has significantly less to offer. Half the map, half the characters, less mini-games (and more importantly no real new ones apart from Catfight but with bugs). The only amazing addition for me was the Majima Everywhere mechanic, a great way to show the complicated relation between Kiryu and Majima.

I had fun with Kiwami and will certainly continue my journey in this series. It felt short of my expectations and I had a strong feeling of ''déjà-vu'', but it stille is a great tale in an original universe.

Great remaster, even though it doesn't feel completely fresh when coming from 0. Still, completely worth playing even just for the story and Majima.

This game is where Kiryu canonically forgets how to sugar coat things and gains the ability to negate all damage with the TIGER DROP.

Also there's a non-zero chance that Majima will attempt to jump you the very second you load into Kamurocho so be ready for that.

A great remastered version of the original Yakuza game that started the series. To note there are a lot of cutscenes in the game especially at the beginning so don't expect to jump right in the game with fighting.

Pros:
- Great cast of characters
- The new UI in the remastered edition is nice modernizing the game
- Combat is fun and fluid

Cons:
- Some side quests are boring
- Majima attacking you randomly is kind of annoying
- The story can be kind of confusing learning everybody and who is who years later

Yakuza Kiwami is a great continuation for the franchise. The story is solid and the combat is fun. It gets a tad repetitive at times, but overall enjoyable. 8.5/10

i like certain mods in the community (my friend forced me to download the mod)

Its the second game (chronologically) of the Yakuza Saga and its really better than the first. The pace picked up and it lives up to its name ("Kiwami" translates to "Extreme").
It emulates a Kamurocho that is the same as in the first Game (Yakuza 0) but ever so slightly changed as it takes place 10 years later. The story is as robust as it gets and you never run out of things to do.
A few things could have been better:

Fast Travel, but I dont mind it cause it gives me the opportunity to make some money on my way to the next mission, while I stumble into a random sidequest and totally forget that I was actually on my way to finish the story and Oh, well, another 3 hours passed while I was trying to find a homeless man a jacket and ran into a hostess that needed my help and an old man got beat up by a bunch of goons which needed me to find his wallet but his wallet was inside of a club and now the owner tries to kill me with his staff, chairs and tables flying everywhere as I earn experience to unlock more moves to fight more guys coming to end my existence because there is a bounty on my head and my brother tries to collect it too, but there is a little puppy I need to get food for and this weird guy in a snake jacket ambushes me as I come out of the store, but when I win the fight I find a Booba Bug Card of some game that some kid wants me to play cause he's really good at it and all the other kids are not on his level and on my way to find more cards to play him, a weird guy sells me a ring but forgets I have ears and I have to beat them up cause they scammed me, while people need my help and I have to get to a donqichote to fill up my Ramen Needs.
10/10

Another amazing Yakuza game, and another added straight to my favorites list. Once again, amazing characters and story. Kiryu and Majima are as amazing as ever. And the story, once again, is amazingly crafted. The gameplay is also amazing. A ton of quality-of-life and improved mechanics from Yakuza 0, and the combat also feels very smooth. Only thing I found annoying was the boss recharging mechanic, but other than that, absolutely perfect.

Being the person I am, I absolutely fell in love with Haruka. She is so damn adorable and is the perfect adopted daughter to Kiryu. I love how much Kiryu protects and cares for her, I'd absolutely do the same too, no matter what happens. The perfect way of showing how caring, loving, and family-oriented Kiryu really is, and I absolutely adore it. Yumi as well, is another fantastic character and in the end, felt so bad for what she went through, but I'm glad she had the closure she needed in the end. I honestly wish that in another timeline, Yumi and Kiryu get married, without everything being ruined, and eventually have their own Haruka together. And Reina, she will never be forgotten, such an amazing character in both Yakuza 0 and Kiwami. So upsetting to see Reina go in such a brutal and undeserved way. Much like Makoto Makimura from Yakuza 0, Haruka, Reina, and Yumi are some of my most beloved characters and I have a major soft spot for them. I got teary throughout the game for a number of reasons, some from the main plot, others from some substories, but that ending really did kill me, from the cutscenes to the flashbacks, it got me good. (I still don't understand why they put such a heavy watery filter over the screen during those cutscenes).

The substories were also really enjoyable. Everything from the humorous ones to the more serious ones. One of my favorites has to be the follow up with Kyoka and Takashi. It's actually such an adorable story between them two, I'm glad it was introduced as a minor subplot in the main story, even though I'm sure most thought it was unnecessary for the main plot. Another one of my favorites was the "Memory of the Bubble", having recently just played through Yakuza 0, it really does show how awesome this entire franchise is connected, even after years apart in-game, there's still references to previous events and history from the past. There were quite a few callbacks which I thought were amazing, but the first two that comes to mine had to be the bubble substory and the callback to the shrink-wrapped magazine with the finding presents for the girl to give to the boy. The hostess mini-games were also really enjoyable. I'm not the type of guy to do it for the spicy video, just for the interesting dialogue and the achievement, obviously, but one of Yui's discussions really put my emotional side into perspective with the specific topic about emotional movies, age really does matter in my case.

Overall, this is an amazing game. Both the story and gameplay mechanics are so well done. I enjoyed literally almost everything. The table top mini-games are the most infuriating, but other than that, everything is great. I even enjoyed the mini-game they brought back to be the improvement of the infuriating cat fight club from zero, MesuKing.

Yakuza 0 is a better game overall (story, fight, substories) but Kiwami is still fun and tiger drop is OP and fun af

A great remake of a PS2 classic that is still a rough time if you are arriving from Y0. While the new polish and Y0 engine make a lot of the gameplay and traversal much smoother, the substory design and many of the upgrade mechanics are noticeably worse. The story is still incredibly solid with a notable dip right in the middle, but the intro to the story of Kiryu and the conclusion are as bombastic as any Yakuza title. Overall it is much rougher around the edges due to the design of games at the times of release, which haven't changed massively in this remake, but well worth it if you want to follow the story since Kiryu's role as a father is a big part of his character for the next few games.

I played this game only a little while after finishing Yakuza 0. Anyone who liked that game will definitely enjoy this. While I do think 0's story is better, Kiwami is better in almost every other way. Minigames are still great, combat gameplay and the upgrade system are much better than in 0, and the charming wackiness of everything that isn't the main story once again hits with full force. Also Majima. Can't get enough of that clown.

Yakuza Kiwami is fun.

If you're coming from Yakuza 0, you're going to notice a lot of things were reused.

Is this to say Kiwami's a bad game? No, it's pretty good. It's an enjoyable experience. But don't expect it to be better than 0.

But uh, yeah. 10 years in the joint really made Kiryu a fucking pussy.