Game Review: Yakuza Kiwami

Game: Yakuza Kiwami
Console: Sony Playstation 4
Developer: Sega
Release Date: August 2017

After declaring Yakuza 0 the highest rated video game I've ever reviewed on this blog, it seemed only right to check out Yakuza Kiwami, an HD remake of the original Yakuza for PS2. The events of Yakuza 0 lead up to and somewhat set up the beginning of Yakuza Kiwami, and having played the prequel first helps with investment into a few of the character's struggles. To share too many plot details would be to spoil the once again near perfect pacing and tonal balance of game, but just as with Yakuza 0, there's many moment of tension, conflicted emotions and of course hilarious sub-stories.

After 10 years of imprisonment, Kiryu returns to 2005 Kamurocho to find that things have moved on from the 90s and that once again his help is needed to control Yakuza in-fighting, as he searches for answers to the mystery behind a missing 10 billion yen. Since Yakuza 0 and Kiwami share a game engine, gameplay is functionally very similar between the two games, and the fighting engine hasn't changed all that much, though the level-up system is now based on exp. rather than money.

The PS2 version of Yakuza had some pretty poor graphics, fixed camera angles in parts, loading screens before all fights, and a pretty low effort translation. Yakuza Kiwami fixes all of these issues, and more resulting in the definitive version of the game. This isn't just an HD remaster, this is a true remake and improvement which means that there's almost no merit to going back and playing Yakuza on the PS2 anymore. The graphics are excellent, there's a sense of Kiryu getting back used to fighting as you upgrade his abilities, and the storyline is once again amazing.

Overall Yakuza Kiwami is well worth picking up if you played and enjoyed Yakuza 0, or if you enjoyed the PS2 original. The mass of additional content in the PS4 version, including the Majima everywhere missions and several other features really enhance the game and give it a lot more replayability. While the plot isn't quite as standalone or epic as Yakuza 0, the writers were basically constricted to the plot of the original and there's still a ton of epic and cinematic moment which occur in the game.

Rating: 89/100
Grade: A