Remake of the first title in the Like a Dragon series, Yakuza Kiwami is built on the same model as Yakuza 0 and it works as a direct sequel of it.
This remake follows the story of the first game and tries to bring it up to date with how the series has evolved during the years prior, connecting various dots to the prequel 0 and adjusting Kiryu character to his new image, but it somehow fails to totally reinvents itself and the result is a game which narrative and characters feel too outdated and totally different from their 0 counterparts.
In particular the protagonist itself feels way too different from how we left him at the end of 0, basically scrapping all the character development he previously had: the result is a game which takes pace 17 years after but feels like it should actually be the first to be played. The same can be said for Majima which in this game is just a shell of its former self, to the point of being unrecognazible.
The story isn't actually bad, it's just not that engaging and it shows its age (11 years), more so if played after 0 which had a phenomal storytelling and characters.
The gameplay is a slightly better version of 0, focusing this time on only on character instead of two and four fighting styles from the beginning, altough the majority of them feels like they were nerfed from 0 while the Dragon of Dojima style is overpowered and the only style you'll actually need to destroy most of the enemies. I actually enjoyed the combat, despite missing Majima's crazy movesets, and I think Kiryu is way more enjoyable as a fighter in this title than 0, but I also did found the game extremely easy, to the point where the secret boss was just a walk in the park.
What I did find bugging was how Kamurocho, despite being the only city available this time, had much less activities than 0 without a proper reason: RGG Studio removed the Disco and Arcades, which were some of the most beloved side activies in 0, but somehow felt like MesuKing was something necessary for the game despite being very time-consuming and, to some extent, annoying.
That said, Kiwami's Kamurocho is basically a copy and paste of 0 one, just slightly changed to match its 2005 vibes, and that's something I loved about the game: to see the city I played in changed, but the same at heart, it made me feel like I was visiting an old friend.
The soundtrack is spot on and it has some really good tracks (my favourites being Funk Goes On, Son of a Gun and For Who's Sake), nothing else to say.
The game has also many side activities which are what really makes it shine: racing with little toy cars in Pocket Circuit, gambling in a hidden casino, taking out hostesses, playing cards or just walking around with Haruka really made the experience a memorable one.
The graphics are good: the game clearly shows its PS3 nature, having lot of pop-in and technical limitations, but it's enjoyable and totally bug-free.
The only thing I would have done differently were the cutscenes which reused directly the original Yakuza models base, resulting in the new models acting in clunchy ways.
All in all, I enjoyed Yakuza Kiwami, despite being a remake clearly showing its dated story and characters. The new beginning of the Dragon of Dojima journey was a thrilling experience, and being a game shorter than other Yakuza titles, I actually had the chance to play it without getting to the point of redundance like I did in 0.
So play this game, either before or after 0, if you are a Yakuza fan or just someone looking for a good Beat 'Em Up/Adventure game.
This remake follows the story of the first game and tries to bring it up to date with how the series has evolved during the years prior, connecting various dots to the prequel 0 and adjusting Kiryu character to his new image, but it somehow fails to totally reinvents itself and the result is a game which narrative and characters feel too outdated and totally different from their 0 counterparts.
In particular the protagonist itself feels way too different from how we left him at the end of 0, basically scrapping all the character development he previously had: the result is a game which takes pace 17 years after but feels like it should actually be the first to be played. The same can be said for Majima which in this game is just a shell of its former self, to the point of being unrecognazible.
The story isn't actually bad, it's just not that engaging and it shows its age (11 years), more so if played after 0 which had a phenomal storytelling and characters.
The gameplay is a slightly better version of 0, focusing this time on only on character instead of two and four fighting styles from the beginning, altough the majority of them feels like they were nerfed from 0 while the Dragon of Dojima style is overpowered and the only style you'll actually need to destroy most of the enemies. I actually enjoyed the combat, despite missing Majima's crazy movesets, and I think Kiryu is way more enjoyable as a fighter in this title than 0, but I also did found the game extremely easy, to the point where the secret boss was just a walk in the park.
What I did find bugging was how Kamurocho, despite being the only city available this time, had much less activities than 0 without a proper reason: RGG Studio removed the Disco and Arcades, which were some of the most beloved side activies in 0, but somehow felt like MesuKing was something necessary for the game despite being very time-consuming and, to some extent, annoying.
That said, Kiwami's Kamurocho is basically a copy and paste of 0 one, just slightly changed to match its 2005 vibes, and that's something I loved about the game: to see the city I played in changed, but the same at heart, it made me feel like I was visiting an old friend.
The soundtrack is spot on and it has some really good tracks (my favourites being Funk Goes On, Son of a Gun and For Who's Sake), nothing else to say.
The game has also many side activities which are what really makes it shine: racing with little toy cars in Pocket Circuit, gambling in a hidden casino, taking out hostesses, playing cards or just walking around with Haruka really made the experience a memorable one.
The graphics are good: the game clearly shows its PS3 nature, having lot of pop-in and technical limitations, but it's enjoyable and totally bug-free.
The only thing I would have done differently were the cutscenes which reused directly the original Yakuza models base, resulting in the new models acting in clunchy ways.
All in all, I enjoyed Yakuza Kiwami, despite being a remake clearly showing its dated story and characters. The new beginning of the Dragon of Dojima journey was a thrilling experience, and being a game shorter than other Yakuza titles, I actually had the chance to play it without getting to the point of redundance like I did in 0.
So play this game, either before or after 0, if you are a Yakuza fan or just someone looking for a good Beat 'Em Up/Adventure game.