Playthrough Status: Beat once on Normal, spent a bunch of hours in Premium Adventure picking up remaining trophies I was willing to get
Approx. Length: 80+ hours
Language: English (Cutscenes are voiced in Japanese with English subtitles)
Played on: PS4
Also Available for: PC, Xbox One
Type of Game: Open-world Action Adventure, Mini-games, Skill-building
Overall Impression: Slightly darker tone than Yakuza 0, but still very good.
A BIG NOTE!!
For those who have read my past reviews, this is a note that I'm gonna try changing up the structure for my review blogs. I want to try shortening my blogs, but still talk about the important things (i.e. the things I wanna talk about, lol). Don't know if I'll actually succeed (I tend to blab a lot when I love something), but we'll see.
Just like with my past reviews, I'll keep a non-spoiler section (the section you're at right now), and a "Spoiler Talk" section at the end to go into more detail on certain things and to let loose with any extra thoughts.
INTRO / BLURB
Once I finished Yakuza 0, I started Yakuza Kiwami the next day (will refer to it as Kiwami for the rest of the review). I proceeded to beat Kiwami in 19 days (I beat Yakuza 0 in 28 days). That could mean one of two things -- either I really loved Kiwami and ploughed through everything quickly... or there wasn't as much to do so I did everything I wanted in a shorter time. Hmmm... which one is it...?
I have to say... Since this is a review about Yakuza Kiwami, spoilers for Yakuza 0 could be present! In fact, I would be reviewing with the assumption that you've beaten Yakuza 0. If you haven't beaten Yakuza 0 yet, I'd highly recommend you do before reading this review!!
YAKUZA KIWAMI VS YAKUZA 0
I don't know about you, but whenever I start a sequel for anything, the first thing I end up doing is comparing it against the previous thing. I can't help it and I don't mean it as a way of judgement -- it's more to determine if everything is basically the same and I can pick up where I left off, or if I'm gonna have to spend some time re-learning certain elements to "get good".
The overall structure and world remained in-tact, with the main story being gritty and serious and substories often offering a layer of ridiculousness. The setting stayed the same, too, with almost everything taking place in Kamurocho (no Sotenbori this time, unfortunately). With all that said, here's how Kiwami stacks up against Yakuza 0:
Story: Unfortunately, I thought it was a bit weaker and much darker. There were still some really good moments, but a bit lacking overall. If you enjoy darker stories, though... this could be an appeal for you, despite what was lacking.
Characters: On par. Just like in Yakuza 0, there are a lot of good, likeable characters in Kiwami.
Music: I won't lie -- it took some time for me to warm up to the music. I loved Kiwami's version of "Baka mitai" and the opening track "Virtical Point" right away. Some of the more prominently used tracks sounded dark and atmospheric. Fitting for the game's tone, but it'd sometimes put me in a grim mood while playing through the story.
Graphics: On par. It more or less felt like I was playing an extension of Yakuza 0.
Battle mechanics: It is generally the same, except for one change that I didn't like. When fighting against bosses, when their health gets to a certain point, they'll slump down and start replenishing some of their health. To counter it, you'd have to perform specific heat actions (i.e. special attacks). I thought it was a cheap way to lengthen a boss fight, 'cuz the boss can possibly do this move multiple times.
Enemy encounter rate: I don't know how they did it, but the encounter rate was so much higher in Kiwami than in Yakuza 0 and I thought the encounter rate was already really high in Yakuza 0! I ran into baddies almost every corner I turned.
Raising stats: This changed slightly. Instead of using money to raise stats and unlock more abilities, you use experience points for most of the fighting styles. While I guess that change was okay... I ended up with an excess of experience points by the end of the game. If it was still money at least I'd be able to use it.
Minigames: There's still a variety of minigames, many of them being the same as Yakuza 0. There are some new ones, too, like the photo booth and MesuKing (a glorified rock-paper-scissors game).
Is Kiwami better than Yakuza 0? No, I wouldn't say so. HOWEVER, Kiwami is still a solid game. It followed the best (Yakuza 0), so for many elements to be on par or on par with slight tweaks -- it means Kiwami still did a lot of things right! You still get to beat up baddies in a variety of ways -- you still get to experience all the side entertainment that are the minigames and substories -- you still get to experience a gritty story (even though it is a bit weak).
There's also one big change that I'll talk about in the next section.
An advertisement for something that was featured in a substory in Yakuza 0.
It's a real pizzeria in Japan! Here's a link to the real place:
An amusing line in a substory.
YAKUZA KIWAMI VS YAKUZA 1 ON PS2
Well, here's another section comparing Kiwami to something, and this time it is against the original Yakuza 1 on PS2! For those who don't know, Kiwami is a remake of Yakuza 1. It wasn't a straight re-master. The development team made changes and added elements to improve upon Yakuza 1 and to also connect to Yakuza 0's events.
Curious about what changed, I watched a lengthy playthrough of Yakuza 1 on YouTube. Overall, I'd say that most of the changes were vast improvements. I can't list out all the changes (I'd have to buy the PS2 version and try it out myself, which I might actually do in the future...), but here are some of them:
-Improved graphics in Kiwami. That one's a given.
-Yakuza 1 only had one fighting style, instead of the four fighting styles in Kiwami
-Yakuza 1 had English dub only for the cutscenes instead of Japanese with English subtitles. Whether or not that is an improvement would depend on your preferences
-It looked like you could only equip one piece of gear in Yakuza 1, as opposed to three in Kiwami
-Some substories changed
-Kiwami added more cutscenes to flesh out Nishiki's character and to give Majima a more prominent role.
Majima Everywhere System
This was the biggest addition to Kiwami. Where Majima played a minor part in Yakuza 1, being in only three cutscenes and two fights, in Kiwami Majima could be almost anywhere, at any time, just waiting to pick a fight with you. And after you beat him up, he'll leave to later show up somewhere else, ready to fight you.
After fighting him for maybe the 10th+ time, I can see some getting tired of the Majima Everywhere system. For myself -- I absolutely loved it. I loved being able to run into him randomly almost all the time. Before I'd stop playing for the night, I'd often seek him out, just to say hi (with my fist). You can also play some minigames against him, which I really enjoyed.
Running into Majima for the first time. I was so focused on picking up that
coin locker key that I didn't know notice him at all. Then I
heard an "alert" sound and next thing I knew something blue was running
towards me so quickly that I instinctively ran away. I turned around
when I realized it was Majima, hahaha.
You might have to click "play" twice for it to play.
Majima waiting for me to challenge him to Darts.
THE DISCLAIMERS (IF ANY)
This is where I list any things that could make you think twice about trying the game out with family or friends (depends on what they are okay with, I guess). They're not exactly bad per se, but more for your own awareness of it (and so you don't blame me for not saying anything!).
I can experience these elements in a video game and get through more or less unscathed, but your mileage may vary, so I figure I should mention them.
-Just like in Yakuza 0, the fights can be pretty violent and bloody. I believe there is an option to turn down the blood, but I didn't actually check this time.
-There is one substory that almost seems like it is promoting smoking. It's actually promoting something else, but those who might get affected, be aware of it.
-You can go into a club and watch a woman dance... I think against a pole. I've only done it once just to see what it was like, but it is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL.
-You can try raising affection levels for two hostesses. Once their levels are maxed out, you get to watch a short clip of each of them in some lingerie. This is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL.
MY RATING
I have to give Kiwami a bit of slack, because:
Kiwami is a remake of Yakuza 1 on the PS2. Aside from all the changes, it is still a remake of the first game in the Yakuza series. Some of the core plot points and character interactions / relationships that I would consider weak could NOT be changed since it still needed to stay canon to all the Yakuza games that got released afterwards. For me to compare it to Yakuza 0, a game that had many years and chances to polish itself, is actually pretty harsh and unfair.
If you're in for the long haul, give Kiwami a shot. The plot may be weaker, but many other elements are still solid. Every now and then I find myself kinda wanting to play it again -- mainly to square off with Majima, hahaha. If you don't want to invest that much time, then do what I suggested in my Yakuza 0 review and search up YouTube videos that showcase the story.
Rating: 88 / 100
I never did answer my question in the "Intro / Blurb". Why did Kiwami take me only 19 days to beat when it took me 28 days to beat Yakuza 0? Well, since many of the minigames were the same as Yakuza 0, I didn't feel the need to spend as much time exploring the minigames in Kiwami. Also, the story itself in Kiwami was shorter.
Thanks for reading! I guess this is a bit unorthodox to review a game by comparing it to other games, but I think I covered all the points that would be covered in a review.
If you have any questions / comments about anything, even about the new review structure (I'm still experimenting with it), leave a comment or send via the Contact Form. :)
So I'll do the scrolly thing and the "Spoiler Talk" section will appear after that. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoiler Talk" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.
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SPOILER TALK
So this will be a little different from the "Spoilers" section in my other review blogs. I kinda want this section to be a place where I can unload any extra thoughts I had about Kiwami, even if I didn't mention it at all in the non-spoiler section. I may have already talked about some of these in the non-spoiler section but I'll go into more detail here.
THE STORY
So why do I think the plot is so weak compared to Yakuza 0's story? Because it is so... darn... bleak! Everybody Kiryu cared about through his life died... Reina, Shinji, Kazama, Nishiki, Yumi. And Kazama, Nishiki, and Yumi were like his family...
Even though they still tried for a positive ending, telling Kiryu that he still has Haruka to live / fight for, it still doesn't change the fact that everybody dear to Kiryu is gone... After playing Kiwami, I felt so deflated.
I also thought the pacing was a bit rushed at certain points. I don't think Reina's character was developed enough for me to feel much when she died. And Kiryu telling Yumi that he loved her while she was dying... I can understand his want to tell her, but it felt almost one-note, likely 'cuz we didn't see much interactions between them to really understand the depth of his emotions.
There were some well-done moments, though. When Kiryu told Haruka that her mom was dead, the way his voice faltered as he said it really conveyed his deep sadness, regret, and sense of failure. The scene with Kazama revealing Sunflower orphanage's true nature and Kiryu saying that he always thought of Kazama as his father... that was very heart-wrenching. I wish Kazama didn't die... he was such a good character! T___T
PLAYING WITH TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
When I played through Kiwami, I tried to play with two different perspectives in mind:
1. If I played this as a sequel to Yakuza 0, how well does it hold up?
2. If I played this as my first introduction to the Yakuza series (as was originally intended when it first came out on the PS2), would it get me interested to play the sequels?
You already know what I think for the first perspective -- it's not as good as Yakuza 0. For the second perspective, though...
Sadly, I think the dark story would have turned me off on playing the sequels right away. Also, I think my perception of Majima would have been very different -- wild, but with a hint of complexity that would pique my curiosities. However -- after those months of brooding, I'm sure I would try out Yakuza 2, just to see what happens to Kiryu.
I mean even as I am writing this review, Kiwami is slowly growing on me. Not the story -- the story can take a hike. But everything else -- I kinda wanna experience a bit more in that world... especially everything to do with Majima, hahaha... ;) <3
GORO MAJIMA
This guy... what a guy. My heart went out to him in Yakuza 0, and 'cuz of that, I decided to accept however crazy and wild he turned out in the later games. Only once did I have a flicker of doubt (when he held that girl hostage at the Shangri-La -- I thought he was going to kill her, something I'd not be cool with). I'm sorry, Majima -- I'll never doubt you again! *bows*
Frankly, I felt very spoiled, being able to interact with Majima so often. Unfortunately most of those interactions led to fighting... but hey! It's what Majima wanted, so I was happy to oblige. Still -- beating up on Majima often triggered my... caring nature for him so I'd say to the TV screen, "I'm sorry, Majima!" I guess it's silly, but that's how I am.
I do have to say though... one of the added cutscenes / events for Majima felt a little disjointed when connecting it to the main story. Before Kiryu goes to the Shangri-La, he gets driven out to the docks where he and Majima fight a bunch of baddies. Then Kiryu and Majima do their own fight, but one baddie is still alive and tries to shoot Kiryu. Majima takes the bullet instead and falls into the waters. Kiryu says he doesn't have time to check if Majima's okay and leaves him to get back to Kamurocho to go to Shangri-La. Then later on Majima trashes the Shangri-La while wearing a huge bandage wrapped around his waist where the bullet hit.
So... a couple things:
1. As far as I know, Kiryu would NEVER just ditch somebody like that. He takes all the time in the world to help random strangers with their troubles but he has no time to help out a fellow friend / rival? Total BS. Kiryu just left in a hurry to leave us (the players) unsure of Majima's fate.
2. Without the fight at the dock, Majima would still trash the Shangri-La while wearing a bandage around his waist where he got stabbed in a previous chapter. Majima protected Kiryu and got stabbed. Majima's family members then scrambled to get Majima to the hospital, leaving Kiryu unsure of Majima's fate.
The added dock fight was completely unnecessary, in my opinion. If they added it to explain why Majima could still ambush Kiryu in later chapters without a bandage... then at least have Kiryu get Majima out of the waters, and make sure that he at least got help (call / text Nishida). Don't have Kiryu just abandon Majima to die in the waters! D:
Whenever I unlocked playing a minigame against him like Shogi or Pool, I did my best to lose so he'd always be around for me to challenge. When I beat him in Darts, I couldn't challenge him ever again and that made me sad... It's too bad that you have to beat him in some of the minigames in order to unlock more skills in your Dragon style.
When Majima was first introduced to Pocket Circuit racing, I thought it was very cute. Pocket Circuit racing was the only activity that interested Majima more than his obsession with Kiryu. In any other area in Kamurocho, if Kiryu stood close to Majima, Majima would always turn to look at him. But in the Pocket Circuit area, if Kiryu stood nearby, Majima wouldn't notice at all. Despite his age, Majima can still get excited like a kid. Soo adorable! I was sad when I had to beat him to unlock more skills.
My favourite of the Majima Everywhere system.
I love how Kiryu reacts and how Majima doesn't seem to care
about how creepy he may look to passerbys.
I wish I could trigger this scene more than just once in the game!
Me having some fun with Zombie Majima.
I love how Majima does his best to stay in his zombie character.
Oh, something's shaking over there...
should I uncover it? Or leave it alone? Hahaha.
Well, I uncovered that huge cone and intentionally lost against Majima.
I like Kiryu's phrases at the end of the video.
I don't know how common knowledge this is, but I found a way
to just chill with Majima while he's roaming the streets.
MISCELLANEOUS
Here are some miscellaneous thoughts that didn't fit into any of the above topics, and a couple more screenshots I wanted to share.
-When Kiryu borrowed all that money from Shinji (I think it was 50k) to try buying back Yumi's ring from the pawn shop and it turned out that Kiryu didn't have to pay a thing, I thought, 'Okay. Now go back to Shinji and return that money...' but then Kiryu went to jail for 10 years. When Kiryu got out he still had Shinji's money. Darn it, pay him back! Hahaha.
-As soon as I had full control of Kiryu, the first thing I did was look at the Kamurocho map to see what places were still around from Yakuza 0 and what changed. It kinda felt like roaming through old familiar streets.
-Once I learned the Tiger Drop move, I uh... used that move as often as possible. Majima didn't stand a chance against me at all after that, hahaha. Just so you all know -- the Tiger Drop move is holding R1, and then pressing the triangle button at the right time. The less powerful Tiger Drop move in the Brawler fighting style (forgot the name of the move) is also R1 + triangle, even though that skill's information text says to hold L1 (it's a typo!).
-Here is an awesome meme referencing the Majima Everywhere system. This Majima is from Kiwami 2. Just don't think too much into it and nothing will be spoiled!
https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/glmcya/bro_this_majima_everywhere_system_is_getting/
And here are the screenshots!
One of my favourite set of options in a substory.
Since I wasn't allowed to take an in-game screenshot, I took a pic with my phone.
Here are my completion stats when I beat the game on Normal.
Don't mind all the dust, hahaha.
I spent about 10+ hours in Premium Adventure
getting trophies and fighting Majima.
If you read this section, thank for reading! Now to finish with more scrolly things. Feel free to comment if you wish :D
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Me playing Bananagrams by myself. The general gist of Bananagrams is to 
Building out my Yakuza gaming collection!
New class I got in SINoALICE.
