Yakuza, which is now known as Like a Dragon, is my favorite video game series currently. So getting the 2016 remake of the first game in the series on Nintendo Switch is a bit of a dream. Featuring plenty of side content, such as mini-games that are fun in short bursts and side stories that can be found around the city, it’s a perfect fit for portable play.
If you haven’t played Yakuza Kiwami before, it’s an enhanced remake of the original Yakuza, which came out in 2005 for PlayStation 2. Not only does it modernize the game — which uses a much better camera than the original — by using the Yakuza 0 engine, it includes plenty of extra side content. One of the most important additions is a lot more of Goro Majima (the fan-favorite character that will star in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii later this year), as he’ll pop up periodically to battle Kiryu around the city.
The core gameplay is … well, a lot of punching. Kazuma Kiryu likes to let his fists do the talking, and he gets embroiled in a wild story that involves figures of his past and getting used to a city that changed while he was in prison. The brawling is fun yet pretty basic unless you really learn the combos and unlock more of Kiryu’s skills, although a lot of life is brought into it thanks to the ability to interact with the environment. However, the real joy comes from the sharp dialogue and story twists, as Yakuza has some of the best writing in video games, and Kiwami has an excellent story with a lot of heart.
As for the quality of the Switch port? It’s pretty darn great. It doesn’t run quite as well as the PS4 version did — there’s occasional slowdown in action-heavy sequences and some softness — but it looks near-identical and plays great. The bonus of being portable far outweighs the small hiccups, as the game is such a great fit for pick-up and go-play.
If it’s your first Yakuza game, then this is certainly a great starting point. I sort of wish Yakuza 0 had gotten ported first, as the prequel is expanded upon some in Kiwami, but the story will get you invested in Kiryu and his many adventures to come. The relationship with Haruka, the little girl that Kiryu finds, is still fantastically established, and Yakuza has plenty of great “WTF” moments sprinkled throughout its side stories that’ll make you laugh plenty. There’s no other series quite like it.
Yakuza Kiwami Nintendo Switch Review: Final Verdict
Yakuza Kiwami was a great remake when it first came out, and the Nintendo Switch port keeps it intact while allowing for portable play. The wide range of bonus content gives you plenty to do, and hopefully, more games in the series will get ported over as well. It was a blast revisiting Kiryu’s first adventure in Kamurocho, this time on the go.
SCORE: 8.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8.5 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received a Yakuza Kiwami Nintendo Switch code for our review.
