Review – Yakuza Kiwami 1 & Kiwami 2

A and finally bring two games to the Nintendo Switch 2 that represent important moments in the consolidation of the Like a Dragon franchise. I’m talking about the Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 Set, which arrives on November 13th with the remakes of the first two chapters of the Kazuma Kiryu saga, with graphical and performance improvements designed specifically for Nintendo’s new hardware. This is another one of those valuable opportunities for those who want to delve into the origins of an iconic series in gaming history or revisit these chapters with an additional layer of technical polish.​

Yakuza Kiwami reconstructs the original journey of Kazuma Kiryu, the legendary Dragon of Dojima, who after taking the blame for the murder of his boss spends a decade in prison. Upon leaving in 2005, he finds Kamurocho completely transformed, with his former friends missing and ten billion yen from the Tojo clan mysteriously stolen. The narrative explores themes of loyalty, betrayal and redemption as Kiryu tries to protect a young girl named Haruka, who becomes the target of virtually every criminal faction in the country.

Yakuza Kiwami 2, in turn, advances the chronology to 2006 and places Kiryu in direct confrontation with Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai. With the death of the fifth president of the Tojo clan, Yukio Terada, Kiryu is forced to return to the yakuza world to negotiate peace between the Tojo and Omi factions. What was supposed to be a diplomatic mission to Sotenbori quickly turns into a territorial war that threatens to destroy Kamurocho. The plot weaves together conspiracies dating back more than 20 years, revealing buried secrets and testing the limits of Kiryu’s resolve.​​​

One game, two philosophies

Here lies one of the most distinct characteristics of this set, as each game uses a completely different engine, resulting in combat experiences that interact in opposite ways. Yakuza Kiwami maintains the fighting style system introduced in Yakuza 0, offering four distinct combat approaches (Brawler, Rush, Beast and Dragon of Dojima). The Brawler style balances speed and power, ideal for versatile combos, while Rush prioritizes extreme mobility and quick attacks, Beast sacrifices agility for devastating brute strength, and, finally, the Dragon of Dojima style represents Kiryu’s technical peak, combining elements from the other three in a balanced approach.

Switching between styles can be executed fluidly during combat, especially after unlocking specific techniques that allow for instant transitions when finishing combos or during taunts. This tactical flexibility invites the player to experiment and adapt dynamically to the challenges presented by each confrontation.​

Yakuza Kiwami 2, built on the Dragon Engine, completely abandons the multiple style system in favor of a hybrid approach that fuses elements of the Brawler and Dragon styles. Combat becomes heavier and more cinematic, with each blow transmitting an even stronger impact and amplified by the physics implemented with this engine. Enemies literally fly across the scenes when hit, bouncing off walls and furniture in a satisfyingly chaotic manner.​​

Dragon Engine’s great innovation is environmental integration without loading. You can enter and leave establishments instantly, and start fights in any location, be it a convenience store, a restaurant or the street itself. Destructible environments add strategic depth: furniture can be kicked at opponents, objects can be combined with the scenery for devastating attacks, and virtually everything around becomes a tool of destruction.​

The Heat system has also been reformulated, changing the continuous life bar for Kiwami 2 to use Heat Orbs that make it clear how many points each Heat Action will consume. Extreme Heat Mode allows you to execute sustained combos of massive damage when the meter is fully charged, culminating in brutal, franchise-defining finishers.

Depth beyond combat

Both titles offer vast entertainment options in Kamurocho and Sotenbori, faithfully recreating the districts based on the real Kabukicho and Dotonbori. The density of content is impressive, offering activities in karaoke, bowling, arcade games, cabaret management, pocket circuit racing, golf, baseball, casinos, escort houses and a multitude of small stories or side missions that range from hilarious to emotional.​ Not to mention that Yakuza Kiwami also introduces real estate management minigames in which Kiryu can invest and expand businesses.

As for Kiwami 2, the options with the Majima Saga, a separate game mode that allows you to control Goro Majima and explore events between Kiwami and Kiwami 2, have just been significantly expanded. This additional content offers new perspectives on the series’ mythology and deepens the characterization of one of the franchise’s most iconic characters. Cabaret management returns with substantial improvements, creating an addictive minigame that can easily consume dozens of hours.​

Character progression also differs between titles, as Kiwami uses a system based on experience points and skills that must be unlocked through specific talent trees for each style, while Kiwami 2 simplifies this process, but compensates with a more robust weapon and equipment crafting system.​

Additionally, one of Yakuza Kiwami’s most controversial additions is the Majima Everywhere system, with Goro Majima, Shimano’s eccentric Mad Dog, taking on the mission of retraining Kiryu so he can regain his strength after a decade in prison. The result is a system in which Majima can literally appear anywhere, at any time, disguised in the most absurd ways imaginable.​

The transition from Yakuza Kiwami to Kiwami 2 represents one of the biggest technical revolutions in the franchise, taking a lot of influence from Yakuza 0. The switch to the Dragon Engine drastically transformed how the series presents itself visually and how the player interacts with its world.​ The elimination of loading screens when entering establishments was revolutionary, creating a sense of continuity and immersion that previous titles could not offer. Animations and graphics have taken a huge leap forward, with dynamic lighting and particle effects reworked to create richer, more cinematic atmospheres. High-resolution textures and detailed character models brought the series closer to contemporary AAA standards.​

However, the bosses present a critical problem, as many were directly transplanted from the original game without adequate adaptation to Yakuza 0’s combat system. They have excessive super armor, constantly block and abuse counterattacks, making confrontations less about skill and more about patience. The Kiwami mechanic, where bosses quickly recover health when reduced to low health, forcing you to switch to the style corresponding to the colorful aura they emanate and use a specific Heat Action to interrupt the healing, is particularly frustrating. Often, the time it takes to execute the interruption is barely worth the health they’ve already recovered.

From neon to noir

Yakuza Kiwami maintains the visual palette of the engine prior to Dragon Engine, with more stylized and less naturally dynamic lighting. There’s a particular charm to this slightly dated approach, which evokes the aesthetic of the late 2000s in an almost nostalgic way. The bright signs, the store windows, the narrow alleys littered with trash and posters all contribute to a dense, lived-in atmosphere.

Kiwami 2 dramatically elevates visual fidelity as the Dragon Engine enables real-time global illumination, more accurate reflections, and stunning weather effects. Sotenbori, inspired by Osaka’s Dōtonbori district, offers a fascinating contrast to Kamurocho. Its streets are wider, the facades are more colorful, and there is a slightly different energy that captures Kansai’s distinct cultural identity compared to Tokyo. The iconic Glico sign that dominates the Sotenbori landscape has become a visual symbol of the franchise.

The character designs balance realism and stylistic exaggeration. Kiryu and his allies are presented with impressively realistic facial detail, especially in Kiwami 2, where more sophisticated motion capture allowed for nuanced performances. Simultaneously, antagonists are often characterized with exaggerated features that immediately communicate their personalities: dramatic scars, perpetually aggressive expressions, extravagant clothing that borders on the absurd.

Music has always been a fundamental component of the Yakuza identity, and both remakes feature soundtracks that mix original compositions with reimagined arrangements of classic themes. Yakuza Kiwami features tracks that reinvent iconic themes from the series with more modern instrumentation, creating soundscapes that transition fluidly between dramatic tension and explosions of energy during confrontations.​

Karaoke, a series tradition, offers genuinely fun performances that reveal unexpected aspects of Kiryu’s personality. The versions sung by Takaya Kuroda, Kiryu’s Japanese voice actor, have a particular charm, especially considering that Kiryu is presented as deliberately off-key, creating moments of authentic comedy.

Between tradition and modern

Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 for Switch 2 offers a unique opportunity for those who want to delve into the origins of the Kazuma Kiryu saga or revisit these stories with technical improvements. These are games that demonstrate the evolution of the franchise, both narratively and technologically, presenting two distinct design approaches that reflect different development philosophies.

Kiwami is a more conservative remake, too respectful of its source in some aspects, but offering versatile combat and the Majima Everywhere system that, despite its excesses, adds unique personality. Kiwami 2 represents an impressive technical leap, with spectacular visuals and immersion that have redefined expectations for the series, although its simplified combat may not appeal to those who value tactical variety.

Both bear imperfections that reveal their origins as reconstructions of games designed for another era and design sensibilities. Unbalanced bosses, irregular narrative pacing and inconsistent side missions. Still, for players willing to accept these limitations, the set offers dozens of hours of engaging content, emotionally resonant stories, and a fascinating window into the dramatic and often absurd heart that defines the Like a Dragon franchise.