Yazuka Kiwami review

Although the Yakuza franchise has recently enjoyed enormous success in the West, that wasn’t always the case. For some players, the early games could be hard to pigeonhole. Sure, the action was accessible, but the storytelling could rapidly shift from earnestness to comic whimsy.

While a knowledge of Japanese culture wasn’t a requirement for play, awareness could highlight some of the series’ subtleties. For otaku, half-hearted localization damaged the series’ delicate sense of authenticity, with the first game requiring players to sit through an English dub, and Yakuza 3 earning notoriety when the Stateside release removed hostess clubs. Thankfully, we’ve passed that horrendous era.

A Dragon Reborn

By 2015, a lack of censorship and a flourishing familiarity with Japanese culture meant that Yakuza 0 averted the fate of previous franchise releases. Naturally, the prequel piqued interest in the series, prompting the 2016 release of Yakuza Kiwami (meaning “Yakuza Extreme”), a remake of the franchise’s inaugural effort. And while the title eventually received the obligatory Xbox and PC ports, it didn’t seem possible to scale Kiwami down when Nintendo debuted their hybrid hardware.

Seven years later, the seemingly impossible has happened, with Yazuka Kiwami available as a twenty-dollar download on Switch. The good news is that all the chivalrous pulp and goofball antics have made their way intact to Nintendo hardware. But the disappointing thing is that the Switch struggles when rendering the streets of Kamurocho and Yokohama. But more on that in a minute.

Kiwami’s narrative is solely from Kiryu’s point of view, making it easy to emphasize with the man nicknamed the Dragon of Dojima. While challengers habitually respect him for his street-brawling prowess, he also earns esteem for the heart of gold concealed underneath the flashy mob attire. Lead writer Hase Seishū’s experience with hardboiled fiction pays large dividends here, weaving a plush tapestry of honor, ambition, and the intermittent instance of betrayal, extending a satisfying re-contextualization of samurai lore.

Quiet Ruminations and Thunderous Rumbles

Picking up from the plotline of Yazuka 0, Kiwami finds Kiryu taking the fall for the murder of Yukuza boss Sohei Dojima – all in an effort to protect his best friend. After a decade-long stint in prison, Kiryu heads back to the fictionalized district of Kamurocho. Here, he faces the ire of the yakuza, the responsibility of protecting a young girl named Haruka, and dealing with the sweeping changes to his old stomping grounds. Like the filmography of Takeshi Kitano, Kiwami succeeds not just in cultivating a conflict that threatens to eventually swallow its protagonist. It also basks in moments of quiet reflection, revealed when Kiryu reunites with children from 0, or the sense of loneliness that hangs over an evening shared with a hostess.

As with every entry in the Yakuza franchise, those contemplations are counter-balanced by a heap of lunatic whimsy. Most notably, this is evident by the incorporation of “Majima Everywhere!”, encounters where The Mad Dog of Shimano ambushes Kiryu. Typically, these confrontations incorporate some kind of modifier into the pugnaciousness, rewarding players with an upgrade to Kiryu’s ‘Dragon’ style.

Still the Consummate Brawler

Satisfyingly, that means that Kiwami maintains narrative cohesion, retaining the quartet of fighting systems that the protagonist cultivated in 0. Although he’s rusty from being locked up for ten years, Kiryu soon reclaims his status as street king, using pieces of the environment as weapons with Beat Mode or adopting a fleet-footed style with Rush Mode.

Beyond using experience points to unlock new moves, players can also augment their health and recovery speed, which will likely be needed against some of the title’s protracted boss battles. While challenging, especially as players close in on the game’s conclusion, occasionally these showdowns can feel like wars of attrition- even when heat attacks thwart opponents from recovering health.

Of Stinging and Singing

Side missions have always been a substantial component in the Yakuza series, and unsurprisingly are plentiful in Kiwami. Sure, it’s a bit disappointing that there’s nothing as compelling as 0’s extensive Real Estate Royale and Cabaret Club Czar pursuits. But largely, Kiwami satisfies, removing the often-frustrating massage and slot machine mini-games. In their place are revamped hostess clubs, and “Insect Queen” where G-string clad wrestlers with bug-like headdresses grapple provocatively.

Reflecting history, Kamurocho’s festive nightclubs have gradually given way to darkened gambling halls where players can fatten their wallets. For those who’d rather not wager their hard-earned yen, Kiwami offers a host of other recreations, from battling cages, karaoke, pool halls, to an obsession with pocket racers.

Yet, if you’ve experienced the stirring simulation of Tokyo’s famous red-light district on contemporary systems, the shift to Switch is going to be disheartening. Largely, the details in prerendered cinematics are maintained. As such, the vibrant glow of signage reflected in street puddles to the impeccably tailored suits worn by the game’s cast are all intact. But once Kiryu is given autonomy, Kiwami struggles to maintain a 30 frame-per-second refresh rate, while also struggling with pop-in and noticeably longer load times. But there is at least one silver lining: the Switch version has Koshi Inaba’s「BLEED」, the original opening song.

The Aging Dragon

When revisiting Yakuza Kiwami, the title’s side missions can feel dated.  More modern entries demonstrate variety, but Kiwami’s noncompulsory errands lean toward the homogenous. Too often, they entail going to a specific spot, where a brawl erupts. While fighting is certainly one of Yakuza’s fortes, when coupled with the random scraps that regularly break out, some might tire all the tussling. Or maybe I’ve just grown accustomed to the turn-based scrapping.

Undoubtedly, Yazuka Kiwami is a remarkable remake, offering a comprehensive renovation of the first title in the Yazuka series. As such, it’s a seminal work and obligatory for anyone interested in the series. Sadly, playing Kiwami on the Switch is the worst way to enjoy it, which particle effects habitually bringing things to a crawl. Like watching a stunningly shot film on the big screen, Kiryu’s debut deserves to be enjoyed on robust hardware. Pick it up on Switch only if you must.

Yakuza Kiwami was played on the Switch with review code provided by the publisher.