Gameplay
Piggy-backing off of Yakuza Zero, Yakuza Kiwami offers the players the ability to switch up their gameplay with different fighting styles and brand new heat moves. This lets you play the game and adopt new playstyles on the fly.
Speaking of Yakuza Zero, players who’ve had the chance to play though the prequel will find that all their moves and fighting styles will carry over to Yakuza Kiwami, but since Kiryu begins Kiwami fresh out of prison, his strength will have weakened. Fortunately, players will be able to recover his old strength and bring him back to his former glory.
If you’re looking for a convenient punching bag to rebuild Kiryu’s strength, look no further the new Maxima system. This new feature will allow Kiryu to grow by fighting Majima Goro anywhere and everywhere. Majima will sometimes appear dressed as a police officer, or even as a host girl. So always be vigilant.
Story
No need to fret, no one is touching Yakuza’s original story. Instead, Yakuza Kiwami looks to expand on the original by adding new scenes to further elaborate on what was going on in Kamurocho while Kiryu was in prison for those long, ten years. The game’s director promises these new additions will move players to tears.
Want to know what Akira Kishin was up to while Kiryu was behind bars? Now fans will be able to play as Kiryu’s best friend as he copes with Kiryu’s time in prison.
Graphics
Easily the most noticeable difference between the original Yakuza and the updated Yakuza Kiwami is the graphics. Yakuza Kiwami makes full use of the PS4’s technology to deliver high-fidelity graphics, textures, and resolutions.
The game is running on the same engine as Yakuza Zero, the prequel, and promises to deliver gameplay at 1080p and 60 frames per second. This ensures the game is kept to the same high standard as Yakuza Zero.
Minigames
Fans of Yakuza are no stranger to mini-games, and thankfully, Yakuza Kiwami has a couple more to add to the mix. Now, when Kiryu visits Hostess Clubs, he’ll have far more options available to him when it comes to courting. Also new to the hostess clubs are live-action sequences that play out.
Players looking for a more involved mini-game will be happy to check out the brand new Insect Queen Femal King card-strategy fighting game at the arcades. This wacky game stars giant insects fighting for dominance.
Release
The Yakuza series has always been a niche title that kept seeing international releases thankfully. Unfortunately, this remake of the original Yakuza is destined to stay in Japan, with no plans of localization for international release. Committed (and Japanese speaking) fans are free to import the game to play, because the PS4 is not region-locked. But be warned, Yakuza Kiwami does not feature an English dub or sub. So make sure to brush up on your Hiragana and Kanji. Players looking to import the game should check out Play-Asia, a trusted online retailer for import products.
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