Yakuza Kiwami (2016)

This is the remake of the first Yakuza game, but it's the second one I've played through (after playing the prequel game Yakuza 0 earlier this year). Suffice to say this is a good game, and I look forward to continuing the series with the remake of the second game (Kiwami 2) after a break.

It's hard not to compare Kiwami to Zero. Zero is a much bigger game, more polished and engaging, with a greater variety of fun diversions and interesting side quests, and a much grander and more emotional story to hold it all together. Kiwami is still good though, and it's of course important to experience its story before moving on to later entries in the series I'm sure.

That said, even in its remake form it still feels like a game where the creators stumbled a bit while treading this new ground, not yet sure how to balance the series' eclectic trademark style of contrasting tones, the major characters not yet clearly defined. The most egregious example being Majima... Loved him in Zero, but he mostly just felt annoying here. (I ended up fighting him what felt like a near-infinite number of times, but I still only filled like a third of my Dragon-style fighting grid...) Most of the side quests meanwhile all feel the same -- I get the very strong impression that the creator of this series must have been hoodwinked by a scam artist shortly before starting this, lol. But some new content was added to tie the first game to Zero a bit more -- I particularly appreciated the inclusion of the pocket circuit racing and seeing what became of the characters tied with that.

At any rate the core gameplay of Yakuza is still solid, and overall I enjoyed my romp through Kiwami. It's a quick game to go through compared to Zero, especially if you decide to forgo a lot of the side content as I did. I recommend just getting through the story for this one. And the pocket circuit racing, of course. ;)

While sick in bed I've put a bunch of time into the remake of the original Yakuza game. It's definitely a step down from Zero, but it's still good stuff and I feel right at home on the streets of Kamurocho. I think I'm halfway through the story, and have done a dozen or so of the side quests -- some of which were a hoot.

It hurts to see my bro Nishiki turn evil after all our good times in Zero though, but then again this is the yakuza so I guess I can't be too mad... Also definitely getting some character archetype whiplash from Majima -- it seems clear the original game intended him more of a "chaotic kinda-actually-evil" rather than the "chaotic more-or-less-good-ish-deep-down" that I assume later games shifted him to be.

The character I'm most undecided about now though is Haruka, who I get they're trying to say is just very mature for a little kid, but it feels a bit too unreal tbh. Will wait and see where the story goes from here though.

Just completed Yakuza Kiwami. Going to skip writing a review for this one because it was going to be short. Basically it's like Yakuza 0 but everything is slightly worse.

Play Yakuza 0 first before playing Yakuza Kiwami. Yakuza Kiwami assumes you have played 0 and are already familiar with the story, characters and battle system.

Yakuza Kiwami still has the same enjoyable combat, numerous mini games and side stories, but they all feel diluted, lacking the impact and humor compared to its' predecessor. The story really feels padded where the game makes you run back and forth from one end of Kamurocho to the other multiple times.

Lastly Majima Everywhere system is something that might annoy players, but I kind of liked it. It introduces this manic Joker energy that makes the game interesting, in otherwise a fairly serious crime game. I strongly recommend always having healing items, because you never know when Majima might fight you when you just finished a fight and are low on HP.

Yakuza Kiwami Final Update #14

Now that was one helluva ending fight lol. Great game, 8.7 out of 8.14872. Would sing kareoke again.

To sum it up. Kiryu confronts and defeats Jingu, and reveals that he is next in line to be the next chairman of the Tojo clan. He then faces off one last time against Nishki with epic anime punches, flashbacks, and all that good stuff. Freakin EPIC! Nishki confesses his love for Yumi, and claims that all he wants is for her and everyone to acknowledge him and his accomplishments. Kiryu beats Nishki down. Yumi reveals that inside the pendant that Haruka was carrying the whole time was a picture of Kiryu, she wanted both of the people who were precious to her to always be together. Just as Yumi is about to destroy the 10 billion yen with the bomb (which happens to be hidden at Ares the whole time) she is shot by Jingu. Nishki sees this happen, and stabs Jingu and pushes him into the room filled with money. He decides that its time to accept responsibility for his actions for once, and detonates the room by shooting the bomb. After confessing her love for Kiryu, and Kiryu confessing it back, Yumi tells Haruka that she must promise to never run away from her problems and continue to face them head on. Yumi then dies in Kiryu's arms. Date-san and the police arrive on the scene and Kiryu, saddened by the loss of all his friends and Yumi, is willing to go to jail since he has nothing to lose. Date-san reminds Kiryu that if he were to go to jail, Haruka would be left alone again. Kiryu looks at Haruka, and finds a new purpose in life. Later it is revealed that immediately after Kiryu is inducted as the next chairman of the Tojo clan, he steps down as chairman. He gives the title to Terada instead, who is the head of the Omi Alliance and a close friend of Kazama since he feels Terada would do a better job at rebuilding the Tojo clan. Kiryu is last seen going home with a happy Haruka

Yakuza Kiwami Update #13

Shimano is killed but not before he chucks a grenade at Kazama and Haruka. Kazama takes the blast saving Haruka as a result. Upon his dying breath, Kazama gives Kiryu an envelope containing Sera's will that states who is next in line for the Tojo clan. He also apologizes to Kiryu and admits to killing his family. In fact, he reveals that the Sunflower Orphanage is where all the kids go, whose parents he killed when he was still a hitman for the Tojo clan. Kiryu accepts his apology stating that Kazama was the closest thing he ever had to a father. Kiryu then heads off to find Yumi. RIP Kazama.

Yakuza Kiwami Update #12

Wow... thats uhhh.... a lot to unpack lol

So we meet up with Kazama who is currently being protected by the Omi Alliance and its chief Terada. And Kazama just drops a whole bomb of mind blowing information. Turns out Mizuki and Yumi are actually the same person, and Yumi is Haruka's daughter. Let's take it back 10 years. After Yumi flees the hospital and suffers heavy memory loss from that tragic night where Nishki kills Dojima, she wounds up going back to the Sunflower Orphanage out of pure instinct. Kazama finds her there and decides to take her under his wing. Yumi, still suffering from memory loss, falls in love with a politician named Jingu (who is now the current leader of the Cabinet Office's underground association, the MIA) and they have a child, Haruka. Its important to note that head of the Tojo clan, Sera, helped Jingu rise up the political ladder. When Jingu gets a political marriage proposal, Yumi ends the relationship to make Jingu happy. Jingu, being corrupted by political power, is almost exposed to the public by a reporter who tried to blackmail him. Jingu has him killed, and decides to tie up some loose ends. With the help of Sera, he hires an assassin, and tries to have Yumi and Haruka killed but Kazama stops the assassin. This triggers Yumi's memories and everything comes back to her. Kazuma convinces Sera (leader of the Tojo clan) to help him hide Yumi and Haruka. So Haruka is placed in the Sunflower Orphanage and Yumi takes on the identity of Mizuki. In an act of vengeance, Yumi teams up with Kazama and Sera to steal Jingu's ten billion yen (which is a part of the Tojo's clan money, but its secretly Jingu's money). Fast forward to present day, and we are about to get attacked by the Shimano family lol.

Yakuza Kiwami Update #11

We go to Shangri-la, a high class and expensive soaphouse to find Shinji's girlfriend who apparently has been helping hide Kazama for Shinji. We meet up with her, but Kazama was apparently taken by a trusted friend from the Omi Alliance. Oh and Majima and his crew attack Shangri-la, not sure why lol. Probably just to fight Kiryu. Now we're off to go meet up with the Omi Alliance and find Kazama.

Yakuza Kiwami Update #10

Upon arriving at Serena we find a note from Reina apologizing for leaking information to Nishkiyama. She reveals that the reason she did it was because she was in love with him and she was hoping that Nishkiyama would return her feelings if she had helped him. However, after seeing Kiryu and the others again, she has a change of heart and realizes that Nishkiyama is not the same man she once fell in love with. Shinji calls Kiryu revealing that Reina tried to lure Nishkiyama into Serena to kill him, but failed. Inticing the Nishkiyama clan to go after her. Shinji tries to protect her and the both flee. Despite Kiryu taking down the majority of the Omi Alliance, he is too late and Reina and Shinji are killed. On his dying breath Shinji tells Kiryu that he hid Kazama is with his girlfriend.

Yakuza Kiwami Update #9

Kiryu saves Haruka from the Snake Flower Triad. Lau Ka Long, the leader of the triad, was apparently working with Shimano and Terada (Chief of Headquarters for the Omi Alliance). A new underground group called the MIA may be pulling strings behind the scene. Haruka is supposedly worth more than the missing 10 billion yen according to Lau Ka Long. And Mizuki, Yumi's sister and Haruka's mother, is apparently still alive. And we can confirm Nishkiyama has a inferiority complex xD. Lastly, it appears our dear friend Reina from Serena, has been leaking information to Nishkiyama... time to investigate