Yakuza Kiwami & Yakuza Kiwami 2 on Nintendo Switch 2

About five months ago, I revisited one of my favourite titles in the Yakuza franchise, back when it was still known as such outside the borders of Japan. The project was not minor, far from it, because it is the revitalised Yakuza 0 Director's Cut. This improved version (well, except for the localisation of certain languages, such as Spanish) included not only better graphics and animations than the original 2017 game, but also added new cinematic scenes and a new gameplay mode to the total, which gave this "definitive" version of Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima's origin story a bit of a boost. A first step for all those who are going to start Yakuza/Like a Dragon in 2025, and who are going to get their fill of Yakuza. In a triplicate.

Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, however, have not been as thorough revisions as the Director's Cut of Yakuza 0. Of course, the graphics are the main attraction of this version, as well as the superior performance of the 1:1 port that RGG Studio released at the end of 2024 for Switch 1.

Yakuza Kiwami 2, on the other hand, benefited from having already been built from its original version on the Dragon Engine, which has evolved from 2016 to today, resulting in excellent character modelling and facial expressions. Even Ryuji's scars look different. It's been years since I've played Yakuza Kiwami 2, but needless to say, this version is even better.

Maybe I'm off to a fast start, and maybe this review is reaching someone who's never tried an action Yakuza before and only knows the most recent installments starring Ichiban Kasuga, or maybe they're expecting to see something as extensive and complete as the Yakuza 0 Director's Cut that debuted on Nintendo Switch 2. In either case, allow me to introduce you (again) to Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima.

Yakuza Kiwami takes us between 1995 and 2005, in a time of real economic boom for Japan, in the midst of a real estate boom in which the yakuza, Japanese organised crime, is deeply involved. Kiryu is no longer a newcomer to this criminal underworld, and is about to emancipate himself from the Dojima family, one of the affiliates of the powerful Toho Clan, one of the two major Yakuza organisations in the country, always rivalling the Omi Alliance. And just as he was about to begin this new chapter in his life, a totally unpredictable situation led him to plead guilty to the murder of his oyabun and spend ten years in prison, expelled from the family and losing contact with his loved ones. In this context, he ends up in charge of Haruka, a girl who seems to be the key to obtaining a property valued at ten billion yen, a vacant lot for which all the yakuza in Tokyo are bidding.

Kiryu will embark on a plot of mystery and violence, protecting Haruka and unravelling the threads that have been weaving this story since before he was expelled from the family. Without going into detail, Yakuza Kiwami improved on the premise of the 2005 original and gave it some visual and quality of life improvements, such as menu-based saving, as well as the acclaimed "Majima Everywhere" mode, which had you randomly facing off against Shimano's Mad Dog as you explored the streets of Kamurocho. Mini-games, characters, and situations both emotional and dramatic, as well as surreal and comical. Yakuza Kiwami exudes personality, even ten years after its original release.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a direct sequel to the events of Yakuza Kiwami, and takes place in 2006. Kiryu begins outside of the yakuza, seeking to be a father figure and protector to Haruka, until the shadow of a war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance leads him to agree, out of honour, to seek peace between the two organisations. In this difficult situation she encounters one of her most important adversaries within the franchise: Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai. Ryuji wants to forge his legend with fire and blood, and this will provoke a confrontation between the Dragons of the East and the West. Needless to say, Yakuza Kiwami 2, even without the range of combat styles of its predecessor, offers a more polished action experience, as well as upping the level of the narrative. And of course, with all the extras, secondary content and new locations to visit inch by inch.

So, is it worth getting the Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 bundle? I'll give you two important reasons why I think you should. The most important one is that RGG seems to have learned from their mistake with Yakuza 0 Director's Cut and the new language localisations (French, German, Italian, Spanish) are now well done. I didn't find aberrations in either game like I saw in the prequel. If you're thinking of playing them for the first time and the language barrier was an issue, now you have no excuse (remember that both will also arrive on December 8th alongside Yakuza 0 Director's Cut on PS5, PC and Xbox Series). The second is that even if you've already played them previously, the Yakuza Kiwami & Yakuza Kiwami 2 bundle comes with an adjusted price and even in the next two weeks will have an even more attractive additional discount.

My only quibble would be, perhaps more harshly, that these versions don't offer any new cutscenes or content for the returning player. They are the nexus that will connect the past to the present of the franchise and the future Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, but if you've played them in the past (even in the near past on Nintendo Switch, in the case of Kiwami 1), I don't see too much urgency in returning to this Kamurocho. For anyone who doesn't mind reliving two classics, you're in for the best possible version of them.