Yakuza Kiwami (PS5) Review – The Best Way to Start the Series

Yakuza Kiwami (PS5) Review

Yakuza/ Like a Dragon is one of my favorite video game series of all time. The original two Yakuza games were released for the PS2, and the series remained fairly niche until the sixth mainline game, Yakuza 0, came out on the PS4. After the success of Yakuza 0, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio remade the first two games in the series as Yakuza Kiwami 1 + 2. In 2025, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut was released as a Switch 2 exclusive. Yakuza Kiwami 3 was also announced for early 2026. To capitalize on the success these latest releases, Sega has remastered Yakuza Kiwami 1 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. If you own the previous version of the game, it can be upgraded for a small fee.

If you already own the original version of Yakuza Kiwami, there’s no new content for this current gen release. There are minor performance upgrades because of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware being stronger than the PS4. This review will give an overview for what newcomers can expect from the Yakuza games. I will discuss differences between Kiwami and original game. And I will recommend where series newcomers should start, if they want to get into this daunting franchise.

The Dragon of Dojima

The first seven mainline Yakuza games are the story of Kazuma Kiryu, a legendary Japanese gangster. The first game is about Kiryu taking the blame for the murder of his patriarch, which was actually committed by his best friend Nishiki. Kiryu gets out of prison after ten years, and learns that Nishiki has greatly risen through the ranks of the Tojo Clan. He also discovers that Yumi, the woman he was in love with, has gone missing. The main story involves Kiryu looking for Yumi, trying to figure out what happened to 10 billion yen missing from the Tojo Clan, and taking care of a young girl named Haruka that everyone seems to be after.

The Yakuza games all have incredibly cinematic narratives. There are lots of cutscenes every story chapter, and they are incredibly well-directed. I would seriously put them alongside any great film or series. One of the main draws of these games is getting to experience such well-told stories.

Shot-For-Shot Recreation

The cutscenes in Yakuza Kiwami are shot-for-shot exactly the same as the original PS2 game. Some of the characters have changed in appearance, but all the framing, camera work, and mise-en-scene are identical.

Although there are loads of cutscenes to watch in every chapter of each game, the core gameplay is an open world third person action game. The majority of each of these games takes place in a fictional Japanese red-light district called Kamurochō, which is modelled (in great detail) after Kabukichō, a real-life red-light district of Shinjuku. The sandbox is so accurate and vibrant that the series has become known as a virtual Japanese vacation sim. It’s become a popular tourist activity to visit the real-life counterparts of areas in the Yakuza games.

Brawling in the Streets

As Kiryu roams the streets he gets into fights. A lot of Yakuza Kiwami’s gameplay involves third person battles. Kiryu has multiple attack buttons, and unlocks more abilities as the games progress. Battles often involve grabbing environmental weapons, and performing cinematic QuickTime attacks. As the series goes on, the games develop more RPG elements. Kiwami 1 is built on the Yakuza 0 engine, and they’re lighter on RPG progression.

A huge part of Yakuza Kiwami 1 + 2/ Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut’s appeal is the incredible amount of stuff to do in the sandbox. Kiryu can walk into lots of buildings. Every street corner involves a potential new sidequest or minigame to play. There are multiple casinos, and gambling parlors, with lots of different games. Arcades have full versions of classic Sega games. The side quests get weird and can involve strange scenarios, like rooms of grown men in diapers asking for assistance. They’re a wacky contrast to the very serious crime drama that takes place in the main narrative.

Side Quests for Days

Yakuza Kiwami adds a lot of content to the original game, that gives it a lot more of these side quests. There’s an entire questline involving Majima unexpectedly attacking Kiryu in multiple costumes. Each Majima encounter unlocks new moves in one of Kiryu’s fighting styles. These Majima encounters show the type of character Majima becomes, but they don’t make much sense compared to Majima in the first game. He’s a cold-blooded killer, and a full villain. But these sidequests only show him as the loveable chaos weirdo from later games. It’s also worth noting that the original English dub of Kiwami 1 is gone, and hasn’t been replaced.

The Kiryu saga consists of the games Yakuza, Yakuza 2, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 0, and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, in that order. Yakuza Kiwami released after Yakuza 0, and Kiwami 2 released after Yakuza 6. The 7^th and 8^th games in the series are Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but they follow a different protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga.

Series Timeline

There are a few spin-offs as well. Yakuza: Dead Souls is a “what if” zombie shooter that came out after Yakuza 4. Like a Dragon: Kenzan, and Like a Dragon: Ishin take place in feudal Japan (Kenzan hasn’t ever been released in North America though). Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is unrelated to the Yakuza games, but is made by the same dev, and has similar gameplay. Judgement and Lost Judgement are Kamurochō detective stories with a different protagonist, but they’re among the very best games in the franchise. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a side story that takes place between Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Finally, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a Majima side story that takes place after Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

A lot of people recommend starting with Yakuza 0, but I disagree. It’s a valid way to start the Yakuza series, but it’s not the best way. I think a lot of people started with 0, and think that their path was the best one. The best way to start is with Yakuza for the PS2, and go in chronological release order. I know a lot of people won’t go back and play the PS2 versions, so I usually recommend people start with Kiwami 1, and go in chronological release order. Playing 0 before Kiwami 1 gives away a lot of the events in the first game, and knowledge of Kiwami 1 makes 0 more rich. Even if you really want to get to 0 because of its reputation, I would at least play Kiwami 1, then 0, then do the rest in order.

Franchise Evolution

One of the cool aspects of playing all the Yakuza games is seeing how they evolve. It’s fascinating to see how the mechanics of the original versions of each game build as each new entry comes out. Starting with 0 means that the first five games will mechanically feel like backwards steps, but their stories are essential. Yakuza 0 isn’t even objectively superior. Yakuza 4 and 5 have way crazier amounts of side quests, Yakuza 1 and 2 have my favorite plots, and Yakuza 6 has the integration of RPG elements, and is my favorite game overall. Other excellent/ valid franchise starting points are Judgement, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

The Yakuza/ Like a Dragon series has become one of the most beloved video game franchises on the planet. They’re a combination of cinematic crime drama, fun third person brawl combat, deep open world exploration, and insanely wacky sidequests and minigames. Yakuza Kiwami is the best version of the first game in the series. There are some changes that aren’t for the better, but overall this is an excellent version of an all-time great video game. If you’ve never played any of the Yakuza games, this new remaster is arguably the best place to start.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher***