Current Events > Antifar's official thoughts on Yakuza Kiwami

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've played about an hour and a half, into chapter 2. This is my third Yakuza game, after 0 and Like a Dragon. I'm gonna try to beat Kiwami and Kiwami 2 before Judgment comes out on Xbox in late April

• I know this is a remake of the original PS2 game, but I'm curious what all was remade? Like is the dialogue all the same? It feels like there's a lot about the plot and also mechanics I wouldn't quite get if I hadn't played 0 previously. Then again, there were still instruction manuals when the original game was made.

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@CyricZ could explain it better than I could

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Uh. A lot. It's easier to list what isn't changed, lol.

Antifar posted...

Like is the dialogue all the same?

The story-based dialogue (cutscenes and in-engine) is all the same. In fact the "movie" cutscenes themselves are shot equivalently to the original game.

There are some added story elements. For one, remember how in the first chapter how you had to find a ring for Yumi? That's not in the original. You get the Peace Finance scene, talk to Majima, go to Serena, then the Kazama office, then go to the Dojima office for the scene there.

Also the Majima dialogue in the original is much shorter. When he basically says "come on boys let's go", that's the end of the scene in the original, but in Kiwami, Kiryu calls him back and they chat a little more and it's basically meant as the prelude to later gameplay elements.

It feels like there's a lot about the plot and also mechanics I wouldn't quite get if I hadn't played 0 previously.

Mechanics especially. It's rough of them to front load you in Chapter 1 with all four styles.

Then again, there were still instruction manuals when the original game was made.

Hm. *opens case* Yep. There's a manual here. Man I miss those.


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Finished chapter 3 today. That's the good bullshit I remember. Did not appreciate that Shimano could heal himself, but I think I learned to be patient in fighting him in a way that I never was in 0.

I'm struck by the parallels in terms of story between this and Like a Dragon

• Both protagonists take the prison sentence for a murder they didn't commit and then discover a seeming betrayal by an old ally who now has much more influence than before.

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Shimano is "the wall". I know people who gave up after the Shimano fight because of how unfun it is. You don't even really have the opportunity to improve your abilities before you have to fight him. He just tanks damage so easily and then you watch him heal and ugh.

Also the healing thing. To counter that, unlock all the "Essence of Kiwami" skills. They're on the lower section of the Soul Abilities.

(I know this offhand because I too am playing. I'm in Chapter 4 now.)

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Structurally it's like the Kuze fight early in Yakuza 0, the first time you realize "oh, this game means business"

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Yeah but Kuze is meant to prove you've learned the styles up to this point, and if you're good enough, you can drop Kuze with a couple minutes. I fought Shimano today, knowing all I know about the game, and it still took me like five minutes. It's just beating on him over and over again.

Also Shimano's moveset is the same as Mr. Shakedown's. (it wasn't in the original Yakuza)

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Real classic Yakuza shit in the half-hour I played

The absurdity of Officer Majima
Walking into the bar and discovering a massacre
Just a real pain in the ass fetch quest. Vitamin water counts as water, dammit

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Does every enemy just have more health than in 0? Damn.

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Kiryu: *Goes home*
Kiryu: *opens fridge door*
*Majima is hiding in the fridge*
Majima: "Kiryu-chan!"
Kiryu: *closes fridge door*

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Antifar posted...

Vitamin water counts as water, dammit

RIGHT?!?! FUCKIN DOG NEEDING FIJI ASS

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I finished Y0 a bit ago and started Kiwami. And honestly, there is more chemistry between Kiryu/Nishiki/Mama and interiority of Kiryu's personality and humanity in the first ten minutes than there is in the entirety of Yakuza 0. Kiryu and Nishiki's relationship didn't feel lived out at all in 0. Closest they got was baseball and buying the suit. Kiryu was always pushing Nishiki away and I get why but it clearly hurt Nishiki so bad. Nishiki barely smiles one time in that game.

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I've only played 0, and I hear the rest are inferior (apart from maybe LaD)

Would you say Kiwami is worth playing compared to 0? I really liked 0 fwiw
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teep_ posted...

I've only played 0, and I hear the rest are inferior (apart from maybe LaD)

Would you say Kiwami is worth playing compared to 0? I really liked 0 fwiw

I'm having a good time with the story and silly side stuff, but some of the main quest activities are a little tedious because this is just a fleshed out PS2 game.

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I played the jank original, then 2, then 0, all recently.
Man is 0 a step way up from those, despite the nostalgic classic feeling of them.

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You mean the original PS2 games, or Kiwami and Kiwami 2?

Also I want to add that Like a Dragon was great, but there were parts of the game especially in the final third that I think would've hit harder if I'd played through all the Kiryu games first.

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If I remember correctly, the whole Majima Everywhere thing wasn't in the original.

Doe posted...

I finished Y0 a bit ago and started Kiwami. And honestly, there is more chemistry between Kiryu/Nishiki/Mama and interiority of Kiryu's personality and humanity in the first ten minutes than there is in the entirety of Yakuza 0. Kiryu and Nishiki's relationship didn't feel lived out at all in 0. Closest they got was baseball and buying the suit. Kiryu was always pushing Nishiki away and I get why but it clearly hurt Nishiki so bad. Nishiki barely smiles one time in that game.

Agreed. I felt like Kiryu's personality took a backseat in Y0 cause they were so focused on Majima.

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Antifar posted...

Vitamin water counts as water, dammit

Kids, don't feed your dog Vitamin Water.

Antifar posted...

Does every enemy just have more health than in 0? Damn.

More directly Kiryu's damage output is much reduced. You can get flat attack boosts in the Body tree that will bridge that gap.

Doe posted...

Kiryu and Nishiki's relationship didn't feel lived out at all in 0. Closest they got was baseball and buying the suit. Kiryu was always pushing Nishiki away and I get why but it clearly hurt Nishiki so bad. Nishiki barely smiles one time in that game.

I think one of the points of 0 was to give us indication that Kiryu and Nishiki are kyoudai. Honestly it's a bit of a failing of 1 that we get the one scene in Chapter 1 with Nishiki and Yumi in Serena, and the story takes over quickly after that and we're thrown into the future.

Kiryu and Nishiki in 0 were about bros who were tested but remain bros.

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Antifar posted...

You mean the original PS2 games, or Kiwami and Kiwami 2?

Also I want to add that Like a Dragon was great, but there were parts of the game especially in the final third that I think would've hit harder if I'd played through all the Kiryu games first.

I mean the original.

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Kiwami 1 is basically the epilogue of 0, so I recommend playing it for the closure of some plot points. Plus seeing modern day Kamurochou hits harder after knowing the town in the past.

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ArchangelBaruch posted...

Kiwami 1 is basically the epilogue of 0

lol that strikes me as such a weird way to look at it when it's still a remake of the first game.

Although in some ways I can see how you could think that, but I won't go into them given they include spoilers.

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