Yakuza Kiwami Switch 2 Review

Yakuza Kiwami Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Yakuza Kiwami punched its way onto the Nintendo Switch a year ago to positive reviews, introducing a new platform of gamers to the over-the-top action series. Despite comments from Yakuza game designer Toshihiro Nagoshi insisting the Switch was a children’s console, we now have three Yakuza games on the Switch 2, with another on the way in February. Now, Kiwami 1 has received a Switch 2 update to coincide with the release of Yakuza Kiwami 2. What’s it like? Put on your best suit, crack those knuckles, and prepare to karaoke… I mean, fight as we review Yakuza Kiwami on Nintendo Switch 2.

This review is an updated version of my original Yakuza Kiwami review from over a year ago. If you’re primarily interested in how the game performs on Nintendo Switch 2, we also have a dedicated performance video that covers all the changes.

Yakuza Kiwami takes us back to where it all began for the franchise as a remake of the original PS2 game, following Kazuma Kiryu, a Yakuza who is about to start his own family under his boss. I won’t go into too many details, because if you’re like me and are new to the series, the well-written narrative and gripping story progression will surprise you. The remake expands on the original in many ways, exploring the internal strife between the clans while also adjusting the story to align with Yakuza Zero, the prequel released long after the original and is also available on the Switch 2. If you want to dive into the series, I recommend starting there. The narrative starts as a slow burn and gradually escalates with each chapter, raising the stakes and carefully revealing its hand at the most impactful moments. It is violent and often brutal, yet also humorous and endearing, striking just the right balance to nail the tone in all the key places.

Yakuza Kiwami plays like an RPG beat ’em up, with visceral and brutal hand-to-hand combat that never wears thin. It’s both raw and stylish, allowing Kiryu to flick between fighting styles depending on how you want to play. There are speed and technique options for smart combos and rapid-fire hits, or brawler combos where you viciously swing haymakers and clotheslines to control the crowd. For those undecided, there’s also a middle ground. Combos build up your heat meter, letting you execute massive, punishing moves like a tombstone or smashing an enemy’s face into the ground. These moves never fail to entertain, and combat continues to evolve as you spend points on new moves and abilities through the tech tree. The combat is refined into an art form and offers a lot of depth for players looking to master it.

When you feel like taking a break, the fictional streets of Kamorocho have plenty to do, even though the world is smaller than in more modern titles. You can attend gentlemen’s clubs, visit restaurants that offer buffs and stat boosts, play at the Sega Arcade, try mahjong, or partake in Kiryu’s favourite pastime of Pocket Circuit, collecting parts for your slot racer to dominate the local racing scene. While many may dismiss these side activities in favour of pushing through the main story, they provide a glimpse into Kiryu’s emotions and backstory. Seeing him light up when discovering that his local Pocket Circuit is still running creates a surprisingly emotional and nostalgic moment, exploring the less brutal side of Kiryu. The game demonstrates that the world has moved on from Kiryu, yet finding something safe and familiar in such a dangerous world gives him an anchor. Another great example is frequent encounters with Goro Majima, a Yakuza who challenges you to fights in order to push you back to your glory days. Initially, these encounters made me dislike the character, but as our often humorous interactions continued, I began to enjoy running into Majima and even sought him out to fight and level up my skills.

My only complaint with Yakuza Kiwami would be that it’s a product of its time and sometimes has a stilted mission structure when it comes to side missions and world events. One particular mission is right at the start of the game, which is an arbitrary fetch quest to purchase a ring that gets stolen. So begins a 20-minute quest to find the ring, go to buy the ring, get more money for the ring, twice over, then, when all is said and done, you get the ring for free, making the entire mission pointless. It was needlessly frustrating, and I did come across a few quests like this that managed to test my patience when all I wanted to do was jump back into the intriguing story. Thankfully, these side missions did little to dampen my enthusiasm to uncover the rest of the events unfolding in the world of Yakuza, and some can even be skipped, although I recommend you stick with them.

The world of Yakuza Kiwami is a prime example of stellar game design, packing just a few blocks with so much to do that exploring Kamorocho feels truly immersive. Pedestrians go about their business, bikes and deliveries clutter the side streets, and stores you can enter are detailed and interactive. Characters look great, each with unique mannerisms, style, and even dialect differences, most notably between the Tokyo-based Kiryu and Osaka-originating Goro Majima. On Switch 2, the improvements are noticeable. Textures are sharper, lighting is cleaner, and the environment feels more alive, particularly in both handheld and docked modes. Crowds and street details remain busy and vibrant without causing the framerate issues seen in the original Switch release, making exploration smoother than before. Kamurocho remains impressively detailed, one of the best-looking game worlds on Nintendo Switch, and the upgrades make it feel closer than ever to the console versions.

Yakuza Kiwami on Switch 2 sees a noticeable improvement in overall performance compared with the original release. The game now runs at a more stable framerate locked to 60 frames per second, even in the busiest streets of Kamorocho, making combat feel smoother and more responsive. Heat moves and fast-paced brawler combos land with less input delay, giving the action a satisfying weight that matches the intensity of the story. Load times have been reduced across the board, from entering buildings to fast travel, allowing for a much more seamless experience. Transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are quicker, helping the narrative flow without unnecessary pauses. For players who may have struggled with minor dips or slower load times on the original Switch, the Switch 2 version offers a noticeably smoother and more polished experience. Overall, these upgrades make revisiting Kamurocho feel both familiar and refreshed, proving that the game benefits from the improved hardware without changing the core experience that made it memorable.

For Yakuza initiates looking into accessibility options, unfortunately, there are no dedicated settings. The game is spoken in Japanese and is subtitled, which may be harder to read in handheld mode. As always, I recommend further research into finding out if Yakuza Kiwami suits your needs. Outside of accessibility, I did find that there were subtle quality-of-life additions to help make the game more immersive, like a dedicated follow button and slow walk, allowing for a more immersive experience when skulking the streets. Yakuza Kiwami on Switch originally had a great price point of $30 AUD.

The Switch 2 version incorporates an upgrade price of $17, bringing the total to $47 AUD. This remains a reasonable price for the amount of polish, performance improvements, and gameplay included. However, the upgrade only applies to owners of the digital version and does not extend to those who purchased a limited-run physical copy, which is worth noting for collectors.

Overall, Yakuza Kiwami on Switch 2 takes an already great game and makes it better. I’m thrilled that Nintendo gamers can now experience Yakuza 0 through to Kiwami 2, with Kiwami 3 arriving in February. Here’s hoping the Yakuza series continues to see a steady stream of releases on Nintendo platforms until the saga is complete. For returning players, the performance improvements make revisiting Kamurocho well worth it, and for newcomers, there has never been a better time to jump into the series.

So What’s It Like? Yakuza Kiwami is like Fighting Force with a dash of Final Fantasy.

Yakuza Kiwami is a What’s it Like Certified Exceptional game.

Enjoyed our Yakuza Kiwami Switch 2 Review?

✨ Support What’s It Like? Want to help keep this independent Nintendo outlet running? Here are a few ways you can support:
🌐 More Nintendo reviews and guides: https://www.whatsitlike.com.au/
☕ Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whatsitlike
🎥 Join the Patreon for behind-the-scenes content: https://patreon.com/u102681944