Review: Yakuza Kiwami Is so Much Fun on the Switch

Yakuza is an iconic series. It’s gone from being lauded as one of Sega’s finest niche releases to one that inspires spin-offs, an Amazon show, and more mainstream acclaim. But it’s never found a place for itself on a Nintendo system. Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the first Like a Dragon game, changes that, as Sega and Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio finally brought the game to the Nintendo Switch. It was worth waiting for, to be sure, as it is an admirably done port of a wonderful game.

Given the nature of the Like a Dragon series, Yakuza Kiwami is very narrative-heavy in its first few chapters. This means that, due to all the cinematics and isolated area, it makes a good first impression. Kazuma Kiryu and his sworn brother Akira Nishikiyama are meeting at their favorite bar, Serena, to celebrate a friend named Yumi’s birthday. Kiryu is the Dojima Family’s feared Dragon of Dojima and on the verge of getting his  family. However, after Sohei Dojima assaults Yumi and Nishiki kills him for it, Kiryu takes the fall, is sent to prison, is expelled from the clan, and returns to Kamurocho 10 years later. Yumi is missing, as is 10 billion yen from the Tojo Clan, the third chairman Masaru Sera is dead, Nishiki is nothing like Kiryu remembers, and everyone seems to be after a little girl named Haruka. And so, Kiryu is immediately thrust into the politics of the underworld and protecting the child. 

However, as this is a Like a Dragon game, Yakuza Kiwami isn’t limited to that. Over the 13 chapters, you discover the exact truth behind what’s happening in the Tojo clan, as well as what went on with Yumi and Nishiki. There is more to the story, thanks to elements that focus on what Nishiki went through. Goro Majima pops up more often for challenges and comic relief, thanks to the Majima Everywhere system that is also tied to the new Dragon Style that joins the existing Beast, Brawler, and Rush ones. Not to mention, there are more Substories than before and you can take part in the MesuKing minigame. So you’re getting a full, thrilling adventure in a pretty large city with a lot of optional extra activities and sidequests. 

My biggest concern heading into Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch involved combat. The system has always been so fluid, fast, and furious on other platforms. I was fairly certain smaller, more intimate fights would be fine. A one-on-one or maybe even three-on-one situation? Sure. fortunately, in the first few chapters of this installment Kiryu does find himself against hordes of enemies or bigger fights. These worked and felt fine on the Switch. The framerate seemed fairly consistent. To be frank, many fights that don’t involve a “boss” character go rather swiftly, so things would often wrap up before I had a chance to mentally note if the framerate seemed to dip.

The only real sacrifices I noticed to get the game running on the system involved visuals. Naturally, it doesn’t look as striking as it did when I played it on the PS4. Some textures while exploring Kamurocho didn’t look as sharp. I noticed occasional pop-ins at some spots for environmental objects around town. (For example, one of the first instances involved the trash at the end of the street when looking for the Suspicious Man hiding behind a sign.) I think I’d be tempted to say the Switch release of Yakuza Kiwami probably resembles the PS3 version of the Like a Dragon game more than the PS4 one, but at the end of the day it is fine.

Especially since in other areas, everything about Yakuza Kiwami is pretty great. The loading times are minimal, given the size and nature of the game. I expected it to take longer when going between areas and altercations, but nope! You’re all set in seconds. It’s easy to play and enjoy. The story is still fantastic. The Substories are still fun. I still love Pocket Circuit.

The Switch version of Yakuza Kiwami might not be the absolutely ideal way to play the first game in the Like a Dragon series, but it runs quite well on the system and remains an absolute delight. The port is quite capable and runs better than I expected to. It would probably look better on another console or PC, but the joy that comes from actually playing an entry on a Nintendo system and see it go so well more than makes up for that. 

Yakuza Kiwami is available on the PS3 in Japan and on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC worldwide.