Yakuza Kiwami is an important game for many reasons. As a remake of the franchise’s very first entry, this game truly marks the beginning of Kamurocho, and it’s where the tale of Kazuma Kiryu began. Over the past five years, the series has gradually transitioned to modern platforms. SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio brought Yakuza Kiwami just last year to Nintendo Switch, offering a major entry to Nintendo fans for the first time since Yakuza and Yakuza 2 dropped on Wii U.
Fast forward to 2025, and SEGA has released the game once again—this time for Nintendo Switch 2. For this review, I’ll mainly be focusing on what the Nintendo Switch 2 version brings to the table. If you’re interested in a deeper dive on Yakuza Kiwami as a whole, our Nintendo Switch review from last year is available.
Infinite Improvement on Switch 2
The original and first story in the Yakuza franchise follows Kazuma Kiryu after taking the fall for a crime he did not commit, entering back into the world after 10 years to find a crisis within his clan: 10 billion yen has vanished from thin air, and the tensions between those inside the organization could not be higher. The story can be gripping quickly, although some pacing issues can surface; it is an important and enjoyable narrative that most fans will appreciate.
While the gameplay is fun and memorable, as you expect with any Yakuza game, there are a few drawbacks considering this is a faithful recreation of the first entry. Some things can feel pretty basic, especially if you’re coming from newer entries. Bosses, in particular, can get rather annoying with massive amounts of health. Still, there’s no denying the fun that’s to be had with wandering around the streets of Tokyo and beating up thugs, or brawling it out with a yakuza boss.
The Nintendo Switch version, while solid, dealt with numerous performance issues that revolved around dips in frame rate. This was especially noticeable since the game targeted 30FPS. With the Switch 2 release, this issue has been rectified, as RGG Studio provided a locked 60 frames per second experience that did not dip even once in my testing. Yakuza Kiwami was more than playable at 30FPS, but the doubled frame rate makes the experience so much better, especially in handheld mode. Running around Kamurocho feels as smooth as can be, and even the craziest fights against thugs or yakuza are superb.
Additionally, I can’t praise the resolution increase enough. Kiwami looked somewhat blurry, though good enough, on Switch, but it’s hard to distinguish the Switch 2 version from other platforms now. Character models are very sharp, environments are rich with detail, and the overall softer look of the Switch port is gone. You’re getting the same experience you would on console or PC, but with the added perks of choosing to play in docked or handheld mode.
Truly, it’s so great to see RGG Studio and SEGA commit so heavily to putting the Yakuza series on Switch 2 so quickly. Counting the upcoming Yakuza Kiwami 3, we’re set to have four games from the series released for Switch 2 in just nine months. I’m excited to see Yakuza Remastered Collection (specifically Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5) arrive on the system, hopefully next year, along with the rest of the franchise.
Yakuza Kiwami is a blast to play on Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to the vastly improved performance. There is a significant amount of content to discover and experience, and the story will grip most players within its opening hours. The reuse of many of Yakuza 0‘s assets and systems works well not to overwhelm newcomers, while still providing enough to keep them engaged. Wandering through the streets of Tokyo is something that will never get old.
If you’ve never had a chance to check out the Yakuza series, the Nintendo Switch 2 has opened the door to one of the best ways to experience it. The first three entries are all excellent on the console, and you can immediately be prepared for Kiwami 3. Playing handheld is a blast, and the ability to quickly throw the Kamurocho brawls on the big screen is hard to beat. Even as a longtime fan, I’ve found a reason to go back and replay these fantastic games thanks to these rereleases. Keep them coming, SEGA.
Disclaimer: SEGA provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Yakuza Kiwami for review purposes.
