4.5/5 ★ – Itsgrimsby's review of Yakuza Kiwami.

Last year I played Like a Dragon and got introduced to this franchise for the first time. I was captivated by Ichiban and his story, and I felt it was an incredibly high bar set for the franchise. Now that I’ve played Kiwami, I’m surprised to say that I liked it even more! Kiryu is different to Ichiban but an equally very likeable protagonist. I also came to like the story of Like a Dragon more when I realised that Ichiban’s story mirrors Kiryu’s. The gameplay in this game is faster, and much more satisfying in the moment to moment. Fighting in brawler style means the game feels like an action movie, there were a few sequences of charging through hallway after hallway beating up swarms of goons that I found to be the point where I realised how much fun I was having with this game. It’s also very well paced. There’s no grinding, or sequences that felt like needless filler. Everything moved the story along and all felt easily achievable. Yakuza Kiwami has given me a new favourite game in this series, but I do very much look forward to playing more!