If you want better soundtrack quality
Choose Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It scores 4.9 vs 4.1 for soundtrack quality, with a 4.3 overall score.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for a gripping crime story, dense side content, memorable characters, and spectacular brawling. Skip it if you need 60fps on Switch 2 or strongly prefer the older multi-style combat system.
Best for
Best for players who want a story-driven brawler with dense city exploration, absurd side activities, and a large amount of optional content, especially those already invested in Yakuza 0 and Kiwami.
Not for
Less suited to players who demand 60fps on Switch 2, strongly prefer the older multi-style combat system, or dislike lengthy cutscenes, mature humor, and heavily serialized storytelling.
Verdict
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is widely regarded as one of the stronger entries in the series, led by a gripping crime story, memorable rivals, rich city detail, and an enormous range of substories and minigames. The Dragon Engine gives combat a seamless, destructive feel and makes Kamurocho and Sotenbori look striking, while the Japanese voice performances and soundtrack add weight to the drama. The tradeoffs are real: the single fighting style can feel shallow or repetitive compared with earlier games, the Majima Saga is frequently described as too brief, and Switch 2 coverage repeatedly flags a 30fps target or frame-pacing issues. Even so, the breadth of content and storytelling quality make the package easy to recommend.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
69 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.039 (57%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.412 (17%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.411 (16%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.47 (10%)
Pros highlights
-
The crime story is the product’s biggest consensus strength, with frequent praise for its tension, twists, characters, and emotional payoff. A minority found it messy, melodramatic, or less engaging than other Yakuza entries.
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Combat is widely enjoyed for brutal Heat Actions, environmental weapons, and seamless brawls, but the single fighting style divides opinion. Fans of the older multi-style system may find it shallower or more repetitive.
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The game is packed with substories, arcade games, karaoke, cabaret management, Clan Creator, gambling, sports, and other distractions. Cabaret Club is a frequent favorite, while some individual modes land less consistently.
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The Dragon Engine makeover earns near-universal praise for detailed character models, lighting, city streets, and cinematic presentation. Even reviewers with performance complaints generally consider the visual upgrade a major success.
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Most reviewers found Kiwami 2 enormously entertaining, often because it can pivot from intense crime drama to ridiculous side activities without losing its identity. Even several critics still described the overall experience as fun.
-
The remake is widely viewed as an ambitious modernization with major visual, combat, and content upgrades. A minority of long-time fans prefer the original’s coherence or dislike removed and altered material.
Cons highlights
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A recap helps newcomers follow the immediate plot, but many reviewers strongly recommend playing Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami first. Prior context adds weight to relationships and returning characters.
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Difficulty is one of the less consistent areas: weapons can trivialize some bosses, while other fights, Clan Creator missions, or minigames can spike sharply. Several reviewers preferred the easier combat to earlier frustration, but balance is uneven.
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Majima’s bonus campaign is the clearest point of disagreement. Its character moments can be emotional and entertaining, but several reviewers call the playable portion brief, stripped-down, or underwhelming.
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Performance depends heavily on platform. Older console and Switch 2 coverage often cites a 30fps target and occasional drops, while some reviewers reported stable or smoother experiences on other hardware.
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The camera can become a real nuisance in fights, with reviewers citing close framing or trouble keeping up with fast action. These problems can make attacks and prompts harder to read.
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Some reviewers were comfortable with the series’ outrageous adult humor, while others objected to sexualized or sleazy side content. Shoppers sensitive to that material should expect a deliberately mature tone.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in bug frequency, economy and resource balance, monetization fairness, near average in combat system, progression system, below average in accessibility options, family friendliness, innovation.
Comparison summary
68 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher43 (63%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts8 (12%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower17 (25%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| bug frequency | 5.0 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| economy and resource balance | 5.0 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| monetization fairness | 5.0 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| accessibility options | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| side character depth | 4.9 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| microtransaction impact | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| romance quality | 4.8 | 3.2 | +1.5 |
| family friendliness | 2.0 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better frame rate stability
Choose Ghost of Yōtei. It scores 5.0 vs 3.0 for frame rate stability, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better quest design
Choose Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It scores 4.8 vs 4.4 for quest design, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better performance optimization
Choose Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. It scores 4.8 vs 3.9 for performance optimization, with a 4.1 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Yakuza 6
- Better: value for money At equal price, the reviewer would choose Yakuza 6 instead.
- Worse: animation quality The remake's animations are described as surpassing Yakuza 6.
- Worse: combat system Punching and kicking feel faster and snappier than in Yakuza 6.
Yakuza Kiwami
- Worse: graphics quality The visuals are flashier than the prior Kiwami release.
Yakuza Kiwami 1
- Better: frame rate stability The Switch 2 version runs less smoothly than Kiwami 1.
FAQ
Is the story one of Yakuza Kiwami 2’s strengths?
Yes. The central crime drama is widely praised for its tension, character relationships, twists, and emotional payoff, though a minority find parts messy or melodramatic.
Do I need to play earlier Yakuza games first?
A recap explains the immediate background, but many assessments recommend Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami first because their relationships and events add considerable weight here.
How does the combat feel?
It is fast, brutal, and satisfying, with weapons, environmental attacks, and flashy Heat Actions. The main tradeoff is a single fighting style that some players find less varied than earlier games.
How is the Switch 2 performance?
Most Switch 2 coverage in the supplied set describes a 30fps target with occasional dips or frame-pacing issues, although one source reported much smoother performance. Portability remains a major positive.
Is the Majima Saga worth playing?
Its character moments can be emotional and entertaining, but several sources describe the playable campaign as brief, stripped-down, or underwhelming compared with the main game.
Is there much to do beyond the main story?
Yes. Substories, Cabaret Club, Clan Creator, karaoke, arcade games, gambling, sports, and other activities can add dozens of hours beyond a focused story playthrough.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - SwitchCorner
- Review score
- 4.6
YouTube - Nintendo World Report TV
- Review score
- 3.1
YouTube - Three Minute Gaming
- Review score
- 4.9
Article Reviews
foggyproductions.com
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Game Review, all about the game and what to expect in Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Review score
- 4.1
heypoorplayer.com
We've just reviewed Yakuza Kiwami 2 on PC. Click the link to read what we thought about it and what score we gave it.
- Review score
- 4.5
nintendoworldreport.com
Summary Pros Fun side activities and interesting progression system Performance on par with PlayStation 4 release Cons Not the best entry...
- Review score
- 3.7
techradar.com
Yakuza Kiwami 2 plays pretty well on Nintendo Switch 2, and being able to take Kiryu’s adventure on the go is a big bonus.
- Review score
- 4.3
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