10 Video Game "Remakes" That Changed EVERYTHING

Taking the series back to the 1980s, Yakuza 0 managed to be a sturdy prequel that kept the series high points all trucking along nicely. Best of all, it broke into the west more than any other games in the series. With this market opening up a little, it made sense for Like a Dragon to take a look at its back catalogue.

Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the first game in the series which, considering it had been released nine years prior and was followed by a slew of titles that progressively made improvements to the formula, was showing its age.

Whilst it maintains the core plot points, Kiwami expertly ties itself more seamlessly into the preceding prequel and fleshes out the story of the game’s villain Nishikiyama, who previously felt under-cooked.

The district of Kamurocho also of course not just looks much prettier but is now stuffed with the kinds of minigames and alternate activities the series is known for.

Naturally, the biggest component Kiwami changes is the combat. The remake ditches the game’s original system, implanting the most recent revision from Zero. As solid as Yakuza was in 2005, its gameplay got a little repetitive over time.

By bringing Kiryu’s multiple styles into the mix, as well as more Heat Actions, it became a totally fresh experience for long-term fans.