Nintendo Switch Is Finally Getting the Breakout Crime Game of the Decade

The Nintendo Switch has become one of the most prolific video game systems ever made, filled with some of the best games of all time. From third-party offerings like The Witcher 3 and Overwatch to Nintendo’s stellar first-party lineup that includes Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. But there’s one rising star of gaming that’s been conspicuously absent these last eight years — Sega’s Yakuza franchise. The Japanese crime drama has transformed from a niche cult classic to one of the company’s biggest juggernauts, even spawning a live-action Amazon show. But luckily Switch owners can finally get in on the bone-crunching action as the first game in the series, Yakuza Kiwami, finally releases on the handheld system today.

Yakuza Kiwami is a full-blown remake of the very first game in the franchise, originally released on the PS2 in 2005. The remake completely updates Yakuza with the series’ later graphical style, combat, and gameplay — meaning it’s essentially a different game that packs in the same story.

The only caveat that comes with this Switch version is that the performance can struggle at times. Yakuza Kiwami released on PS3 and PS4 in 2016, and the game objectively takes a small graphical hit on the Switch. Still, this is the full package and it runs surprisingly well most of the time. Despite the dip in resolution and some texture pop-in, there’s no slowdown or chugging with Kiwami. It’s not the best Switch port that’s ever happened, but it’s up there with the most competent.

You follow the tale of Kazuma Kiryu, a legendary yakuza in Japan’s criminal underworld known as the “Dragon of Dojima.” Kiryu's best friend offs the head of the Dojima family in a fit of rage, and Kiryu ends up taking the fall and spending the next decade in prison. He emerges to an underworld that’s changed more than he could have ever imagined, and a society that’s essentially left him behind. From there, Kiryu has to unravel a criminal conspiracy and save the young girl that’s at the heart of it.

If there’s one thing the Yakuza games are known for, it’s how the series seamlessly blends a melodramatic crime story with the most bizarre over-the-top humor and antics you’ve ever seen. It makes Yakuza a bit hard to describe, but essentially it’s a combo-based action game where you can also roam around the city of Kamurocho, play dozens of minigames, help some real weirdos solve their problems, and generally just live Kiryu’s life.

Part of what makes Yakuza so appealing is this sense of virtual tourism — the city of Kamurocho is based on a real-life red light district of Tokyo, called Kabukicho. To that end, the city has been painstakingly recreated and features actual stores, locations, and products. While many games claim to be immersive, Yakuza truly delivers on that experience — wandering around the city, popping into the ramen shop on the corner for a bite, buying some tissues and Suntory tea at the convenience shop, and then mercilessly beating down a group of thugs using a bike.

There’s so much to do in Yakuza Kiwami, the lengthy main story takes you through a twisty story about criminal organizations vying for control of the city, with overarching themes of Kiryu struggling to maintain his moral compass in the face of it all. You can spend time getting distracted by karaoke, golf, miniature car racing, bowling, and nearly a dozen other minigames. There are over 30 utterly ridiculous substories to play through that each have self-contained mini-stories; a yakuza grunt who begs to become your “minion,” or a journalist who interviews Kiryu and his friends on who’s the best “bad dad.”

Yakuza Kiwami also has a hilarious feature called Majima Everywhere, where your rival, the eccentric Goro Majiam, will randomly appear to fight you. He might be hiding under a huge traffic cone, or disguised in the strip club you visit — you never know.

This unique mixture of fun and serious storytelling is something that’s entirely unique to Yakuza, that tonal whiplash is integral to the game’s very identity. There’s literally nothing else like it, but in that seesawing of tones, Yakuza Kiwami manages to dig into some truly meaningful themes, talking about ideas like found family, doing what’s right in the face of overwhelming cruelty, and the idea of struggling to keep up with an ever-changing society.

There’s so much heart and personality packed into every single aspect of Yakuza Kiwami, and outside of Yakuza 0, its prequel, it’s the best place to start with the series. But there’s a single warning I need to give you if you play Yakuza Kiwami. If you fall into it you’ll fall in hard, and suddenly find yourself playing through nearly a dozen games that span over 1000 hours. An obsession with Yakuza will eat up your time — so make sure you’re ready.

Yakuza Kiwami is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.