This is probably the best game in the series.

Yakuza 0 has a lot of content and variety, but most of that content feels rather unrefined at times. Kiwami 2, on the other hand, looks good and plays well, but lacks in the minigame department and combat variety. Yakuza Kiwami is the perfect median between these two extremes.

The story definitely peaks in this game, rivaled maybe only by Yakuza 0's Majima storyline. The fact that Kiryu's transition from the three styles in Yakuza 0 to his classic dragon style coincides with his maturity as a person really enhances the story that much further.

The sidequests in this game really seem to fit in with the rest of the game this time around too; many of lessons learned support the central themes and ideas of the main narrative. It felt like these were the types of experiences that shaped Kiryu in the man he is by the end of the story, rather than some random BS that distracts from the rest of the game.

TL;DR if Yakuza 0 is messy, then this game is squeaky clean. Everything about this game works together beautifully to support its the central themes and messages the game is trying to instill in its players.

This is probably the best game in the series. Yakuza 0 has a lot of content and variety, but most of that content feels rather unrefined at times. Kiwami 2, on the other hand, looks good and plays well, but lacks in the minigame department and combat variety. Yakuza Kiwami is the perfect median between these two extremes. The story definitely peaks in this game, rivaled maybe only by Yakuza 0's Majima storyline. The fact that Kiryu's transition from the three styles in Yakuza 0 to his classic dragon style coincides with his maturity as a person really enhances the story that much further. The sidequests in this game really seem to fit in with the rest of the game this time around too; many of lessons learned support the central themes and ideas of the main narrative. It felt like these were the types of experiences that shaped Kiryu in the man he is by the end of the story, rather than some random BS that distracts from the rest of the game. TL;DR if Yakuza 0 is messy, then this game is squeaky clean. Everything about this game works together beautifully to support its the central themes and messages the game is trying to instill in its players.