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The Yakuza series is full to the brim with some of the most powerful narrative experiences around, fuelled by a populated open-world with so many things to do that players can sink hours into the game without even going forward with the main story! This is the major draw of Yakuza games, and now the barrier to entry for this series has also been taken away with the remake of the first Yakuza title.
Yakuza Kiwami is a great game that sells itself as a shot-for-shot remake of the original. Sure, there are way more things to try out in the games as well, but the core story of the game is left virtually intact. In fact, PC players can enjoy the added benefit of mods to improve their experience even more. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the best mods that players can download for Yakuza Kiwami.
10 4K Font And Title Screen Mod (Original Font)
It's amazing how such a simple mod is one of the most popular Yakuza Kiwami mods out there. Perhaps it's because the changes it brings are purely for quality-of-life purposes and nothing else.
The functionality of this mod should be pretty obvious. It replaces the vanilla text and title screen of the game with a 4K variant that looks crisp and neat.
9 High-Res Characters Textures
Players have obviously noticed that the textures of characters in the game look completely different from the in-game cutscenes. This is a conscious decision made by the developers to heighten the quality of these cutscenes.
However, players who don't want to make any compromises in this regard can opt for this texture mod that replaces all cutscenes with their high-quality variant. The change is very much noticeable throughout the game and makes for a better experience from a visual perspective.
8 Yakuza Kiwami Extreme Edition
Players who feel like the base combat styles are a bit too weak can opt for the Yakuza Kiwami Extreme Edition mod. It adds a bunch of changes to the combat that make Kiryu seem like an absolute beast.
Along with this, this mod also makes two major changes to make combat more nuanced. It nerfs the damage of the overpowered Tiger Drop and also increases the health of all enemies... bosses included!
7 Yakuza Kiwami 1 Essence Remade
Players who are bored of the same old heat moves present in Yakuza Kiwami will certainly be happy with this mod. It adds a bunch of changes to the heat actions of the game, making them way more brutal and satisfying.
All these heat actions are taken from other games in the series, making for a completely new and fresh combat system. It also adds new QTEs for bosses that make these battles even more dynamic.
6 White DoD Heat With Classic Blue Attack Trails
Fans of Yakuza 0 might be unhappy with the fact that the Dragon of Dojima fighting style has a few aesthetic changes in Yakuza Kiwami. These changes are fairly minor, but players who are very particular when it comes to details might get annoyed by these alterations.
This mod is perfect to get rid of this annoyance for fans. It changes the Dragon of Dojima aura from red to white, and also adds new blue attack trails to its moves as well!
5 Yakuza Kiwami - Rebalancing Mod
Most people have mixed opinions when it comes to the combat system of Yakuza Kiwami. Some feel that it perfectly shows how badly Kiryu's skills have deteriorated after spending ten years in prison, while others feel that his fighting style feels completely nerfed and boring during the early game.
This is where the Yakuza Kiwami - Rebalancing mod comes into the picture. It makes both the Brawler and Dragon style more useful in the early game while also reducing the irritation that might be caused by the Majima Everywhere system.
4 Akiyama And Saejima Moveset For Kiwami
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Akiyama and Saejima are two of the most beloved characters in the Yakuza franchise. Their appearance in Yakuza 4 cemented their status as legends, with their fighting styles being quite entertaining as well!
Players who can't get enough of these characters should definitely check out this mod, that replaces both Rush and Beast styles with the movesets of Akiyama and Saejima instead. Watching Kiryu pull off these moves with the greatest of ease makes for an entertaining playthrough indeed.
3 Yakuza Kiwami Classic Music Mod
Given the fact that Yakuza Kiwami was a remake of the first game, it was only a given that the soundtrack of the original would also be worked upon heavily. This led to the integration of a remixed soundtrack that most people definitely adore.
However, there are some fans of the original Yakuza game who prefer the soundtrack of the original. This is where the Yakuza Kiwami Classic Music mod comes into the picture and allows fans to enjoy a nostalgic OST as they go through the motions in Kiwami.
2 PS2 Boss Movesets
The new boss fights in Yakuza Kiwami are pretty neat, with a few frustrating elements that can be taken care of after upgrading Kiryu. However, some fans still miss the original movesets of these bosses.
These classic movesets can be brought back with this mod. Along with the changes it already integrates to these movesets, the bosses have heat moves that are reminiscent of the original PS2 game as well!
1 Yakuza Kiwami Licensed Music Restoration Patch
Most Yakuza games end up having to replace certain tracks when they release in the West due to licensing issues. Yakuza Kiwami is no exception to this golden rule, with two tracks — Receive You [Reborn]" and "BLEED" by Koshi Inaba — being removed and replaced.
However, in the age of mods, this doesn't need to be an issue in the slightest. This particular fan patch restores both these tracks and allows players to enjoy a soundtrack that is completely unfettered by regional restrictions.