Yakuza Kiwami 2 similar games & best alternatives

Yakuza Kiwami 2

Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S • 2019

Should you play it?

Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, must face the ambitious Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai, in an all-out war between two rival yakuza clans. An extreme recreation of one of Yakuza’s most beloved entries, now in stunning 4K and unlocked framerates. There can be only one dragon.

What works
  • Engaging and emotional story with strong characters
  • High-quality graphics and immersive dragon engine
  • Varied and satisfying combat system with heat actions
  • Extensive side content and minigames (cabaret club, majima construction)
  • Seamless open world exploration with rich environments
Things to keep in mind
  • Combat can feel repetitive and sometimes clunky
  • Story pacing uneven with some filler sections
  • Some minigames (e.g., bouncer missions) are tedious
  • Certain original content and music cut or replaced
  • No multiplayer or competitive modes

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Lost Judgment

  • The Slimeking's Tower

  • The Outer Worlds 2

  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

  • Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr

  • Judgment

  • Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

  • STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R

  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon

  • Lenna's Inception

  • Ys X: Nordics

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Escapism

    FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH

  • Progression

    KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-

  • Story

    Girls' Frontline

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Yakuza Kiwami 2: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Violence, Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Cooperation.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

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    "Players have freedom to explore Kamurocho, choose side activities, and switch combat styles, though main story is linear."

    Capsule for Judgment Judgment

    "Players have freedom to explore open worlds Kamurocho and Sotenbori with seamless transitions and many side activities, though main story progression is linear."

  • Competence

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    "Combat is skill-based with high skill ceiling, requiring timing, combos, and mastery of unique character mechanics."

    Capsule for Punishing: Gray Raven Punishing: Gray Raven

    "Combat involves skillful combos, timing, and use of heat actions; players feel effective as they level up and master mechanics."

  • Competition

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    "Reviews mention multiplayer and competitive modes, but no strong emphasis on competition or ranked play."

    Capsule for Bad Rats: the Rats' Revenge Bad Rats: the Rats' Revenge

    "No strong evidence of competitive multiplayer or ranked modes; focus is on story and personal progression."

  • Continuation

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    "Players report long playtimes (20+ hours), multiple playthroughs, and strong attachment to story and characters."

    Capsule for Magical Girl Witch Trials Magical Girl Witch Trials

    "Players report long playtimes (40+ hours main story, 80+ including side content), habitual play, and strong attachment to characters and world."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -3

    "Gameplay is primarily single-player and individual, with no cooperative multiplayer or teamwork."

    Capsule for Coffee Talk Coffee Talk

    "Gameplay is primarily single-player focused; some minigames involve managing teams (e.g., Cabaret Club, Majima Construction) but no multiplayer cooperation."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    2

    "Players can customize game rules, tasks, and cosmetic appearances; limited map and task variety constrain creativity."

    Capsule for West Hunt West Hunt

    "Players engage in customization and management in minigames like Cabaret Club and Majima Construction, allowing creative strategic choices."

  • Domination

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    -4

    "Interactions emphasize shared story and character development rather than exerting control or superiority over others."

    Capsule for Virgo Versus The Zodiac Virgo Versus The Zodiac

    "Interactions emphasize shared story and character development rather than exerting control or superiority over others."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    5

    "Strong narrative immersion, emotional story, and expansive world provide escape from real life."

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    "Strong narrative immersion, engaging story, and detailed open world provide players with escape from real life."

  • Expectation

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    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of personal desire and intrinsic interest in the genre and series."

    Capsule for Touhou Kanjuden ~ Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom. Touhou Kanjuden ~ Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom.

    "Players express intrinsic motivation and personal desire to play, often bingeing the series voluntarily."

  • Experimenting

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    "Players try new combat mechanics, experiment with party builds and strategies, and explore new areas within the game."

    Capsule for The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

    "Players try new combat mechanics, explore various side activities and minigames, and experiment with different strategies."

  • Exploration

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    "Large open world with diverse environments and many activities encourages discovery and curiosity-driven play."

    Capsule for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Breakpoint Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Breakpoint

    "Open world environments with many locations, secrets, and activities encourage discovery and curiosity-driven play."

  • Expression

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    "Customization of characters and game room environment allows for player self-expression and personalization."

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    "Character and environment customization in minigames like Cabaret Club allows self-expression and personalization."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

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    "Strongly fictionalized, stylized urban crime world with exaggerated characters and surreal elements."

    Capsule for Kingpin — Life of Crime Kingpin — Life of Crime

    "Imaginative crime drama with over-the-top characters, improbable events, and stylized violence."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

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    "Some sense of community through shared fandom and character relationships, but gameplay is primarily solo."

    Capsule for Purrfect Apawcalypse: Purrgatory Furever Purrfect Apawcalypse: Purrgatory Furever

    "Some sense of community through shared fandom and multiplayer minigame elements, but primarily a solo experience."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

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    "Players develop skills, knowledge, and character abilities through gameplay and story progression."

    Capsule for The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-

    "Players develop skills in combat, minigames, and knowledge of story and characters over long play sessions."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay typical of adventure games."

    Capsule for Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County

    "No physical activity involved; sedentary gameplay typical of action-adventure games."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

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    "Requires focused attention during combat and story; not designed for background or casual intermittent play."

    Capsule for Death end re;Quest Death end re;Quest

    "Requires focused attention during combat and story; not designed for background or casual intermittent play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

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    "Emotional connections with characters and story foster a sense of closeness, though social interaction is limited."

    Capsule for FINAL FANTASY IX FINAL FANTASY IX

    "Emotional connections to characters and story arcs foster some closeness, though social interaction is limited."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    1

    "Players can lead by creating popular levels, but no formal leadership or authority roles exist."

    Capsule for Ichi Ichi

    "Some leadership elements in minigames like Majima Construction and Cabaret Club management, but no direct player authority over others."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    5

    "Strong emphasis on leveling up, collecting items, unlocking abilities, and completing achievements."

    Capsule for KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX- KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-

    "Strong emphasis on leveling up stats, acquiring items, upgrading skills, and completing achievements."

  • Relaxation

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    "The game provides flow and catharsis through engaging combat and story, though some tension exists in boss fights."

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    "Players experience flow and catharsis through satisfying combat and engaging side content, though some tension in boss fights."

  • Sensation

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    "Engaging ragdoll physics, sound effects, and visual chaos provide strong sensory stimulation and emotional fun."

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    "High-quality graphics, sound design, and ragdoll physics provide strong sensory stimulation and emotional fun."

  • Status

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    "No strong evidence of social status or recognition systems in reviews or gameplay."

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    "No clear social status or recognition systems evident from reviews or gameplay."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Narrative immersion is a major draw, with deep, complex storylines and character development."

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    "Narrative immersion is a major draw, with complex characters, emotional arcs, and cinematic cutscenes."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

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    "Strategic planning and tactical combat are core gameplay elements, though simplified compared to deeper titles."

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    "Strategic elements present in minigames and combat planning, though main story progression is linear."

  • Thrill

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    "Combat and story provide suspense and excitement, with boss fights and dramatic moments."

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    "Combat and story provide suspense and excitement, with boss fights and plot twists creating tension and relief."

  • Value

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    "Players report high value for time and money with extensive content and replayability."

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    "Players report high value for time and money with extensive content and replayability."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    5

    "Enjoyment of combat, destruction, and violent interactions is central to gameplay."

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    "Enjoyment of combat, destruction, and over-the-top violent heat actions is central to gameplay."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

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    "Some resource and health management in combat, but overall low-risk compared to survival games."

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    "Some resource and health management in combat, but overall low-risk environment compared to survival games."

Last update: 01/06/2026