Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza game, utilizing the engine that Yakuza 0 played on. It featured new additions such as multiple fighting styles as opposed to just one, the Majima Everywhere system, and plenty of new Substories.
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Yakuza Kiwami came out shortly after Yakuza 0, and, as such, many of the Substories feature both characters and previous plotlines carried over to have the stories continued. The Substories in the Yakuza series have earned a reputation for their outlandishness, and Yakuza Kiwami is no exception. There's a large mix of silly, thought-provoking, and touching Substories spread through the game.
10 Memories Of The Bubble
At Club Deborah, Kiryu will run into a woman named Aya Yabuki. It turns out that she's an aspiring actress who's auditioning for a part in a movie taking place during Japan's Bubble Era back in the '80s.
As luck would have it, Kiryu lived through that time during Yakuza 0. He tells herwhat life was like during that time and even helps pick out an appropriate dress for her. Afterward, she begins dancing where she captures the attention of the movie director who hires her. It's a nostalgic Substory, especially coming off of a Yakuza 0 playthrough.
9 The Cell Phone Plan
Inside an alleyway, Kiryu crosses paths with two thugs. After they run away, he discovers a dead body that has a ringing cell phone. Kiryu decides to answer it, and it turns out the man was in the middle of a task.
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Kiryu takes it upon himself to see the task through, despite how suspicious it is. After jumping through a few hoops, Kiryu finds himself at the Batting Center where he meets another thug. Turns out, the dead man from the start was hired to kill Kiryu, and the man at the Batting Center wants to finish the job.
8 The Heart Of Vandalism
While walking along Theater Square Alley, Kiryu will run into the owner of a local cafe. He complains about how his sign is constantly getting vandalized with graffiti and asks Kiryu to help keep an eye on it to catch the culprit in the act.
Kiryu succeeds in this and chasing the vandal down halfway across town, where he hides behind some yakuza. After defeating them, the vandal reveals that he is the cafe owner's son. His dream is to become a graphic designer, and graffiti was his way of lashing out. Kiryu convinces the two to have a heart-to-heart, tying up a rather touching Substory in a nice bow.
7 Bad Dads
Bad Dads is one of the silliestSubstories in all of Yakuza Kiwami, and one of the few that doesn't involve any fighting at all. While walking in the park near Purgatory, Kiryu will be asked to do an interview.
In the middle of it, both Date-San and The Florist will show up and join in on the interview. This leads to a competition between the three of them as to who is thebest "bad" dad. It's absolutely silly, and the chemistry between the three characters shines through to make it one of the most memorable Substories.
6 In Pursuit Of Pleasure
While walking down the street, Kiryu overhears a couple arguing and decides to intervene. It turns out to be a misunderstanding, but one that escalates when a large man joins in. Eventually, the situation is diffused, and Kiryu and the large man (revealed to be retired judoka Shinohara) decided to go out together.
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Shinohara decides he wants to find a way to fulfill his desire for a good martial arts fight. Kiryu takes him down to the Colosseum, where Shinohara decides to stay as a fighter. This unlocks him as a possible opponent in the Colosseum minigame.
5 Man Scout
Along Showa Street East near the bottom of Kamurocho, Kiryu will be spotted by a man scouting for new talent. The scout wants Kiryu to join his Banana Bar as an exotic dancer. This is met with Kiryu immediately walking away, but after some convincing, Kiryu agrees to an interview.
The interview proceeds and the man giving it turns out to be named Tachibana, who shares a name with a major character from Yakuza 0. Kiryu even makes note of "never being able to forget a name like that," tying Yakuza 0 into Yakuza Kiwami magnificently.
4 My Baby's A Showgirl
My Baby's A Showgirl is one of the only Substories in the game that feature fully animated cutscenes. Yuya will invite Kiryu over to a show in Asia where his girlfriend Miyu works as one of the performers. Turns out, there's an assassin there pretending to be a rookie who attempts to kill Kiryu.
Kiryu beats him down, but Miyu and Yuya both get kidnapped in the commotion. He gives chase and discovers that the perpetrators are from the Tojo Clan. Kiryu defeats them and saves his friends. Yuya is an important character throughout the series, so seeing more ofhim through Substories isa treat.
3 Bet On The Champ
Bet On The Champ is one of the Substories only available while walking around town with Haruka. At Bantam, Kiryu and Haruka come across a boxer, Yagisawa. He's drinking his sorrows away and after hitting Haruka, Kiryu takes it outside to fight him.
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It's revealed that yakuza are forcing him to throw his next match, and, after an apology, Kiryu and Haruka decide to take matters into their own hands. They head down to where the yakuza are and after a beat-down, Yagisawa is free from them and can return to honest competition.
2 The Yakuza's Apprentice
The Yakuza's Apprentice has four parts to itand starts with a man named Kano fighting Kiryu. Afterward, Kano begs Kiryu to lethim be his minion. This leads to Kano running around town causing havoc that Kiryu constantly has to fix. It never works out, and Kano never seems to learn his lesson.
Kano gets himself in deep trouble and has to bait Kiryu into a trap where yakuza try to kill him. Kiryu defeats the hitmen, and Kano decides to stop while he can and get out of the yakuza business. It's one of the longest stories in Substories and both silly and touching.
1 The Fighter's Successor
Pocket Circuit Fighter is a character introduced in Yakuza 0 and brought back in Yakuza Kiwami despite not appearing in the original game. He quickly won the hearts of many, including Kiryu as he sings over a picture of the two together in Bakamitai -Sorrow-.
In Yakuza Kiwami, Pocket Circuit Fighter is retiring and asks Kiryu to find a successor who's just as passionate as he is. This leads him to reach out to the children he raced with in Yakuza 0, who are now adults. Kiryu findsa successor in Takuma, and Pocket Circuit Fighter can retire knowing the future of Pocket Circuit in good hands.
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