Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) Review

Battle of the Dragons.

 Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the anticipated remake of Yakuza 2, which debuted back in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. In the vein of last year's Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a high-octane action game that captures the essence of the original while adding tons of new features to the experience. Kazuma Kiryu is back and this time, he's caught up in a war between two of Japan's biggest yakuza organizations. After how good Sega's previous Yakuza games were, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the remake and suffice to say, it delivers on all fronts.

 One year after the 10 billion yen incident, protagonist Kazuma Kiryu is living peacefully with his adoptive daughter, Haruka. However, Kiryu finds himself drawn back to the criminal world after tensions break between two of Japan's biggest yakuza organizations, the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance. He's tasked with bringing peace between the two clans though making things difficult is rival Ryuji Goda, who is hellbent on starting a war and aims to challenge Kiryu to become the only dragon in Japan. The Yakuza series is no stranger to exciting, edge-of-your-seat storytelling as the game will take you on a roller-coaster of wild twists and revelations. That and I found the narrative and characters to be well-written and likable, respectively.

There's only room for one dragon.

 Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an action beat 'em up game with some role-playing elements. As you explore the streets of Japan, you'll come across a variety of thugs that you can beat with your bear fists or by using various objects in the environments. A blue gauge under your health represents your "heat", which when full will allow you to execute various finishers on enemies. This time around, you obtain five types of experience based on the activities you partake in. As opposed to simply buying skills, you'll have to obtain experience to unlock new skills for Kiryu. These include battle skills such as new techniques and heat finishers to more passive ones such as longer sprint times and extra experience. To obtain said experience, which come in five types: strength, charm, technique, spirit, and agility, you'll have to interact with the game world by accepting side-quests, playing mini-games, or by just getting into fights, all of which will reward you with them. The various amounts of food joints will also refill your health while giving bonus experience as well.

Bring on the heat!

 Your fists aren't the only way you can beat up thugs, just about anything will do! From deadly swords and submachine guns to home appliances such stoves are all at your disposal, though make good use of them as they tend to break after a few hits. New additions to the remake includes a prologue story featuring fan-favorite character, Goro Majima. Without spoiling much, you'll be watching the rising tensions in the Tojo Clan from Majima's point of view while also meeting new and returning characters. Majima uses his deadly dagger and has a faster playstyle than Kiryu's, which makes mowing down enemies a breeze. Consequently, he faces tougher enemies and is unable to gain skills or complete substories. It's no Majima Everywhere, but should deliver your needed dose of Majima goodness.

 On the topic of Majima, one the game's biggest side-activities has you managing his own construction company. Following a separate storyline, you must help Majima protect his entertainment project from the grasps of ruthless millionaires coming your way. The gameplay is a top-down strategy game where you assemble your team of fighters and protect your assets from oncoming enemy waves. You can level up your team and gear while also being able to recruit new members either by completing substories or paying a certain fee. Initially, I wasn't trilled with the gameplay at first, as the AI tended to be clunky at times but it's charm eventually managed to grow on me.

The Mad Dog strikes again.

 Making a return from Yakuza 0 is the cabaret club mini-game. A favorite of mine, Kiryu must lead an up and coming cabaret club, Four Shine, in another storyline that follows a ruthless millionaire who plans on taking the club out. This mode also sees returning characters from Yakuza 0 as well. Gameplay boils down to you managing various tables while keeping an eye out for the hostess' stamina. Occasionally, guests will need to be attained to and some even will request specific hostesses. There are RPG elements as you can customize and level up each girl to increase their abilities. You can also go on dates with them to initiate their own personal substories. It's my favorite mode out of the bunch as the story had me invested and I even raked in millions in cash after playing a few rounds.

 You'll often come across side-quests, better known as Substories, when exploring either Kamurocho or Sotenbori. These are just as funny and memorable as ever, seeing Kiryu pitted in awkward and unseals situations that had me giggling throughout the game. A favorite of mine is where Kiryu was forced into a voice acting job that started out normal enough until it reached erotic levels in less than a second. Another one was where you find yourself in an adult daycare-like club and have to beat the crap out of diaper-wearing thugs to get the hell out. It's odd things like these that give the world of the Yakuza series its distinct personality. However, I found that the Sega mini-games are on the weaker side of things. Virtua Fighter 2 is a decent game but not as addictive as Outrun and Space Harrier, or even Kiwami 1's Mesuking card game. Making things worse is Virtual-On, a mecha fighter that is a mess to play due to sluggish controls and an erratic camera. Overall, it just felt underwhelming.


 Utilizing Yakuza 6's next-generation "Dragon" game engine, Yakuza Kiwami 2 has been rebuilt from the ground up. Everything looks stunning and feels like brand new game as a result. From the flashing lights of Kamurocho to the fishy streets of Sotenbori, the density and sheer amount of detail is simply mind-blowing. Aside from some long load times, the transitions when entering buildings and after fights are seamless. I've been jamming to the game's soundtrack featuring many explosive rock tracks that'll make your testosterone levels reach to the roof. Kiwami 2 is entirely in Japanese with English subtitles. Despite not understanding the language, I've enjoyed the voice performances nonetheless. Obvious standouts include Takaya Kuroda and Hidenari Ugaki as Kiryu and Majima, respectively. Both actors poured their souls into their performances and I chuckled at some of the exchanges between the two. Also, the motion capture performances were commendable and add a sense of believability to the scenes.

Kiwami 2 is a stunning makeover.

 Thanks to excellent storytelling, solid gameplay, outstanding production values, and a game world rich with content, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is another example of a remake done right. It improves upon the foundations of Yakuza 2 while still being accessible for newcomers and enticing for veterans. I've poured over 40 hours into the adventure and every second was enjoyable. I can't say that it's for everyone since some of the silliness might turn serious players off, but for those dying for an over-the-top adventure full of twists, then there's fun to be had in Yakuza Kiwami 2.