![]() Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a faithful return to a PS2 classic. All stores and restaurants can now also be entered seamlessly, which is a great thing to behold. The fictitious areas of Kamurocho and Sotenbori should feel familiar to those who have played previous entries, while showing new details every so often. Seemingly all assets have been revamped to be presentable at up to 4K resolution, and the result is impressive. The Dragon Engine has done an admirable job of bringing Yakuza 2’s visuals up to date. Ambient audio for each location is believable as well, whether that’s inside a SEGA arcade, fancy restaurant, or even a bathroom. Translations are very well done, even if the words are a bit too casual for some situations. Japanese audio is subtitled with English text, for example. Sounds Like HomeĪudio work remains faithful to the original release. While the main campaign may take the average gamer 20-25 hours to complete, the extra activities and sidequests will easily pad the length out to 40 hours, perhaps more. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Other nightlife activities include getting drunk at any one of dozens of local bars (the drunken status stays for a while unless Kiryu upgrades a particular stat), pigging out at a restaurant, or visiting an adult DVD store and renting a room for a few minutes. ![]() Playing at an arcade (remember those?) is one option, complete with working Virtua Fighter and Virtual On arcade cabinets, claw machine games, the occasional side quest or two, and a strange device called a Toylet, which creates a game out of urinating. There’s more to life in Japan as a Yakuza than just getting in fights. That is one of the main reasons to play a Yakuza game, after all. ![]() Although combat can be frustrating, Kiryu can purchase potent health drinks before battle, and the player has essentially unlimited lives in each battle, both of which practically ensures that the player will progress the story. Still, there aren’t any chances to change a move mid-animation, and dodging isn’t as responsive as one might expect. Combat feels a bit stiff to start, although unlocking abilities like parrying can help. ![]() While these items can give Kiryu a leg up on his competition, since they don’t last very long he’ll be forced to rely on his fists and Heat bar. Items have a certain number of uses, at which point they can no longer be used in battle and must be repaired, dumped, or sold. Outside of battle, Kiryu can equip any items he buys or picks up off of knocked down enemies, up to three at a time. Speaking more on combat, Kiryu is the main draw, though there is a new chapter featuring a playable Gojo Majima. It’s fun to see which restaurants offer the best XP for your yen. So, this game mechanic helps to ensure that the player goes out and explores the city, or at least engages in the next story mission or seeks out a side quest. If he’s too full, he can’t eat anymore, and as such won’t be able to upgrade his abilities. Each authentic food or beverage fills up Kiryu’s stomach, which empties as he gets into more fights. Restaurants and convenience stores can help Kiryu obtain more XP as well. Those experience points can be earned by completing quests, and there are five different categories of experience to collect. There are a plethora of creative options at the player’s disposal, and most actions are cheap to unlock, in terms of XP. Other examples include throwing people over railings, slamming bicycles on top of them, or stabbing an enemy with a switchblade, including a knee to the hilt to ensure the blade really goes deep. ![]() For instance, if Kiryu has a pair of chopsticks equipped in one of his weapon slots, by spending some heat gauge when prompted, he will grab the fingers of an enemy in a vice-like grip, and then pummel them for good measure. For those unaware, a Heat action adds special finishing moves to Kiryu’s repertoire, most of which are context-aware. Heat actions make a return, including some brand new ones. Yakuza games have always been brawlers, and Kiwami 2 is no different. With so much emphasis on the story, combat almost takes a backseat. It really helps to get people up to speed, or to refresh players’ minds who may have not played a Yakuza game in a while. In fact, for those who may have skipped both the first Yakuza Kiwami game and the prequel, Yakuza 0, Kiwami 2 features a recap feature that spends its time detailing most, if not all, of the major moments in the previous two games leading up to where the player finds Kiryu. Plenty of familiar characters make a return, and cutscenes have been reworked for this remake as well. Yakuza Kiwami 2 follows the same story of Kazuma Kiryu as he attempts to live a normal life, having retired from the Yakuza, but of course he is quickly recalled as the Tojo Clan finds itself in dire straits once more. ![]()
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