Sega’s Yakuza Kiwami 2 offers the best Yakuza experience money can currently buy. It is a story that wouldn’t seem out of place in an old Kinji Fukasaku flick. This game is a spectacular entry in the long-running series. It brings the 2006 classic into the modern generation with gorgeous visuals, engaging combat and a melodramatic story that hits all the right notes.
Reviving a Franchise
Yakuza Kiwami 2, does a lot more for the franchise than it’s predecessor. The game shapes the foundation of a very profitable series for the the SEGA company. In Yakuza Kiwami 2, Sega has found a platformer which can help sustain the company’s credibility in the gaming community.
Dragon Engine
Graphics-wise, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best in the franchise so far, the Dragon Engine has given a whole new dimension to the gaming experience. As one walks through the inner city of fictionalized Tokyo and Osaka (Kamaruchi and Sotonbori in the game), one can sense the authenticity through the screen in a palpable manner. The characters feel real and each have their own agency in the virtual world.
Game-Ception
Along with the stellar graphics, an array of mini-games also help alleviate the game’s appeal. If you are some one who likes to explore the open world and keep the story on the back burner, this game is for you. With it’s plethora of old-school arcade games it is sure to keep you enthralled and occupied.
These arcade styled games create a fresh new way to engage with the game’s world. From gambling to playing arcade on Toilet bins it has it all. The games within the main game gives you a chance to immerse in the ever expanding world and take it all in and breathe Yakuza.
A Stellar Plot
Yakuza Kiwami 2 has a story which is brilliantly interwoven into the whole experience. The Mob, The Detective and the Hero in the middle is a cliche’, used by many but few make it work. The crime fighting, detective thriller plays like a real smooth Scorsese film. It is good enough to be a part of it’s own big screen world. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a captivating gangster narrative.
The game shows our protagonist Kazuma Kiryu being dragged back into a territorial mob war to face one of the strongest gaming villains (since FAR CRY 3’s VAAS) in Ryuji Goda. The game, for the most part, manages to avoid any over the moon theatrics which were seen in the previous installments of the series. It is a uniquely designed, well construed detective fiction with a lot of backstabbing put in for good measure.
In-Game Features
Some of the most prominent in game features are but not limited to : The new combat method, The Allied assistance and the free running open world experience.
The combat has been made even more seamless than it’s previous version, with new moves and the heat meter in play, one can fight enemies with a lot more assurance and ease than in the previous versions of the game. The weapons have been upgraded and can be used and stored for later combat. Although there is one snag, that being you can not pick up the weapons during idle play. Apart from that the fighting seems authentic and the blood and gore level seems pretty surreal.
The other important addition is the Allies you make within the city districts of the game. The more side missions you cover and the territory you make your own, the more people flock to you your aid. These grateful citizens will help you by throwing whatever utensil/weapon they have your way to fight the bad guys.
The game also brings back all of the side content that the original title had. This includes tons of side quests, side activities and collectibles for you to find. This adds a great replay value to the game even after you are done with the main story of the game. Activities like managing your own club trying to beat the competition, keeps you busy with the game for hours after completing the main story.
Final Verdict
Yakuza Kiwami 2 has to be one of the best games of the franchise. It is a lot better than the Yakuza Kiwami game that came out in 2017 and a great relaunch of the 2006 version. Yakuza Kiwami 2 has better graphics, a sordid combat interface and a very strong story line. This enables Yakuza Kiwami 2 to stand out from it’s predecessors.
Rating : 4/5
