by Amr (@siegarettes)
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Developer- SEGA
- Publisher- SEGA
- PS4
With the sheer volume of entries in the Yakuza series, sometimes it becomes hard to talk about just what it is that separates an exceptional entry from a great one. Thankfully the rapid releases of Zero, Kiwami and Yakuza 6 have all put on display different facets of Yakuza’s appeal. Zero remains the peak, with well integrated side stories and strong characterization, Kiwami’s core drama and combat held the game together despite a choppier narrative arc, and Yakuza 6 showed off the series’ incredible ability to capture local flavor. Yakuza Kiwami 2 then, is a synthesis of the work done in these previous entries, collecting the best elements and using them in its return to one of the series’ strongest stories.
Like Kiwami 1, Yakuza Kiwami 2 returns to an older entry with a new engine, staying faithful to the original down to the very composition of every cutscene. Kiwami 2 ends up the better of the two, thanks to engine improvements and an overall more confident story. The Dragon Engine from Yakuza 6 returns, bringing more seamless movement and combat. Overall combat is smoother, and the introduction of chargeable attacks adds a new tool to break guards and continue pressure. The fiddly environment specific heat moves have been de-emphasized, and Extreme Heat mode feels less necessary. Kiryu is more capable, if only in small ways. It never feels as good as Zero did when it got going, but it’s fluid and the return of the ability to chase enemies around the map and smash them through storefronts is good fun.
The story has plenty of the convoluted intrigue the series is known for, its core players and their motivations are much easier to follow. A lot of this is thanks to Ryuji Goda, the main villain, who has an incredible presence and charisma that looms over the rest of the cast. Known as the Dragon of Kansai, he sets up a challenge with Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, to find out who the one true Dragon of Japan will be.
Ryuji represents an archetype in the perpetual Yakuza conflict of between the honorable traditions and the new blood seeking to overthrow them. Ryuji seeks control through incontestable power, discarding the protocols established by the yakuza. Of course, there’s another faction working schemes in the shadows, using his presence as a distraction to their own grab for power. Because Ryuji’s motivations are so straightforward, they work in contrast to the other villains, making him almost seem honorable. It works well with Yakuza’s core themes, and its dedication to its old school notions of masculinity. And while there’s plenty to critique there, it works thanks to idealism Kiryu represents.
This pull between two charismatic leading men, and the improvements to the overall systems, puts Yakuza Kiwami 2 high in the rankings of the series. Despite being a remake of the second game, Kiwami 2 takes lessons from the development of the entire series and creates one of its most refined entries. The side stories here are more organic as well, providing levity to the heavy melodrama without feeling like tasks you need to go out of your way for. I genuinely enjoyed chasing down its characters and seeing how situations resolved, and thankfully, I almost always happened upon the next chapter in their stories without having to look for them.
Simply put, Yakuza Kiwami 2 provides the perfect balance of melodrama, side stories, and brawler antics.There’s just something about its particular synthesis that makes it one of the most complete entries in the series. It doesn’t represent quite as good a starting point as Zero, thanks to its continuation from the events of the first game, but it definitely feels like a worthy final game in Kiryu’s story.