If Yakuza 6 was Kazuma Kiryu’s swan song — and a rare high note for a protagonist of a long running series, at that — then Yakuza Kiwami 2, a top-to-bottom remake of Yakuza 2, is the series’ celebration of nearly all the things we love about this 13-year-old series.
Longtime fans will find the obvious and subtle influences from every mainline installment, even some satirical moments that are on par with the best comedy from Yakuza 0. Mainstay minigames like the batting cages and UFO Catcher machines are as accessible as ever and the return of cabaret club management offers Kiryu some romance and respite from the stresses of dealing with gangster families and foreign mafias.
It also runs on the same Dragon Engine guts that Yakuza 6 was made out of, with the same robust battle system and skill tree in tow. While that also means we’re back down to 30 frames per second — a contrast to the smoother first Kiwami — we’re once again treated to best renderings of Kiryu and the gang, right down to the shadowy cheekbones.
Beyond the powder keg tension and the sentimental soap opera drama of the main stories, the Yakuza series has evolved into a minigame hotbed of virtual Japanese urban tourism. Kiwami 2 is no exception, which returns to Osaka and Sotenbori while also flaunting the enduring appealing of Kamurocho, the location mainstay of the franchise. Practically all the attractions have some connection to the main narrative and side missions, meaning that you’re assured to get a sampling of diversions from golfing to your first virtual bite of the famously toxic fugu in the course of normal play. And while any fan of the series will tell newcomers to start at Yakuza 0 or the first Kiwami, the series’ impressively consistent use of recaps makes Kiwami 2 a solid starting point as any for beginners.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 accomplishes what I wish from all remakes of middle chapters: Updated in practically all aspects while refining the series’ lore with mild retconning and nods to other installments. Imagine how much better Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes would’ve been if Silicon Knights had the means to add cohesive mythos to the Metal Gear franchise; that’s how Kiwami 2 excels.
The newly added Majima Saga isn’t so much a saga as it is a welcome but modest three-chapter side story that shows us what The Mad Dog of Shimano was up to between the two Kiwamis. But since this mode is bereft of any character progression, the many optional flashy battles lose their appeal after a couple dozen fights. Where Majima truly shines is in Kiryu’s storyline, in his new career as the foreman of the Kamurocho Hills development. Here, he leads a ragtag army of turf warriors in an improved version the Clan Creator that first appeared in Yakuza 6.
So come for the improved mini RTS and stay for the ridiculous Dragon Engine-enhanced tiger punching.
VERDICT
Yes, especially when it only costs $6 to travel from Tokyo to Osaka in less than 20 seconds.
Main takeaway: As engrossing and time-sucking as any Yakuza game currently available on the PS4.
