ev1lbl0w
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Yakuza Kiwami 2
2017
THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON
Much like its predecessor, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is yet another remake of the original PlayStation 2 game, but this time ported into the more technically impressive Dragon Engine the newer entries adopt. To sum up my settled thoughts on the last game I played, Yakuza Kiwami left me disappointed; a remake that should feel thoughtful in its intentions but came out woefully lazy in the execution. Basically feeling like you’re playing a Yakuza 0 romhack with much of the quality storytelling and gameplay strip mined into something very dry. I’m sure it was a necessary stepping stone for RGG to move up from in order to reach the heights proven in later entries, but Kiwami already felt like a low point for someone trying to journey his way into this series properly.
Luckily, I can proudly say that Yakuza Kiwami 2 hasn’t suffered the same fate, instead demonstrating the greatness I already knew this series could offer. I can’t comment on how this succeeded as a remake towards the original, but nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this. While it doesn’t quite address all of my gripes with the first Kiwami, it certainly did enough legwork to make it feel like this is where the series ‘got good’. The combat is a bit of a trade-off when directly compared to Kiwami and 0, there’s no longer different brawling styles to switch between, but the simplified heat system is benefited by what the Dragon Engine introduces. Kamurocho is rendered beautifully in realistic fidelity. The crowd population feels more dense than ever, and enemies can now just fight you on the spot where battles seamlessly blend into neighboring stores, causing so much collateral damage. I had great joy in messing around with the game’s physics by throwing a random thug around like a bowling ball hitting pins that fly around. I take some issue with how out of hand these physics can be in combat, though. Sometimes momentum is thrown out the window, and you topple way too easily where it gets annoying. I’m just gonna chalk this up as just RGG still figuring out the Dragon Engine in its quirks until that hopefully got smoothened out recently. Yakuza/Like A Dragon is unique in how it juggles around so many ideas for gameplay, a kitchen sink approach to design I like to name it, but the one aspect that’s most vital to the usual experience is the immersion. A strength that Kiwami 2 embodies hard with its use of the Dragon Engine, making you feel you’re touring through a cultural Japanese hotspot filled with little stories and memories. The substories in Kiwami 2 aren't quite up there with later entries like 0, but they're still memorable for fleshing out Kamurocho with a refreshing amount of needed levity when you just needed a break from how serious the main story can get.
I think the story this time around is outstanding. I was emotionally hooked through the end, and it may end up being my personal favorite in the whole series, beating out Yakuza 0 by a slight margin. Yeah, there’s definitely some beats here that feel… too convoluted, especially with the revelations that last hour just throws on you regarding the villains which feel equal parts brilliant in hindsight but just questionable. It would’ve almost continued the same problem I had with Kiwami’s handling of its villains, where there’s one that acts as Kiryu’s personal foil, but the complexity of the plot sidelines them in favor of antagonists that just aren’t an interesting obstacle. Thankfully, Kiwami 2 immediately breaks that trend just enough where Ryuji Goda, the dark reflection of the values Kiryu stands for as the Dragon of Dojima, is given time to shine in a kick-ass finale. It took three games so far, but this is finally where I found my groove with Kiryu as a protagonist who I’m invested in, given how much shit he’s gone through and will continue to. I’m really liking the main cast that’s been cooked here with Haruka and Date, Sayama is an amazing character who unfortunately I’m aware gets written out of the games real soon. Jumping straight into Yakuza 3 is going to be… interesting, for many reasons, but I’m officially in this for the long haul.
Much like its predecessor, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is yet another remake of the original PlayStation 2 game, but this time ported into the more technically impressive Dragon Engine the newer entries adopt. To sum up my settled thoughts on the last game I played, Yakuza Kiwami left me disappointed; a remake that should feel thoughtful in its intentions but came out woefully lazy in the execution. Basically feeling like you’re playing a Yakuza 0 romhack with much of the quality storytelling and gameplay strip mined into something very dry. I’m sure it was a necessary stepping stone for RGG to move up from in order to reach the heights proven in later entries, but Kiwami already felt like a low point for someone trying to journey his way into this series properly.
Luckily, I can proudly say that Yakuza Kiwami 2 hasn’t suffered the same fate, instead demonstrating the greatness I already knew this series could offer. I can’t comment on how this succeeded as a remake towards the original, but nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this. While it doesn’t quite address all of my gripes with the first Kiwami, it certainly did enough legwork to make it feel like this is where the series ‘got good’. The combat is a bit of a trade-off when directly compared to Kiwami and 0, there’s no longer different brawling styles to switch between, but the simplified heat system is benefited by what the Dragon Engine introduces. Kamurocho is rendered beautifully in realistic fidelity. The crowd population feels more dense than ever, and enemies can now just fight you on the spot where battles seamlessly blend into neighboring stores, causing so much collateral damage. I had great joy in messing around with the game’s physics by throwing a random thug around like a bowling ball hitting pins that fly around. I take some issue with how out of hand these physics can be in combat, though. Sometimes momentum is thrown out the window, and you topple way too easily where it gets annoying. I’m just gonna chalk this up as just RGG still figuring out the Dragon Engine in its quirks until that hopefully got smoothened out recently. Yakuza/Like A Dragon is unique in how it juggles around so many ideas for gameplay, a kitchen sink approach to design I like to name it, but the one aspect that’s most vital to the usual experience is the immersion. A strength that Kiwami 2 embodies hard with its use of the Dragon Engine, making you feel you’re touring through a cultural Japanese hotspot filled with little stories and memories. The substories in Kiwami 2 aren't quite up there with later entries like 0, but they're still memorable for fleshing out Kamurocho with a refreshing amount of needed levity when you just needed a break from how serious the main story can get.
I think the story this time around is outstanding. I was emotionally hooked through the end, and it may end up being my personal favorite in the whole series, beating out Yakuza 0 by a slight margin. Yeah, there’s definitely some beats here that feel… too convoluted, especially with the revelations that last hour just throws on you regarding the villains which feel equal parts brilliant in hindsight but just questionable. It would’ve almost continued the same problem I had with Kiwami’s handling of its villains, where there’s one that acts as Kiryu’s personal foil, but the complexity of the plot sidelines them in favor of antagonists that just aren’t an interesting obstacle. Thankfully, Kiwami 2 immediately breaks that trend just enough where Ryuji Goda, the dark reflection of the values Kiryu stands for as the Dragon of Dojima, is given time to shine in a kick-ass finale. It took three games so far, but this is finally where I found my groove with Kiryu as a protagonist who I’m invested in, given how much shit he’s gone through and will continue to. I’m really liking the main cast that’s been cooked here with Haruka and Date, Sayama is an amazing character who unfortunately I’m aware gets written out of the games real soon. Jumping straight into Yakuza 3 is going to be… interesting, for many reasons, but I’m officially in this for the long haul.