Yakuza Kiwami 2

Yakuza Kiwami 2 All right, next is Yakuza Kiwami 2. This is the remake of Yakuza 2, and this is where the change between the Kiwami games gets a little more complicated than just continuing the story. You're still following Kiryu, you're still dealing with the consequences of the first game, and you're going back to places you already know. But the combat and the way you move through those places change quite a bit. I'm going to get into the characters, the story setup, the remake changes, and the side content here. There are spoilers for the beginning of the game and some of its activities. I'm keeping the final revelations and ending out of this one. Where Kiryu is when this starts The main story takes place in 2006, a year after the first game. Kiryu and Haruka have been trying to live together away from the Tojo Clan. Then Yukio Terada, the fifth chairman, is shot, and Kiryu gets pulled back into a conflict between the Tojo and the Omi Alliance. The Tojo is already weakened. Another war could finish what the previous game's events started. [Story setup](https://games.sega.com/kiwami2/story.html) And this is where my interest in Kiryu and Haruka comes back into it. Kiryu is one of my favorite characters. His relationship throughout the entire series with Haruka was one of my favorite video game dynamics that I've ever played. I said that in the introduction, and it matters here because the life they're trying to have already exists when the trouble starts. Haruka has already lost enough. Kiryu has somebody depending on him, somebody who needs more from him than another impossible rescue. Being there the following morning matters too. So when the Tojo needs him again, there are two responsibilities sitting in front of him. He knows what could happen if the clan falls apart, but he also knows who is waiting for him at home. That tension carries through a lot of this series. People call on Kiryu because they trust him, because he can fight, because they owe him, or because they know he won't ignore somebody who needs help. From their position, asking him makes sense. From Haruka's position, it means the person taking care of her keeps getting pulled into danger. Both things can be true at the same time. Ryuji Goda and the dragon title Ryuji gives this game a different kind of conflict from the one Kiryu had with Nishikiyama. That earlier relationship came with years of shared history. With Ryuji, the rivalry builds around reputation, ambition, and the fact that he has no interest in accepting a world with another dragon above him. He's the Dragon of Kansai, and he leads the Go-Ryu Clan within the Omi Alliance. Kiryu goes to Osaka trying to prevent a war. Ryuji sees a chance to force the confrontation he wants. Calling him the Dragon of Kansai already places a limit on him, and that regional qualification is part of what he resents. [Ryuji and the central conflict](https://manual.sega.jp/ryu-kiwami2/en/index.html) His presence gives you something clear to follow while the larger conspiracy gets more involved. You can lose track of which person is hiding which piece of information, but you understand what Ryuji wants from Kiryu. He wants to beat him, and he wants that victory to mean something. There is pride in that, but there is also a very destructive way of measuring yourself. A whole city can get dragged into the consequences of two men carrying a reputation. The people underneath them don't get to decide that they're finished with the contest. They still have to live through whatever follows. And Kiryu contributes to that problem too. He's trying to stop the larger disaster, but he understands the language Ryuji is speaking. He knows what a direct challenge means. He can recognize determination and courage in somebody whose decisions are putting everyone else at risk. That makes their encounters more complicated than waiting for the hero to hit the villain hard enough. Kaoru Sayama Sayama is an Osaka detective with her own reasons for distrusting the yakuza, especially the Tojo Clan. She places Kiryu under protective custody, and the two of them spend a substantial part of the game together. Her investigation and her family history also give her a reason to keep digging beyond whatever explanation the organizations are willing to offer. [Sayama's role](https://pcgamer.com/yakuza-kiwami-2-review/) She can challenge Kiryu from a position the people inside the clan can't. His reputation doesn't automatically settle an argument with her. Being respected by other yakuza doesn't erase the damage their world causes, and having good intentions doesn't make every decision sensible. The relationship that develops between them gives Kiryu another part of his life to deal with. We've seen him protecting people, keeping promises, and taking responsibility for other people's problems. Here he also has to deal with closeness, trust, and the possibility of somebody seeing him outside the role everybody expects him to perform. Sayama's own story needs attention for the same reason. She has a job, a temper, personal questions she wants answered, and decisions that affect where the investigation goes. Reducing her to the romantic part of the game would leave out why the two of them end up in each other's lives in the first place. Daigo, the Tojo, and the problems left behind Daigo Dojima is another important part of this. Kiryu looks to him as somebody who might help give the Tojo a future, but Daigo comes with his own anger and history. The Dojima name means something inside that organization before he has done anything to prove what kind of leader he could be. [Daigo and the supporting cast](https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/kiwami2/asia_en/) Kiryu's faith in him is consequential. When Kiryu chooses somebody and then tries to leave the organization behind, the choice still affects the people who stay. Walking away doesn't make his influence disappear. The Tojo keeps looking for someone who can hold everything together, and Kiryu keeps having to decide how much of that burden belongs to him. The older history behind the conflict is important too. The Jingweon material brings the consequences of past violence into the present, with Date and Jiro Kawara helping uncover what happened. People who weren't in control of those original decisions are still living with them. The investigation gradually connects personal histories to the larger struggle between the organizations. [Story and investigative cast](https://rpgamer.com/review/yakuza-kiwami-2-review/) There are a lot of revelations, and the game can stack them close together. If you only follow the question of who is fighting whom right now, it's easy to miss why a particular piece of information matters to somebody. Pay attention to who already knew the truth, who was kept away from it, and who has been making decisions without it. That is where a lot of the damage comes from. What the remake changes Kiwami 2 uses the Dragon Engine introduced in Yakuza 6. For someone playing in story order, that means you're getting technology from a much later entry while you're still early in Kiryu's life. You don't need to play 6 first. It just explains why the move from Kiwami to Kiwami 2 feels so different. [Dragon Engine and remake overview](https://games.sega.com/kiwami2/home.html) Kamurocho and Sotenbori have been rebuilt, and the transition between streets, interiors, and fights is much more continuous. A street fight can spill into a shop. The surroundings take damage, enemies crash into things, and the physical mess of a fight becomes part of what you're dealing with. There is a tradeoff in the remake itself. Shinseicho, the smaller third area from the original Yakuza 2, is absent, and the original's content is not preserved scene for scene and activity for activity. Some material is moved or reworked. So when I recommend Kiwami 2 for this playthrough, I'm recommending this version of the game. I wouldn't tell somebody comparing releases that it contains absolutely everything from the PS2 original. [World changes and omissions](https://gamespot.com/reviews/yakuza-kiwami-2-review-like-a-tiger/1900-6416963/) The combat adjustment Kiryu doesn't carry Kiwami's four-style setup into this game. You're developing one main fighting style, with charged attacks, throws, weapons, counters, and Extreme Heat expanding what you can do with it. That changes the habits you need. If you've just spent a whole game switching into Rush to move or Beast to deal with a crowd, those options aren't sitting there in the same form. Spacing and positioning matter. A long combo into a guarded enemy can leave you stuck in front of the retaliation. A short opening, a throw, or a charged strike may solve the situation more cleanly. [Combat mechanics](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/basic-combat) Weapons also have a more practical role than simply being something to pick up for one Heat Action. You can keep suitable weapons, equip them, and repair them. Komaki's training expands your options, and relationships around town can unlock help during fights. The ramen-shop owner can get involved in a Heat Action. That's the kind of connection this game is willing to make between buying dinner and beating somebody up. [Weapons, training, and Friendship Heat Actions](https://gematsu.com/2017/09/yakuza-kiwami-2-details-additional-majima-goro-scenario-story-characters-battle-system) Progression uses five categories of experience. Eating is part of that system, so restaurants have a purpose beyond topping up health. Different food and activities contribute to different pools. If an ability is unavailable because you're short in one category, earning more of an unrelated category doesn't solve it. Check what you need before spending a whole session grinding the wrong thing. [Experience and abilities](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/stats-and-abilities) And don't judge the entire combat system by a version of Kiryu who has barely purchased anything. The early moveset and a developed late-game moveset don't give you the same options. That doesn't mean everybody has to prefer this combat to 0 or Kiwami. The timing and physical feel are different enough that a preference for either is understandable. The stuff happening around the main story Four Shine brings cabaret management back, with Yuki and the Cabaret Club Grand Prix. You're putting together a roster, matching hostesses to customers, handling requests during shifts, and building the club up to take on its rivals. The returning characters and connections to 0 make it more than a familiar minigame being dropped into a different game. [Four Shine](https://games.sega.com/kiwami2/cabaret.html) There is actual decision-making in it too. A strong hostess who is exhausted isn't automatically your best choice for the next shift. Popularity and appearance don't replace the skills a particular customer wants. You can spend money improving the club and still lose because you aren't paying attention to what is happening at the tables. Majima Construction goes in a different direction. You build a team and defend construction equipment, moving workers and using their abilities as enemies arrive. The Clan Creator mode asks you to think about coverage and timing. Sending everybody after one group is a good way to leave another route completely unprotected. [Majima Construction](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/clan-creator) Then there are the substories. There are 75, and they include friendships, scams, misunderstandings, returning faces, and situations Kiryu has absolutely no sensible reason to be standing in. Be My Baby and The Fake Kiryu are examples of how far the game will go with that side of things. Kiryu takes people's problems seriously even when the situation around him is ridiculous. His response is often what makes it funny. [Substories](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/substories) That also gives the cities some continuity. People remember him. Helping somebody can turn into a recruit, another encounter, or support in a fight. You end up knowing a neighborhood through the people in it instead of just remembering which shop sells the best healing item. Haruka's requests fit into this side of the game too. You can walk around with her, buy food, play games, and work through the things she asks for. Some of the requirements become fairly demanding if you're chasing completion, but the basic idea matters to what I was saying earlier. You get time with Kiryu actually spending the day with her. [Haruka's requests](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/harukas-requests) Majima's separate story The Majima Saga is a new addition to the remake, split into three chapters. It takes place before the main Kiwami 2 story and explains more about his departure from the Tojo Clan. It also returns to something personal from Yakuza 0. [Majima Saga](https://destructoid.com/reviews/review-yakuza-kiwami-2/) I'd keep the play order I laid out earlier: finish the main Kiwami 2 story, then play this. Having 0 behind you matters more than trying to fit every scene into exact chronological order. Go into it expecting a short campaign. You aren't getting a second version of Kiryu's progression, with another full set of substories and businesses to finish. Majima has his own fighting style, and the focus is on the events of these chapters. If you're going for everything The completion side of Kiwami 2 is a substantial project. There are 100 locker keys across the two cities, the businesses, minigames, Street Bosses, Coliseum tournaments, Bouncer Missions, Haruka's requests, and the Amon fights on top of the story and substories. The distinctions matter. Finishing the in-game Completion List doesn't automatically mean you've satisfied every trophy. The list asks for 20 Bouncer Mission clears, while the all-Bouncer trophy requires all 78 mission-and-difficulty combinations. Legend for those missions is also separate from completing the main story on Legend. [Completion requirements](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/completion-list), [trophies and achievements](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/trophies-achievements) That's a lot to take on, but you can separate it into manageable goals. Finish a business. Clear a group of substories. Sweep one city for keys. Work on one minigame instead of switching between five and forgetting what still needs doing. Premium Adventure gives you room to finish side content after the story, so you don't have to interrupt every important scene because you're afraid you missed a locker. [Postgame cleanup](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/218734-yakuza-kiwami-2/faqs/76366/new-game-and-premium-adventure) There is a reason I want to spend time on each of these games individually. Kiwami 2 has the rivalry with Ryuji, Sayama's investigation, Daigo's place in the Tojo, Kiryu trying to protect the life he has with Haruka, and Majima's separate chapter. On top of that, it changes how the game plays and gives you several substantial things to do away from the main story. You can talk about the tiger fights and the construction company, and those belong in the conversation. So do the quieter scenes where somebody has to decide what they owe another person, whether they can trust them, and how much of their life they are willing to keep giving to the same organization. That's where this game connects to the reasons I care about Kiryu and the people around him in the first place.