YAKUZA KIWAMI: ALL 30 CLIMAX BATTLES, PART 2
Melee and Mad Dog Battles. This continues the guide, using the preset definitions and controls explained in Part 1. Story spoilers follow.
MELEE BATTLES
1. THE FINALE MOB
Preset: Idolized Dragon. Three waves in three minutes.
Use Beast and the objects in the street to damage several enemies and build Heat. Spend Climax Heat on Beast's Essence of Entangle when enemies are clustered, rather than using every finisher on the nearest nearly defeated opponent.
The fast blond enemy in the second wave is the one most likely to break your rhythm. Keep a useful object or Heat Action for him. If he avoids your heavy attacks, switch to Rush, dodge to his side and use a shorter punish rather than chasing with Beast's slow swings.
Carry a useful amount of Heat into the next wave when possible. This preset has the Soul tree, so exploit its finishers, but remember that you do not have the health or normal-combo upgrades of Strongest Dragon.
2. THE PRISON FIGHT
Preset: Technical Dragon. Inmate 1356 and four prisoners. Two minutes thirty seconds.
Clear the ordinary prisoners efficiently with Brawler or Beast attacks that hit more than one target. Avoid letting the fork-wielding inmate interrupt every combination from the side. Move around the group so he stays in view.
Once he is alone, Brawler's upgraded normal attacks are your main damage source. After four light attacks, use the two heavy inputs for the Double Finishing Blow when the opening is safe. A shorter three-light, heavy string is useful when he will not give you enough time for the full sequence.
Do not spend the whole fight rebuilding Heat for a low-damage repeated finisher. This preset's strength is the Tech tree. Heat Actions can still create breathing room, but controlled normal combinations do the steady work here.
3. WEST PARK'S HIDDEN STRAGGLERS
Preset: Dragon Embodied. Clear every enemy before the timer expires.
Use your high attack power to clear the enemies close to the starting point. Hit groups with Beast or strong Brawler combinations, and use available Heat Actions on enemies with more health rather than on someone one punch from defeat.
The trap is the two enemies at the far end near the fountain. They do not necessarily join the starting crowd. As soon as the immediate area is clear, move through the park and find them. If the challenge has not ended, check the minimap instead of standing in the cleared area waiting for another wave.
You can also move toward their end early and draw more enemies together. The important thing is remembering that clearing the first group is not the finish condition.
4. THE THREE STREET GANGS
Preset: Dragon Reborn. Two minutes thirty seconds.
Switch to Dragon immediately. Tiger Drop is available even though the other ability trees are not developed. Let the nearest visible attacker commit, counter him, then reposition so the next approach is in front of you.
Prioritize stun-gun carriers and other enemies who can interrupt your setup. A dropped knife gives you a second route through guarded opponents, and the Dragon dagger Heat Action is useful when you have the gauge for it. You do not need to wait endlessly for the last passive enemy to volunteer a counter opportunity.
Keep the three waves moving. Trying to reproduce your fully upgraded Brawler game with this preset costs time because those upgrades are not present. Dragon counters, dropped weapons and its available Heat Actions are the tools this challenge gives you.
5. SNAKE FLOWER TRIAD
Preset: Idolized Dragon, locked to Brawler. Four minutes.
You fight the restaurant's opening room and its reinforcements. Knock down an armed enemy, take his weapon and use it to keep the next group from surrounding you. Swords and the room's furniture help compensate for the limited normal moveset.
Save Heat for the tougher arrivals. The staff user is particularly dangerous because repeated hits can keep interrupting you. Meet him with a weapon or large-object Heat Action before he gets his pressure started. Reposition if furniture or another enemy is preventing the intended prompt from appearing.
Stay near usable objects without trapping yourself against them. If a weapon breaks in the middle of several enemies, disengage before reaching for another one.
When the room looks clear, check the stairs. An enemy partway up can keep the challenge running. Do not lose the last few seconds looking for a nonexistent final wave downstairs.
6. SHIMANO FAMILY GROUP FIGHT
Preset: Technical Dragon, locked to Rush. Two minutes. Allies assist you.
Use the allies to divide enemy attention. Attack someone already occupied, finish the Rush string when you have a clean opening, then hold the heavy finisher for the charged kick. The Tech preset gives you the upgraded Rush tools this requires.
Do not stubbornly finish the longest string if another enemy approaches your back. Quickstep out, choose the next target and continue. You are trying to keep dealing damage, not complete one perfect combination while the crowd hits you.
Stomp Heat Actions can finish durable or isolated enemies without running the timer during the animation. Keep checking for remaining targets after the central scrum breaks up. Your allies help, but you still need to finish the fight within the limit.
7. MILLENNIUM TOWER AGENTS
Preset: Dragon Embodied, locked to Beast. Three waves in three minutes.
Go after a gun carrier first. Once he is down, collect the weapon and shoot the other agents instead of lumbering across every firing line in Beast. When the next wave arrives, use the remaining ammunition to soften it before returning to close combat.
Keep changing to newly dropped guns as ammunition runs out. Do not spend the whole timer carrying an empty firearm or trying to punch an armed group from a distance.
In melee, use Beast's wide attacks to catch several enemies. Deal with the lesser agents before committing to the durable final opponent so their shots cannot keep breaking your attack. Throws and heavy hits are useful once you have room. Your high health is helpful, but it is not a reason to walk through repeated bullets.
8. THE MULTI-TENANT BUILDING AND ARASE
Preset: Dragon Reborn, locked to Dragon. Thirty minutes.
This is a long route with a generous clock. Your limited health is the problem. Do not rush it as though it were a ninety-second challenge, and do not try to use the other styles when the lock prevents switching.
Take the building floor by floor. Prioritize gunmen, use dropped guns, and Tiger Drop melee enemies when you have a clear view. Search accessible side rooms for recovery items. Where the path onward is open, move through instead of fighting everyone simply because they are there.
Use Dragon Heat Actions to recover a little health during the climb. That recovery can keep a manageable early mistake from ruining the entire run. Do not burn through every healing item while charging carelessly at armed groups, because you still have the rooftop fight ahead.
Against Arase, remove any accompanying enemies so you can focus on his movement. Keep him locked on and dodge his diving shots. When he finishes firing, move behind him for a short combination, then disengage before he flips away or retaliates. Two or three clean hits are better than forcing a full string into his evasions.
Do not stand in front of his armored multi-shot attack trying to Tiger Drop every bullet. Evade the sequence and punish the recovery. Tiger Drop is useful when you recognize a safe counter opening, but it is not a substitute for avoiding his dangerous firing pattern.
Later in the fight, use a saved Staminan to restore Heat if needed, then a two-handed object Heat Action such as Essence of Obliteration to secure damage. This challenge gives you time to play patiently. Use it.
9. SHANGRI-LA SHORTCUT
Preset: Strongest Dragon. Reach and defeat Majima in three minutes.
The objective is the boss at the bottom, not every enemy on every floor. Build Heat at the start, using a successful Rush dodge if you can, then move to the heavy enemy blocking the route with a chair.
Use the special Heat Action against the chair-carrying blocker, Essence of Self-Destruct. Continue downstairs and do the same at the next blockage. Avoid getting drawn into every side fight as you descend.
Once you reach Majima, switch to your reliable boss method. Tiger Drop works if your timing is comfortable. Otherwise use Rush to dodge behind him, build Heat and spend it on a strong finisher. You have the fully upgraded preset, so the key is arriving with enough time to use it.
If the timer keeps expiring before you reach him, the problem is probably the route, not your damage. Stop clearing enemies the objective lets you bypass.
10. TOJO HQ, KASHIWAGI AND SERA
Preset: Weakest Dragon. Fifteen minutes.
This is an endurance test with no purchased abilities. Do not plan around Tiger Drop, Dragon healing or an upgraded finishing sequence. Basic Brawler attacks, environmental weapons and the Heat Actions available to this preset are your reliable tools.
Opening: clear the enemies outside while conserving health. Build Heat before entering the building. Kashiwagi is waiting inside, and an immediate chair Heat Action gives you damage without first trading hits with him.
Kashiwagi: let his combination finish, dodge to his side or back and use a short Brawler string. Three light attacks into heavy is a practical punish. Rebuild Heat and use another chair when available. Do not attack straight into him after he blocks you; his retaliation can take a substantial part of your limited health.
Middle section: clear the enemies coming down the stairs, go upstairs, follow the hallway and descend the back stairs. Continue through the next groups toward the garden. Ogino is tougher than the ordinary enemies, so use an available weapon or Heat Action rather than taking a prolonged trade.
Sera: arrive with Heat if possible. Use a garden lantern Heat Action on him, then keep moving. His evasions and long punishes make frontal button-mashing particularly costly.
The two knife-throwing enemies can help you rebuild Heat: draw Sera away, get a short safe combination on a straggler and spend the gauge on Sera with another lantern. This is an option, not a reason to leave both throwers alive when their projectiles are the thing killing you. Remove them if you cannot control their positions.
Vary the weapon Heat Action by changing style when possible, and finish Sera with short attacks after his string ends. Save health by refusing bad exchanges. The timer allows a careful approach, but your preset does not allow many mistakes.
MAD DOG BATTLES
1. BREAKER MAJIMA
Preset: Strongest Dragon, locked to Rush. Ninety seconds.
Keep pressure on Majima before he starts a long spinning sequence. Dodge to his back, land a Rush combination and finish with a charged heavy kick when he gives you room. Reposition as he recovers instead of attacking his guard from the front.
If he gets the spin going, move out of its path. Running into it repeatedly loses both health and the time spent getting back up. Resume pressure when the animation ends. Use a Heat Action when available to secure damage without the timer running through the animation.
The route is controlled aggression. Staying far away all fight is safe for a while, but it will not meet the ninety-second limit.
2. OFFICER MAJIMA WITHOUT HITTING THE POLICE
Preset: Strongest Dragon, locked to Beast. Three minutes. Harming either real police officer fails the challenge.
Identify Majima and get a grab on him. Throw him toward open space away from the two officers, then keep him separated. Beast's wide swings and collateral throws are dangerous here because a single stray hit can invalidate the attempt.
Target Majima only. Use controlled grabs and single-target damage when the officers are nearby. If they move into your attack path, stop and draw Majima somewhere clearer rather than hoping a large swing will miss them.
Late in the fight, the officers become more aggressive and draw bats. Majima can remain slumped while they close in. Reposition before the finishing hit, and make sure the Heat prompt and your actual target are still Majima.
The most important resource is a clean line to him. A little movement costs less than restarting because a nearly finished combination clipped the wrong person.
3. ZOMBIE MAJIMA'S GAUNTLET
Preset: Strongest Dragon, locked to Brawler. Six minutes.
Work through the zombie groups without spending all your health trying to finish a surrounded enemy. Brawler throws, weapon attacks and crowd Heat Actions let you remove several targets while keeping the fight manageable.
The route is Majima with two zombies, five zombies, three zombies followed by the second Majima, eight zombies, then the final Majima with two zombies. Before the second encounter, defeat the three ordinary enemies before advancing far enough down the street to trigger him. Use the smaller enemies to rebuild Heat between the tougher fights.
The last Majima is fast enough to punish careless combinations. Bait an attack, dodge behind him and use a short punish. Brawler's Lightning Fist is another available tool: hold fighting stance and time heavy just as the attack lands. The timing resembles Tiger Drop, but it is Brawler's own counter. Holding guard against his ordinary punches can also rebuild Heat for your weapon finishers.
The bicycles near the final fight are especially useful. Save one for a powerful weapon Heat Action when his speed becomes the problem. If you have enough Heat to interrupt his recovery phase with the appropriate Brawler finisher, do it instead of letting the fight drag on.
4. THREE HANNYA-MEN
Preset: Weakest Dragon. Three minutes thirty seconds.
Start with Brawler's basic three-light, heavy string. You do not have Tiger Drop or your upgraded counter tools here. Use the tables and basic ground or environmental Heat Actions when they are available.
New Hannya-Men can appear as the current one weakens, or after another minute elapses. Do not assume avoiding damage to the first will stop reinforcements. As the next arrives, keep attacking the already damaged, glowing opponent until he is finished. Switching to the fresh arrival leaves two active enemies for longer and increases the chance of being interrupted.
Repeat when the third arrives. Avoid standing between two of them, and use a Heat Action to finish the weakened target if an ordinary combination would be unsafe. Your objective is to keep reducing the number of active opponents, not spread equal damage across all three.
If the timer is tight, shorten your normal combinations and finish low-health enemies promptly. Waiting for a perfect opening while several Hannya-Men are active makes both the time and health problem worse.
5. FOUR DIFFERENT MAJIMAS
Preset: Strongest Dragon. Three minutes.
Order: Zombie Majima in Thug, Officer Majima in Slugger, Everyone's Idol Goro in Breaker, then Goromi in Mad Dog.
Use Dragon's Tiger Drop if you have the timing, but do not waste the opening fights waiting for one specific attack when ordinary combinations will finish them quickly. The first three are a chance to bank time for Goromi.
Against Slugger, punish the bat's recovery rather than walking into its reach. Against Breaker, keep pressure on him before the long spin begins. Against Goromi, be ready for the faster knife attacks and use short, deliberate counter openings or evasions into Heat damage.
Watch for the QTE sequence rather than relaxing when the health bar is nearly gone. A successful boss rush still requires handling the on-screen prompt.
Continued in Part 3: Ultimate Battles, rewards and references.
YAKUZA KIWAMI: ALL 30 CLIMAX BATTLES, PART 2
· Yakuza Kiwami