Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza Kiwami 2’
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a glorious remake, like Kiwami before it, of the 2006 open-world action game Yakuza 2. Whereas Yakuza 0 and Kiwami were built on the same game engine, Kiwami 2 runs on a much newer engine – and the difference is massive, especially at first. Kiwami 2’s visual presentation took some getting used to, as character models look slightly different from the previous two games. What really struck me, however, was how different the city looked. The lighting had changed, the textures in some crucial areas were noticeably different, and the whole game ran into an “uncanny valley” sort of feeling as I settled into this experience that felt simultaneously familiar and different. But none of these differences were necessarily inferior. I simply required an adjustment period after spending 50+ hours with a distinctly alternative version of how these characters and the city streets looked.
In addition to visual changes, the gameplay in Kiwami 2 is almost completely overhauled from the prior games in this series, 0 and Kiwami. Kiwami 2’s combat feels a lot slower to open up than its predecessors, but it is equally fun once you get into the new rhythm. Some of the combat animations – heat actions in particular – really showcase the new game engine in powerful ways. There’s a much greater focus on grappling and throwing enemies in this version. While many of these changes to combat are impressive, they are also accompanied by a ton of (hilarious) jank. Whether I spun an enemy around, throwing them ten yards into a pile of sprawling bicycles, or I simply punched someone into the ground with enough force to have them bounce above my head, the incidental combat moments in Kiwami 2 made me laugh as much as the intentional gags during side stories did.
The story of Yakuza Kiwami 2 is relatively straightforward, but with higher overall stakes than were present in much of Yakuza 0 or Kiwami. Kiryu finds himself in the awkward and mostly unwilling position of preventing a war between the Tojo clan and the Omi alliance. A war between yakuza clans means hundreds dead on both sides, which is essentially a loss for all parties involved, but only Kiryu seems to be able to quell anyone’s ire. The game escalates ridiculously, as all good Yakuza stories do, rocketing towards its conclusion. The final series of fights are staged in one of the coolest venues the game could have delivered on, abruptly wrapping up the story with one of the biggest pre-credits cliffhangers in gaming memory. Kiwami 2 also delivers a bonus treat along the way: when you finish the game, you’ve unlocked a short series of playable Majima chapters!
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