Review #624: Yakuza 2

 The Dragon of Dojima soars again.

 Yakuza was great despite its glaring flaws. Yakuza 2 takes everything that worked about the previous game, polishes the combat and makes everything bigger, badder and better, turning it into one of the PS2's most unsung games.

 You still play as Kiryu Kazuma, however, he is more of a passenger in the game's plot this time around... which is for the better, as Kiryu is supposed to be a power fantasy, a badass titan with a heart of gold that's ready to punch through any goon that stands in his way. After the first game, the new head of the Tojo family is fumbling his job and is eventually murdered by the Omi family, what follows is Kiryu getting embroiled in the Tojo affairs once again. He will cross paths with Sayama, a female cop tasked with protecting him, a chance she takes in order to discover just how the Tojo are involved with her disappeared parents, and Goda Ryuji, the Dragon of Goda, a man with tall ambitions which include conquering the Tojo. I wouldn't call the story better than the one in the first game, because it isn't, but I found it to be much better written. Sayama, Ryuji as well as the rest of the new characters, like Kawara, are more and better developed than the cast from the first game, which leads to more poignant scenes and making you empathize more with the cast. I also found Kazuma taking a more Mad Max role in the story a very interesting way to tell the story... but one that makes sense for the character. He is a gentle giant helping everyone he comes across, he is supposed to eternally stand for justice and honor, he is a character that won't grow or change, but dammit, he will help everyone around him accomplish their goals or change their hearts.

 The brunt of the game remains pretty much the same as it was in Yakuza 1, being a story-driven beat'em up set in the open streets of Kamurcho, as you leisurely progress through the story or invest your time on sidequests. And boy oh boy, are there even more sidequests this time around! Joining Kamurcho are two new districts, smaller in size but with a decent amount of sidequests and side activities each. Sadly, you're stuck into whichever district the chapter you're playing demands, but once you hit chapter 16 you're free to visit any district at your leisure, provided you can pay the Taxi fare! Since this game only adds to the activities from the previous game, the cities of Kamurocho, Sotenbori and Shinseicho feel very alive, full of colorful characters and sidequests just begging to be found. I recommend cruising around the cities every time you start a new chapter, so that you may come across them, and, at worst, you'll partake in some random encounters with thugs, and level up, or find keys for the 60+ lockers. If you are into wasting time, joining the batting cages, cranes and slots from Yakuza 1 we get Mahjong, Shogi, Bowling, Golfing and even a silly, but surprisingly fun, first person sword-and-slingshot fighting mini game!

 Combat remains pretty much the same, but polished to a sheen. There are more uses for your Heat gauge, thanks to new abilities such as Heat Counters and powerful Heat actions against gun-tooting thugs, plus, now you can increase your maximum amount of stored heat by watching videos at Sotenbori's video booths! The biggest change of all is that now you can hit different directions mid-combo from the get-go, making combat feel much smoother and not forcing you to hit empty air once you began your string. It's still not perfect, but now I didn't feel like the game was unfair... although it makes up for that by having thugs being even more aggressive, so you'll have to learn how to better manage multiple opponents in a fight. Boss battles now come with Quick Time Events, but, surprisingly, I didn't hate them too much, probably because they are so exciting and don't wear out their welcome. It's not like God of War where even normal mooks might've required QTEs, these are relegated to big, tough bosses.

 Yakuza 2 is fantastic. It's a long, beefy game with a ton of content, optional and mandatory. The main story is lengthy, but not boring, and should keep you busy for a while. The combat is simple, but satisfying thanks to how visceral it is. Returning players might be a bit peeved having to unlock many abilities that they already unlocked in the first game, but getting to see how the whole story pans out is worth it, and getting Kiryu to tip-top shape again and curb-stomp every fool is worth it. Well, onward to Yakuza 3 it is!
 8.5 out of 10