Yakuza Kiwami 2 Reviews
What better way to remake one of the earliest games in a series than by smashing its various pieces together with those of the newest entry? The Yakuza franchise truly is the gift that keeps on giving
As a remake of a sequel, it's no surprise that Yakuza Kiwami 2 has a lot more on offer than the first title. However, the choice to stick with Yakuza 6's convoluted stats system is an unfortunate blip in what could have been an ideal remake.
Yakuza’s silly sense of humor may not be everyone, but it’s complex narrative plays out like an HBO style crime thriller, so it’s worth experiencing for that alone. Fans of the series will, no doubt, have a blast with Yakuza Kiwami 2.
While by no means a perfect game, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an example of a remake done right. It feels fresh and modern, it takes the original story of Yakuza 2 without losing its spirit or charm. If you've never played a Yakuza game before, Kiwami 2 is a good place to start as it introduces you to everything you've missed so far, keeping the doors open to new players. You've tried being an American gangster in GTA, perhaps being a Japanese one will be to your liking as well.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the first must have game of 2018 for just about style of gamer. By all means, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you pass up this gem
Barring our gripes with the optional Majima campaign, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is yet another enjoyable entry in Sega's long-running series.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 delivers a slick fresh coat of paint onto this Japanese epic tale, while keeping the same engaging and complex story that fans know and love.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is among the best titles of the series like Yakuza 0. If you haven't got the chance to get yourself involved in world of Yakuza already, this is the perfect time.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Overall, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is one of the best entries in the franchise. It's the technically most advanced and includes many improvements that significantly enhance the experience while also telling a gripping and satisfying story. It's not perfect, with a sometimes slow progression system and a few hit-and-miss additions in the side content. Some fun additions from previous iterations could've made Kiwami 2 even more special.
As the fourth entry in a very short time and coming after Zero and 6 means that it doesn't quite have the same impact as it did originally, with a simpler story and sidequest and battle design than those two game. Nevertheless, it remains an excellent game with its immersive content and world.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an excellent remake of a classic that manages to modernize the best aspects of the original and adds a few surprises in order to please both new and old fans of the series. Kiwami 2 is the best opportunity to finally understand why Yakuza 2 is remembered as one of the best titles of the PS2 era.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The city of Kamurocho is packed with interesting characters, fun activities and a number of excellent diversions, all backed up by a solid narrative that throws up as many surprises as it does heartwarming moments.
While the main story can get too melodramatic for its own good and Majima's side story doesn't amount to much, I can recommend Yakuza Kiwami 2 on its level of presentation alone. The twists and turns of the plot kept me wanting to see what would happen next, the gorgeous production provided by the Dragon Engine left me wandering the streets just taking in the sites, and the combat is as satisfying as hitting someone you don't like with a bicycle. While I can't say that Yakuza 2 still holds up under a modern lens, I can say that this remake kept my attention to the end. And in that regard, the developers should give themselves a round of applause.
Mechanically, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best offering in the entire series. With the abundance of fun distractions, quirky side stories, break-neck and brutal combat, and the franchise's signature dark, if sometimes convoluted story, newcomers and veterans are in for a real treat.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a great retelling of Yakuza 2 with a new coat of paint, new content, rebalanced gameplay, more mini-games, more sidequest… more everything! If you're a fan of the Yakuza series then you probably pre-ordered this game and are ready to take it for a spin, but if you still haven't played a game in this franchise, then you should definitely check this remake sequel thing. Even better, start with Yakuza 0 and work your way up to Yakuza 6, one game at a time, so that you're ready for when the PlayStation 3 trilogy is on PS4. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an excellent PlayStation 4 game and a must-have release.
Not once has SEGA let me down, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is no different. It's a bloody brilliant game.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is another enjoyable instalment in the series. Switching between Kamurocho and Sotenbori with there being so much to do means the action never gets stale, and the new content offers some variety that will spice things up even for people who know Yakuza 2 inside out. That said, the features that have been cut from the original are greatly missed, and the new songs just don't have the same impact as the old ones do, most of the time. It's still definitely worth a play-through if a fan of the series (or even if only recently getting into it), but it's difficult to call it the definitive version of Yakuza 2.
If you haven't gotten into the Yakuza series, I don't know what you are waiting for. Yakuza Kiwami 2 adds new features and perfects old ones, making it one of the funnest games on the market today.
It's really quite amazing that even though this is the third Yakuza game released in the past 12 months, the formula still hasn't gotten old but rather just seems to get better.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 thrives on the back of a great villain and it is arguably the best story chapter in Kazuma Kiryu's saga. It is also the most comprehensive Yakuza game so far with plenty of mini-games and side activities to keep you engaged for a long time.