Yakuza Kiwami 2 Reviews
An expert remake, imbued with lavish production design, superior voice-acting, flashy fighting, and hours of side content and virtual tourism.
It's nearly impossible to play Yakuza Kiwami 2 without feeling spoiled. This remake doesn't just transform an old game's visuals into something more visually palatable. It actually adds all the elements you'd expect from a modern day Yakuza title and wraps them around the bones of the most polished version of the developer's most modern game engine. Fuse these assets together with fan-favorite story and a plethora of side activities, and you have yourself not only one of the best remakes on the market, but also one of the best Yakuza titles to date.
Yakuza games are always a joy for to review. They iterate just enough each time to differentiate themselves but they always stay true to a core focus and never try to break apart an already winning formula. As it turns out, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best of the bunch.
Yakuza seems to be picking up more and more traction without showing signs of stopping, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a shining example of why that is. Despite some shallow combat, it encapsulates everything that makes a Yakuza game special. The break-neck pacing of the main story ensures its hooks get right into you, and even if you do get side-tracked by the plethora of activities available in these dense open worlds, you’ll have just as much fun. It’s a title that aims to please both fans and newcomers alike, which it pulls off with flying colors, proving once again that Yakuza is a series worthy of the attention it receives and more.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 does a superb job remaking a classic of the series. The presentation and delivery of the whole experience shows an incredible amount of dedication from the development team to make sure the momentum obtained from Zero and Kiwami could continue for the series, perhaps driven even further as it has been confirmed this will be the last true remake for the series with 3 and 4 being released as HD remasters. In a world with room for only one dragon, the Dragon of Dojima soars.
In the end, I’d say that Yakuza Kiwami 2 is still a decent game that has a lot going for it, but I really hope that for the next remake or entry in the series they improve upon everything about the Dragon Engine if they plan on keeping it around, as well as changing up the design choices regarding how you level up and improve your character.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is arguably the strongest in the series yet and one of the best games to release this year.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is everything players have come to expect from the series – humour, heart, honour, drama and karaoke. It stands alongside the likes of Shadow of the Colossus as one of the best remakes of this console generation and should be in the library of any Yakuza fan, old or new.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 takes everything that was great about its predecessors and, somehow, upgrades them in almost every way.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a great remake offering an expansive narrative mixed with fierce combat and exciting extra activities to take part in.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 totally revitalizes an underrated gaming classic and applies the lessons Sega learned throughout the series’ evolution. It’s still unique and even weird at times, and it can still be a little rough around the edges, but few series manage to take you deep into a criminal underworld and tell such compelling stories.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 has been a pleasant surprise for me. We have a good story of intrigues among families of yakuzas to rise to power, with charismatic characters, lots of humor and action, as well as a lot of mini-games and side quests. In case it was not enough, audiovisually fulfills in a remarkable way.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yakuza Kiwami 2 has easily become one of my favorite games in the Yakuza series. From the action packed story, to the overabundance of side content provided, to the ability to play as Majima again, I honestly have a game that keeps me wanting to come back for more and more, and never want to put the controller down.
Simply put, Kiwami 2 is the new pinnacle for the series and any RPGamers with a passing interest in brawlers or wanting to make a virtual visit to Japan should seek it out.