Review Game Yakuza Kiwami 2

Yakuza Kiwami 2, released in Japan last December, is coming to the west in a special edition steelbook.

The steelbook is only available for preorders and the first run of the game, and features art on the inside cover of "Kiryu and his fierce rival, the Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda."

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a remake of Yakuza 2, remastered in the Dragon Engine used to create Yakuza 6. All the in-game and cut-scene dialog has been re-recorded, with an emphasis on remaining "as true to the original as possible."

The localization has also been reworked, so it's "the most faithful representation of the original Japanese," according to Sega.

If you've forgotten, or aren't familiar with the story, you can check out a 10-part web comic on the Yakuza Experience website to get up to speed.

The original Yakuza Kiwami was a remake of the original Yakuza game, and brought the experience into the modern era. In our Yakuza Kiwami review, we said it was a quality makeover, but still left some things on the table.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 can be purchased digitally or physically and releases August 28, 2018.

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I’m supposed to be investigating an attack on my yakuza clan’s base of operations. Instead, I’m belting out cheesy ’80s numbers in a karaoke bar. Musical interlude over, I’m back to investigating the murder of a high ranking officer within the organisation – until I’m distracted again, drawn into one of dozens of arcades dotting the streets, where I can spend hours playing the likes of Virtua Fighter  and other classics.

Such distractions have always been a hallmark of the Yakuza series, Sega’s brilliantly detailed recreation of Japanese nightlife and the criminal underworld. While each entry packs in a deep and usually emotionally charged story in the life of Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza with a heart of gold, chances are you’ll spend more time exploring the delights of Kamurocho (a fictionalised take on Kabukichō), otherwise known as Tokyo’s Red Light District.

In Yakuza Kiwami 2, Sega’s upcoming remake of the PS2’s Yakuza 2, those delights are even more distracting. Arcades feature more detailed games, like the original Cyber Troopers Virtual-On, playable in full, while karaoke songs have more options for videos and performance mods than ever. The series’ infamous hostess clubs make a return too – albeit with some changes to hostess likenesses, brands, and even signature cocktails due to licensing agreements – and the streets are filled with people offering side quests to Kiryu. There’s plenty to do, even without touching the main story.

Best of all, all those shops and bars can now be entered seamlessly, without loading or transition animation, making the world feel more realistic and immersive. With both Kamurocho in Tokyo, and Sōtenbori and Shinseicho in Osaka to explore (the latter based on the real-world districts of Dōtonbori and Shinsekai), this upgraded Yakuza 2 delivers a far more engaging vision of Japanese street life.