5/5 ★ – Lord_Hazenberg's review of Yakuza Kiwami 2.

Mary mother of Christ what a game! I am staggered at the sheer quality this series has been able to maintain. Zero is a game of the generation contender, Kiwami is a great remake of a PS2 classic, & Kiwami 2 might just surpass them both. First & foremost the game is stunning. It has the benefit of running on the studio’s new “Dragon Engine” and it’s jaw dropping. Lighting, animation, character models, & cutscenes are all so fluid. The story is a definitive step up from its predecessor, Kiwami. With the Tojo Clan weak from the infighting that took place in the first game, there are 2 factions hell bent on taking advantage of that. Kiryu is drug back into the fray after promising to help the Tojo Clan find new & stable leadership in order to stem the oncoming tide. Combat has had a nice little revamp in the new engine by following the style of Yakuza 6. Gone are the 4 styles of Zero & Kiwami, in favor of really fleshing out a singular system. On top of a new addition called “Extreme Heat Mode”, where you basically go super saiyan as it temporarily buffs all of your combat abilities. The game once again consists of two open world style cities, Kamurocho & a returning Sotenbori. Thanks to the new engine, no more loading screens when walking into restaurants or minigame hubs either. We also see a return of major mini games as well, with managing a Cabaret Club & a top down Plants vs Zombies style mode called Clan Creator. The Majima Saga is a new addition after fans still begged for more of the man after Kiwami literally put him everywhere. You get to play as the one eyed maniac in a VERY short prequel story to the events of the main game. If anything, it’s worth playing just for the closure scenes with a major character from Zero that will have you blubbering like a baby. In conclusion, this game is exceptional. Graphics, story, characters, gameplay, writing, soundtrack, & voice acting are all fantastic. It’ll have you laughing, crying, and growing 10 beards from sheer exposure to this much testosterone. A big step up from Kiwami in almost every way, and right up there with Zero as one of the very best games of this past generation.