In the world of gaming, no idea is truly original. With that in mind, the insistently unoriginal Yakuza series has proven to be a reliable staple of the gaming industry, and none of that has changed for its PS4 remake of the second game, Yakuza 2.
All the Yakuza games I’ve played feature a meaty combat system, silly side-diversions existing opposite a serious and melodramatic main story, all taking place in the same fictional Tokyo entertainment district. In many respects, it is like a solid iteration of Madden with none of the Ultimate Team garbage.
A year on from the events of the original game, Kazuma Kiryu has entered civilian life alongside his adopted daughter. When tensions flare between his former Tojo Clan and the Osakan Omi Alliance, The Dragon of Dojima must once again navigate a frankly absurdly complicated mystery plot, but not before hitting the streets of Kamurocho for a spot of digital tourism.
While the story doesn’t drag like Yakuza 1’s could, the sheer convoluted nature of it all winds up hurting it as the climax becomes hard to take seriously. The “No, I was manipulating you all along” trope gets played no less than twice in the space of 15 minutes. On your way there, it does a lot to get you invested in these people and their problems.
In this remake, the studio's imported the engine and combat from Yakuza 6, which trades off variation for playing around with ragdoll physics. There’s also a range of new and old Heat Actions, which are, as always, hilariously brutal. What’s more, there’s a new mini-campaign where you can play as fan favorite Goro Majima again in the space between the first and second games. While playing as him again is cool, his combat is very limited compared to Kiryu’s this time around. You do get more closure on a surprise character, which makes up for it somewhat.
And, once again, there are new side quests taking Kiryu on all sorts of weird escapades, ranging from breaking up scam rings to participating in a photo shoot, to other peculiar side-quests I won’t spoil here.
In the end, if you’ve played Yakuza 0 and Kiwami before this, you’re more than likely onboard for the Insane Adventures of Kazuma Kiryu. If not, it’s the perfect time to hit the streets of Kamurocho, as Yakuza 0 has been permanently discounted to $20 and ported to PC. If playing that doesn’t sell you on the remakes, not much will.
Logan Graham is a senior studying media arts with a focus in games and animation at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have you played? Let Logan know by emailing him at lg261813@ohio.edu.
