Stepping Up

The final of the last three Yakuza games to get a re-release is a major step-up in terms of performance compared to Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut and Yakuza Kiwami. 

Using the same Dragon Engine first showcased in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is also bolstered by having one of the best tales in the entire franchise. It makes for one of the most complete Yakuza games available, even if this new native Xbox Series X|S version has absolutely no upgrades from its original release.

A year after the culmination of events in Yakuza Kiwami, Kazuma Kiryu once again finds himself being dragged back into the underworld he is desperate to leave behind. The murder of the Tojo Clan’s fifth chairman, Yukio Terada, sees Kiryu on the lookout for the next leader. But those that committed the murder are from rival gang, the Omi Alliance, and Kiryu must once again walk a tightrope to prevent an all-out war between the factions. A war that would likely see the complete collapse of the Tojo Clan.

A Classic Villain Emerges

It isn’t long before Kiryu is face-to-face with none other than Ryuji Goda in the ‘new’ city of Sotenbori. New to the series in terms of chronological releases, but familiar to fans of Yakuza 0.

Simply put, Kiryu and Goda dislike each other immensely, and that becomes apparent from their first interaction. And it never improves from there. Goda is often seen as one of the best antagonists in the franchise, largely down to him being a constant thorn in Kiryu’s side from the beginning of the game. Some antagonists only make themselves known in the latter acts of the games, but Goda is front and centre from the start, causing headaches.

Did Anyone Order Some Side Activities?

Yakuza Kiwami 2 also includes the Majima Saga that helps expand on Goro Majima’s story between games in a few, short playable chapters. He appears in the main story but now as the leader of Majima Construction, building a block of luxury flats on the old Purgatory homeless settlement. How has he gone from unpredictable yakuza captain to unpredictable foreman? Well, the Majima Saga helps explain that.

The Majima Construction subplot helps form the basis for one of the larger side quests in Kiwami 2: Clan Creator. Anyone familiar with the Kiryu Clan minigame in Yakuza 6 will feel right at home here; it is virtually identical. Gather a team of NPCs in a tower defence type of game, defending machinery and inventory from incoming invaders. It is a welcome distraction at first, full of classic Japanese pro-wrestlers hamming it up, but does get repetitive over time.

What certainly isn’t repetitive is the return of the Cabaret Club minigame. This time around, as Kiryu, you must drag a failing cabaret club from the depths of bankruptcy to the top of the league. It is virtually identical to the version found in Yakuza 0, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Seriously, any excuse to drop another ten hours into this side activity is a chance I will happily take.

These are two of the bigger side quests in Kiwami 2, but there are still plenty of other activities to be found across both cities. Karaoke, casino games, batting cages, arcades, darts and mahjong are all a given, but there is also golf, an in-game recreation of real-life urinal game Toylets, and, even weirder and more uncomfortable to explain when your spouse walks in, Gravure Photo Studio.

This is a minigame designed to make you feel as awkward as possible. Of that I am sure of, because it is incredibly cringey, and like I said, difficult to explain away. But basically, Kiryu is now doing a photoshoot with one of two real-life models: Hikaru Aoyama and Rina Hashimoto. They will talk at you, and Kiryu then needs to form coherent sentences from the options given to him. Complete a level and you get to unlock more outfits for them to be shot in. You aren’t actually taking photos, but the fact that these are real-life videos makes this cringey but in a way that you can laugh at yourself for having to play this.

Combat Feels Streamlined Whilst Still Packing

Combat and levelling up has also been stripped from Yakuza 6, but the good news is that it is one of the better systems in the series. It only features the one style, but it can be upgraded to the point that Kiryu is a walking tank. Heat actions can be unlocked through a variety of means and even through meeting characters on the street. These characters will help in their own unique way, very much in keeping with Yakuza’s lighter side.

The upgrade to the new engine shows marked improvement straight away. Lighting is massively improved, and as both Kamurocho and Sotenbori are lit up like Blackpool, this extra dimension makes them stand out.

And that’s not all: fights on the street now start seamlessly, and shops and eateries can be entered without initiating a loading screen. You can even start a fight in the street and finish it in a shop, but good luck trying to purchase something from said shop in the aftermath.

As such then, upgrading to the native Xbox Series X|S version is a free upgrade option for existing Yakuza Kiwami 2 owners. That is due to there being no differences gameplay-wise, but there are a few new text language options available in this newer version.

The Dragon Engine’s Gritty Masterpiece

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is one of the best entries in the Yakuza franchise, so any chance to play it again is a welcome one. This Xbox Series X|S version may not feature as many upgrades as the other two recently re-released Yakuza games, but it doesn’t need to. It’s visually a step-up from those and the pacing is a lot better too. 

And it has one of the best antagonists in the series, so much so that RGG Studios resurrected him for zombie spin-off Yakuza: Dead Souls. Now, when is that game going to get some modern love?

Important Links

The Dragon of Dojima Rises – Yakuza’s Origin Saga Lands in Definitive Editions! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-dragon-of-dojima-rises-yakuzas-origin-saga-lands-in-definitive-editions/

Buy Yakuza Kiwami 2 from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/yakuza-kiwami-2/9NTS053TCCZ8/0010/9MZB52ZLBPSQ

Enjoy the Yakuza Kiwami & Yakuza Kiwami 2 Bundle – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/yakuza-kiwami-yakuza-kiwami-2-bundle/9NK03PZ4RQ1Z/0010

Go big with the Complete Series – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/yakuza-complete-series/9MXVSHL8GBHH/0010/B267WM43HNMG