Can anyone explain to me how it is almost the 1st of March? 2019 is flying by already, I have been so distracted with everything I've been neglecting playing games! My second game of the year is Yakuza Kiwami 2, I was really excited to play this as I had so much fun with Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami.
There is a snack food company called Paqui, I came across them about a year or so ago when I saw people trying the one chip challenge. Basically, you get sent one chip from them that is so hot you may actually die, well not really but it's crazy hot. I wanted to try some of their products but they don't ship to Ireland, so I checked Amazon UK who had them but also won't ship to Ireland. Finally resorted to Parcel Wizard and sometime later I got them. One of the flavors of chips I got were Cool Salsa Verde, they were awesome and reminded me of the old Phileas Fogg chips. They are dry but also full of flavor, they are not as good as Phileas Fogg chips but pretty good. Playing Yakuza Kiwami 2 I found myself asking was it as good as the previous installments or was it slightly lesser but still good?
Story
There is so much story in the Yakuza games and Yakuza Kiwami 2 is no exception. The game starts with you being able to watch the events of the previous games. The games see Kiryu and his adopted daughter Haruka living together in peace. That is until he is pulled into the Tojo Clan fold again due a dying wish, and an impending war with the Omi Alliance. Kiryu will need to explore the streets of Kamurocho and Sotenbori to find answers and stop an all-out war.
Outside of the main story, the game features seventy-six sub-stories which although good doesn't feel as memorable as previous games. If this wasn't enough Majima is back! He has his only saga, which is really short but also really enjoyable.
Overall the story is great, the Majima saga is really enjoyable if a little short, and while the sub-stories are not as good as previous instalments they are pretty solid overall.
Visuals
The visuals are completely overhauled versus the original release of Yakuza 2. The game looks amazing and is bustling with life. The streets of Kamuroho and Sotenbori feel even more detailed than the previous game and feel more organic than the previous games. Even going into the store there is so much more details to items in the shop. The minimap feels a little clearer as well making it easier to navigate your way around the world.
Overall the visuals continue to amaze and I am curious to see what will be done with the Yakuza 3 Remaster, which will hopefully be released sometime this year in the west.
Music
The music in Yakuza never really disappoints, as the game's progress so does the music. There is still heavy use of electric guitars and electronic sounds, but it now features a nice dose of piano pieces which will really help in creating a sombre feel. The score is composed by Hidenori Shoji, a composer from Japan who works include; Sega Touring Car Championship, Project X Zone 2, Sonic All-Star Racing Transformed and the Yakuza series itself.
Listening to the score again it reminded me in part of Yuzo Koshiro's Streets of Rage, which isn't a bad thing. There were many great tracks in Yakuza Kiwami 2 including; 'Majima Construction', 'The End Of Dogma', 'Vertical Point', 'Ogre Has Been Reborn', 'Amusing Octagon', 'Bad Fortune, Not Bad', 'Fall Is Eternal Moment' (Piano), and 'Credits of Kiwami'.
Overall a great soundtrack that really helps define the overall feel of the game.
Gameplay
Like with the Yakuza Kiwami 2 story there is a lot to offer in terms of gameplay. There are many enemies to take on, all lining up to be punched, kicked, thrown or otherwise abused. Fights
can end up spilling into shops and you can even put enemies through windows. A new, fun addition are allies, once you unlock them they can help you in battle by throwing you hot sauce, a large whip, an oversized fan and a leek are just some of the helpful weapons you can get. The game won't always see Kiryu fighting alone and the special attacks you can pull off with allies are quite satisfying.
The leveling up system is interesting but in many ways, I prefer those in the previous installments. Experience can be gaining by pretty much-doing everything, but the bulk of it will come from eating food. There is now a hunger gauge which helps you pick gain points in certain attributes, which are then used to unlock abilities. Getting the right balance of food can be difficult and I found that after completing a third of the game I had so much money but little to spend it on.
There are a number of other mini-games including; a peeing game (yep, that's right), baseball, golf, watching videos like 'An Anteater Ate My Husband, photography, Colosseum battles, and playing games in the arcade. These are just some of the options on offer.
while I have my reservations in relation to the leveling up system and Majima constructions end mission overall the gameplay is fairly solid.
Final Thoughts
After forty-hours of playing how did I feel? Pretty good. The main story was good and I really enjoyed the Majima story, the sub-stories weren't as good but far from bad. The visuals and music were amazing. The gameplay was really solid and had some great new features, even if it did take me a while to the leveling system. It might not have been as memorable as the other two games but it's hard to fault it. This one gets a solid 4 out of 5
