Game Focus writes: "For PS2 owners, there hasn't been much to cheer about lately. Receiving ports and limp originals with the rarest of exceptions, it's nice to see that Sega has seen fit to release what may just be the best brawler released in quite some time. Yakuza 2 has finally hit North American shores and it certainly was worth the wait. From the first instance that you put the disc in, to the final minutes of the last battle, Sega has made Yakuza 2 a fitting swansong for the series' run on the Playstation 2."
Pros
+ Intense story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
+ Excellent production values.
+ Voice-acting is awesome (even if it is in Japanese).
+ 96 ways to deliver the final blow to an opponent.
+ Tiger fight scene. Seriously.
Cons
- Audio can be a bit bland in some areas.
- Same goes for interiors of buildings.
- Subtitles may turn some gamers off.
- Context sensitive areas not implemented well enough.
Cutscenes pull a game's story together, but sometimes they can be a bit much. These are the longest cutscenes in PlayStation games.
Standing and fighting, face to face, just isn’t what these bosses are known for.
Besides being a fantastic game, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is also a technical showcase for the long running series.
Easily my favorite yakuza in he series, especially that ending.
This is how you do a remake, yakuza 1 kiwami was also great, even yakuza 0 (though not a remake)
Not a full priced game, fully upgraded with next gen graphics, expanded story modes, etc ect
It's crazy, after playing Kiwami 2 for the past week I decided to fire up Yakuza 2. Man, the difference is just...wow. The original Yakuza 2 still looks great though.
It's the greatest remake of all-time, because it has 12 years, and 2 console generations (nearly 3) between the 2 games, and benefits from modern day graphics power?
Um...... no. The best remake of all-time, is still Resident Evil, from 2002. That was both, a technical marvel with only 6 years between the games, and a true-to-heart remake, by the original creator.
Will Resident Evil 2 replace it this January? We'll see, but, doubtful. It appears to be taking too many liberties.
Really glad Sega is putting fourth so much effort back into this series! I missed out on Yakuza initially so these remakes are a great for both veterans and newcomers alike!