For PS2 owners, there hasn’t been much to cheer about lately. Receiving ports and limp originals with only 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.

 

 

To call Yakuza 2 a straight-up brawler would be too simple. Yes, it has all the mechanics of a standard brawler: fights with multiple enemies, brutal combos and over-the-top special moves that become available the more you pound on your opponents. Simple enough. However, add in the abundance of side-missions, minigames and a story that’s better than a lot of crime drama’s that have come to the big screen in recent years and you’ve got a game that’s well worth the price of admission and extends the title beyond the standard brawler trappings. Try to think of it as Shenmue’s younger, but more mature cousin and you’d be on the right track. It’s got the basics of the Dreamcast classic, but updates them and makes them a bit more engaging for today’s gamer.  

 

The story is very important to Yakuza 2 and is quite an amazing undertaking when considering the complexity of the storyline. It’s a game that goes for grand storytelling, and achieves that remarkably well. The narrative begins with Kazuma Kiryu trying to leave his mafia dealings in the past after the events of the previous year. (If you’ve not played through the first game, there is a chance for you to catch up to speed here fairly early on, so don’t panic if you’re lost for a few minutes.) After catching up on things, the action will kick into full gear, and as you may have guessed...Kaz’s quiet life goes right out the window. There’s betrayal and dealings with past events obviously affect current ones...all standard stuff, but all well done. As I don’t want to spoil anything from the story, I’m not going to post any more here. That said, I have to give kudos to the writers for this one. The story is well developed, and you’ll actually find yourself caring about the characters that you’re introduced to. When’s the last time a brawler did that?

 

For anyone who has played through the first game, Yakuza 2 doesn’t really mess with the formula developed in the original title. This means that your like or dislike of the game will rely heavily on whether or not you liked the first one. The combat, side-missions and story-telling are all pretty much the same as the previous game with some enhancements here and there. Those new to the series won’t be lost, however. While the gameplay does have some good depth to it, if you’ve ever played a brawler, you’ll know that beyond punching and kicking your enemies, there’s not much to know.

 

As a brawler, the game does a decent job of executing the essentials. Use the square button for quick albeit weak attacks, and press the triangle button to deal a more powerful blow. The circle button is used for throws, press R1 to lock-on, and the L1 button is setup for blocks. Fairly standard stuff, and it all works quite well. Being successful in your attacks will build up your Heat meter, which will allow you to use a special attack on your opponents. This is where you’ll find most of the depth in combat really comes in. There are 96 different types of special attacks and each one is incredibly brutal and satisfying to pull off. The only problem I have with this system is that you’ll constantly see the same few special attacks over and over again. Having 96 different specials available is great, but when you’re in a tough fight and need to finish it fast, you’re not likely to drag an opponent around the environment just to see a particularly savage finishing move. A minor gripe I had with the combat system aside from that is the use of context sensitive sequences. They just don’t feel as satisfying to pull off, and kind of feel like an afterthought rather than something that was planned from the very beginning. 

 

Kaz also has other activities he can participate in ranging from side-quests to mini-games. There are restaurants, cabarets, casino’s, arcades and other businesses that Kaz can frequent. None of these are overly exciting and few of them have much to do with the story, but they’re inoffensive in nature, and simply there if you feel you need a break from the heavy doses of story that the game offers. Kaz can chat with hostesses at clubs, eat a meal or even watch a movie. Eating will restore health, while watching a movie can gain Kaz some valuable experience. That said, you’re never really obligated to participate in any of these activities (with some minor exceptions during the main story), and in the case of the mini-games, I’d even go so far as to tell you to avoid them at all costs. There are some really poor games available here, and none are really worth playing except to marvel at just how bad they are. It’s a shame considering how well everything else was implemented.

 

 

On the visual side of things, Yakuza 2 is an amazing looking game. The character models are some the best designed for the system, and the combat animations are fantastic. It’s a testament to the system that it holds up better than some current-gen games when it comes to animations during the fight scenes. The PS2 may not have the power of the new gen, but it’s certainly still got some life in it, yet, if the visuals in Yakuza have something to say about it. The environments are also terrific. Cities are alive with people. Neon signs are alight everywhere, and there’s enough detail to make this a very visually appealing game. That being said, some of the building interiors are a little bland, and lack any real identifying features from other buildings aside from different colour schemes. Still, this is one great looking PS2 title, and a few minor complaints aside, definitely one of the best looking releases in quite some time.

 

On the audio side, things are a little bit uneven. The game’s main characters sound fantastic. Unlike the previous game, Yakuza 2 does not use dubbed in Hollywood voice-overs. The game uses the original Japanese voice-overs with english subtitles. While that might not sound great to some, it really does benefit the game greatly. Instead of hearing uneven interpretations of the script by a dispassionate Hollywood star, hearing the game in its original language by people who seem emotionally invested in the characters is just an amazing difference, and one for the better. Elsewhere the audio suffers however. The music and crowds on the streets of Tokyo and Osaka are a little to boring and repetitive. You’ll hear the same music and crowd mutterings over and over again. This likely won’t affect your like or dislike of the game too much, but it’s noticeable enough that you may want to keep the remote onhand for times when you’re roaming the city for an extended amount of time.

 

 

The story alone will take around 15 - 20 hours to complete, depending on just what you do with your time. For those who are in it just for the story, you’ll likely find that you can blow through it in less time, but with the bevy of things to do in Yakuza 2, you’d be hard pressed to not let your curiousity get the best of you and take a few trips to the businesses that are available for exploration. That being said, even if you are in it just for the story, you’ll be getting more than your money’s worth, as it’s a brilliant crime drama with so many different aspects to it, that one playthrough may not be enough to catch all the little nuances. It’s truly one of the most polished stories I’ve seen in a videogame in quite some time and very deserving of a second look.

 

 

I whole-heartedly believe that anyone with even a passing interest in the brawling genre, or the Japanese criminal underworld should pick this game up. It’s a beacon, a light in a sea of mediocre. Seriously, one of the best PS2 games to come out in a very long time.