Non spoiler summary: Yakuza Black Panther 2 is one of my favorite games for the psp. It is an overhaul to the normal Yakuza gameplay and has much more of a focus on a 1v1 gameplay style even if a beat em up so the protagonist will seem weaker than the other ones. The amount of styles introduced completely changing the protagonists moveset from his punches to kicks to heat actions provides some insane fun to the battles trying them all out. To sum up the battle system think of it as a rock paper scissors battle with moves being beaten out by other moves through invulnerability or just attack speed. Including parries, throws and such all risky options if the opponent throws out certain moves. While battles with multiple thugs felt frustrating at times, it's a very fun battle system and I don't go to these games for the gameplay as I'm quite bad at them. People like Gunkshot and Hajber can prolly break the battle system down quite easily and they can handle the no damage runs :). I'm here mostly for the story even if the gameplay is quite good, this game has made Tatsuya a really solid protagonist and I recommend playing by patching it through here https://www.teamk4l.com/ . The ROM you'll have to find yourself or dm me. The patch can bring some bugs, and crashes quite rarely. If it becomes a problem as a streamer I watch would say: "Just learn Japanese". My final thing to talk about on the non spoiler summary is the music which goes hard quite frankly. The opening theme is amazing and made me smile when I finished the game. The game features some tracks from Jet set radio composer Hideki Naganuma and it makes me wish I could understand music theory to break them down, but his work is always nothing short of stellar. Play the game please, and experience Tatsuya's 2nd chapter alongside the first if you haven't (a recap is there if you do not wish to play the first).

Spoiler section now:




At first , the game quite didn't stick with me Tatsuya was giving up everything he dreamed up for some kid he didn't know and it was just sad to see all the people around him upset (especially his sister :( ). This completely turned around as you find that Tatsuya sees himself in these dragon heat punks and wishes to use his strength to help people and not end up like him when he was 16. This game is where Tatsuyas characterization really shines and he comes to fully grow after the first game. He knew Dragon heat was a special place for him and helped him mature so he returned the favor. the scene with him looking at his fathers grave made me quite emotional and this game does not pull any punches man. The characters here are all great broken down into their own chapters. Shinji is a punk in over his head fighting his way through dragon heat who suddenly found himself unable to fight. Early on he's tatsuyas motivation as Shinji acted like himself when he was younger. He's just a plot device early on, but gets his own chapter where he doubts his friends as himself as he sees an opportunity from the enemy to recover and finds himself manipulated in his moment of weakness. He turns over a new leaf with Tatsuya standing there and taking a stabbing hoping to get through to his friend. Tatsuya's words and actions really get through to him that his strength wasn't everything to him. Tatsumo is a punk who doesn't try and has a 0-9 score on dragon heat, just escaping into cabaret clubs and videogames. He comes to find himself involved in a scam and falls in love for a woman who he thought was in distress. He hated his weakness as he couldn't protect even the woman he loves from the corruption of Kamurocho, and escapes to play videogames. Tatsuya gets through to him and teaches him to stand up for himself and fight no matter what. With alol his training he stood up to the man who was taking advantage of the woman he loves, but finds himself defeated. It's an interesting twist with all that training to still lose, but tatsuya only respects his strength to stand up for himself and keep his stance even in certain danger. It may have took a scam artist for him to gather up his strength, but he uses his courage to protect even those who do him wrong as he can't turn a blind eye to the weak. An amazing character really with outstanding values and the strength Tatsuya admires. Ryusho seems like just a common yakuza punk and the heir to dragon heat. Ryusho however is a brilliant character with an outward carefree experience but with a deep love for the punks that fight in dragon heat. He takes multiple risks throughout the story even betraying the tojo clan to protect his arena and his father's legacy. He fights for what he believes in and even finds himself in debt to help out his fighters and tatsuya. He shuts out his feelings a lot, but finds himself to open up when around Tatsuya showing his true values. He's easily one of the best characters in the game and a great companion to Tatsuya. He shows care for Tatsuya wanting him to not get involved with the underground and go back to his sister. He breaks the mold of the spoiled heir and really manages to make something for himself dying for his "kids" pretending to not care for them as he found himself cheated out of his arena. Solid character and might just be my favorite besides the protagonist. Yuta is the next character and is supposed to be a reflection of Tatsuya's hate for his father. Yuta despised his father just like Tatsuya thinking he's just a selfish prick holding on to his land and money, and no care for his son. The story reveals Yuta's love for his son and the truth behind the pachinko queen through a side character. Just like Tatsuya he finds himself afraid of the truth of his father and seems scared of it, shutting himself out. Tatsuya is able to convince him to visit his father in the hospital and not make the same mistakes he's made. Pretty solid character. Moving on to Makoto, he's one of the strongest characters of the bunch. Abandoned in an orphanage as a young man and growing up alongside a girl he considers to be like a sister to him. He finds out this "sister" of his likes him and is unsure what to think and runs away from his problems. This sets off Tatsuya as he's made similar mistakes and works to make him confess his love and not let her go alone outside of Japan. The ensuing chapters only expand more on Makoto. A punk fighting on the streets that a Man called Minegi saw potential in. Dragon Heat helped Makoto mature and like Tatsuya his father figure is killed and framed as a suicide. Denial came fast and Makoto found himself running off to his fathers place.. Minegi was like a father to him and turned his whole life around like Kuki did to Tatsuya, and he doesn't run away after this and only vows to make this right and help people with the strength he has after Tatsuya uplifts him: telling him to use his strength to help those around him. Tatsuya is forced to go to Ashura and fight when his sister got kidnapped, Tatsuya wants to save his sister more than anybody but his fear of letting dragon heat down and not making it in time forces him to keep fighting (straying a lil offtopic here but kuki shows genuine care for Tatsuya like before and tells him to for his sister and offers to pay the ransom) . Makoto, even with a short interaction with Tatsuya's sister goes to save Tatsuya's sister so he can find peace with himself and not let another person he cares about die. Makoto, like Tatsuya wants no more casualties and rushes in by himself to save Tatsuya's sister only to tragically die. Makoto may have died, but he saved Saeko with his strength and dies peacefully in Tatsuya's arms. All these characters are Tatsuyas regrets brought to fruition and is an interesting way to grow his character, trying to help others not become like him while makin g unique characters out of it.

The story really is amazing, and is an experience I would recomend to everybody RGG's stories have touched me since I played yakuza kiwami as part of a playstation plus monthly game. I hope Yakuza 7 and the judgement games make me feel the same. At the end, you really don't want to say bye to the wonderfully crafted characters that RGG studio makes, and I hope more people can analyze these games beyond the surface level unlike me.