I’m happy to say that my experience with Yakuza Kiwami 2 has deepened my appreciation for this series even further as I continue on with my journey to play each main entry. Kiwami 2 presents a remarkable story with strong themes, lovable characters, numerous memorable moments, and the best antagonist in the series so far. This game's bombastic nature kept me hooked from start to finish, leaving me thoroughly engaged and completely satisfied.
Exploring around Kamurocho & Sotendori is really enhanced by the Dragon Engine, which has made it visually stunning and made most interiors seamless to enter through, really adding to the immersion. The overall presentation is simply wonderful, and the music is absolutely excellent.
However, what really got me hooked on exploration was the fact that it's the first game where I actually took the time to do a good chunk of the sub-stories. They give each established character a spotlight or make the overall themes of the game more impactful. They also did a great job of balancing the tone, so that these sub-stories don't feel disconnected from the main story by managing the goofiness, sincerity, and serious moments, which previous games didn't quite achieve.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem with this game is the combat. It’s far from being awful, there have been some improvements, such as much smoother control on the battlefield when it gets hectic and the option to swiftly switch melee weapons using the D-pad. However, the combat system feels like it took 2 steps forwards, 1 step back because the satisfaction of punching up foes doesn't quite measure up to Yakuza 0 or Kiwami 1. Additionally, the stats system for improving Kiryu's stats or acquiring new moves feels overly complicated and uneven.
Despite that setback, Yakuza Kiwami 2 remains another excellent addition to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Now to Yakuza 3….
Exploring around Kamurocho & Sotendori is really enhanced by the Dragon Engine, which has made it visually stunning and made most interiors seamless to enter through, really adding to the immersion. The overall presentation is simply wonderful, and the music is absolutely excellent.
However, what really got me hooked on exploration was the fact that it's the first game where I actually took the time to do a good chunk of the sub-stories. They give each established character a spotlight or make the overall themes of the game more impactful. They also did a great job of balancing the tone, so that these sub-stories don't feel disconnected from the main story by managing the goofiness, sincerity, and serious moments, which previous games didn't quite achieve.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem with this game is the combat. It’s far from being awful, there have been some improvements, such as much smoother control on the battlefield when it gets hectic and the option to swiftly switch melee weapons using the D-pad. However, the combat system feels like it took 2 steps forwards, 1 step back because the satisfaction of punching up foes doesn't quite measure up to Yakuza 0 or Kiwami 1. Additionally, the stats system for improving Kiryu's stats or acquiring new moves feels overly complicated and uneven.
Despite that setback, Yakuza Kiwami 2 remains another excellent addition to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Now to Yakuza 3….