Thank you for checking out my first review! Yakuza Kiwami 2 was provided to us by SEGA to review the game on Xbox One, and it's running on the same engine as Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
Visuals: Running on the Dragon Engine, the graphics in Yakuza Kiwami 2 are on point. I love the way each area flows seamlessly into the next. You can tell the difference between this re-creation of Yakuza 2 and the original.
No matter if it's raining or the wind is just blowing, it's a beautiful game and there was no break in the gameplay when entering or leaving the buildings. The visuals in this re-creation are night and day when comparing the overhauled character facial animations to the original, and the experience has been improved through the audio also. Key voiced lines got a mulligan for Kiwami 2, anything else would've been a fail when you've rebuilt everywhere else.
The cutscenes were amazing and I didn't look for a skip button once, even if some of them were long I didn't want to lose track of the story. The camera angles and action were packaged well with the dramatic music and they didn't keep the camera locked into one position, it was like an animated movie.
Gameplay: I enjoyed the gameplay, the interactions, the objects in-game aren't just immovable props that do nothing when you run or walk into them and I just appreciate those little touches that add to the experience.
The fighting in Yakuza Kiwami 2 was very fluent, there were no big delays in-between button commands from picking up an object to combo strings or blocking. Street brawling and weapon-based combat were both fun, but so were the leisure and other action-packed activities. I like games like this where you can enjoy a story and other experiences that extend the gameplay.
Replay Value: Some of the mini-games took me back to old school Sega games, and Virtua Fighter 2 was a blast from the past. That's one thing SEGA has taken advantage of when it comes to games like this, they gave us old school access in newer school games. Remember the old school games in Shenmue? Some of the mini-games took me a few turns before I got the swing of them. Darts took me a few turns to get into but it's fun and so were the other games. I think these are great additions to Yakuza Kiwami 2 because they're fun and they give you a break from the main storyline.
Mini-Games:
· Arcade Games (i.e. Virtual Fighter 2)
· Batting Center
· Yakuza 0's Cabaret (featuring fan-favorite Yuki!)
· Casino Games (Blackjack, Poker)
· Darts
· Gambling (Koi-Koi, Oicho-Kabu)
· Golf
· Gravure Photoshoot
· Karaoke
· Mahjong
· Shogi
· Toylets
· Video Boot
Price: Priced to sell at $19.99 USD.
Overall, If you'd like to enjoy an action-packed cinematic experience with an ample amount of leisure, this is definitely a game to play. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is available now on Xbox One, Windows 10, and Xbox Game Pass!
