Yakuza 2

by Sega Of America, Inc.

Product Features

• Authentic, cinematic sequel. The gritty, genuine portrayal of life in the Yakuza is made more realistic throughout 16 gripping chapters with a return to the original Japanese voice cast and English subtitles.
• Twice as much to explore. There is now more to see and do than ever before in the hugely expanded world of the Yakuza. Visit bowling alleys and driving ranges, as well as cabarets and bars, all licensed from actual Japanese establishments.
• Like the real Yakuza, you must ingrain yourself in the authentic, neon-lit adult playgrounds of Tokyo and Osaka and become a regular at nightclubs, hostess clubs, restaurants and stores to gain access to secret services and uncover tips.
• Brutal hand-to-hand brawling. An improved fighting engine allows you to fight numerous enemies at once with less load times and smoother camera angles. Experience points earned from brawls will help build up strength, stamina and fighting techniques.
• The intensity of battle is raised. By stringing together a combination of fighting moves, you’ll take out multiple enemies simultaneously. Objects in the environment can be used as weapons and even more context-sensitive Heat moves, will help you.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0017R5SYI
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 6.1 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 9, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,856 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

One year ago, Kazuma Kiryu left it all behind… Marking the anniversary of his split from Yakuza life, Kazuma and his adopted daughter, Haruka, visit the graves of his Yakuza family. When they get a surprise visit from Terada, the Chairman who took charge of Kazuma’s old Yakuza clan, Terada makes Kazuma an offer he cannot refuse… Yakuza 2 plunges you once more into the violent Japanese underworld. In intense brutal clashes with rival gangs, the police, and the Korean mafia, you will have even more opportunities to dole out punishment with an improved fighting engine. As the heroic Kazuma Kiryu from the original Yakuza, explore Tokyo and now Osaka. Wander through the back alleys of Japan’s underworld while trying to prevent an all-out gang war in over 16 complex, cinematic chapters written by Hase Seishu, the famous Japanese author who also wrote the first Yakuza. Endless conflicts and surprise plot twists will immerse you in a dark shadowy world where only the strongest will survive.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly good improvement on the first game, September 11, 2008

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yakuza 2 (Video Game)

When Sega's Yakuza for the PS2 finally came stateside a while back, it offered up a decently entertaining brawler at best that just didn't do too much to seperate itself from the rest of the pack. Yakuza 2 thankfully, and surprisingly, improves on much of what the first game offered in terms of gameplay, graphics, and story; and is a pretty satisfying brawler that will keep you entertained for some time. Playing once again as Kazuma, you traverse through a nicely detailed Japan, and are still looking to put an end to your days with the mob. The game looks solid for a late-in-life PS2 game, offering up some nicely detailed characters and environments, while gameplay-wise the moments of brawling are easy enough to pick up and get into, and other elements bear more in common with the gameplay of the classic Shenmue. There's a lot of secrets and extras to find and uncover as well, and as a whole, Yakuza 2 will keep you busy for a while at the very least. The game's story is also nicely crafted, and offers up some memorable moments and characters. The only real flaws with Yakuza 2 is that there isn't too much here you haven't seen done before, and while for a PS2 game it looks great, there are some noticeable graphical hiccups. Flaws aside however, Yakuza 2 is a surprisingly good improvement on the first game that ends up being an enjoyable and even more surprisingly immersive experience that PS2 owners should definitely check out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal fun still available on the PS2, October 27, 2008

By 

R. Higgs - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yakuza 2 (Video Game)

Yakuza 2 is a fantastic game, and it's really a shame it has taken so long for Sega to bring this to the US.

The story follows ex-yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as he tries to prevent an all-out clan war between his old clan, the Tojo and their rivals, The Omi. Throw in a bit of Korean mafia and you've got yourself a thrilling asian gangster story. To make things even better, the combat (of which you'll be doing a lot) is incredibly brutal and satisfying. This is really the meat of the game, although you'll have lots of sidequests and minigames (golf, arcade games, hostess club, etc) to partake in if you feel up to it.

The world itself where the game is set is based upon real locations, such as Tokyo and Osaka and it looks and feels great. The areas are very populated with people carrying out their own tasks and having their own conversations. The environmental detail seems only hampered by the power of the hardware.

Over all, I'd say this is a definite purchase if you're the slightest bit interested in brawling games, RPGs or Japanese crime stories. We're all hoping Yakuza 3 will be coming for PS3 to us in the West at some point, but for now this is the closest we can get, and it's worth every penny.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gem of a game, May 25, 2009

By 

hakuryu12 (USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Yakuza 2 (Video Game)

This game is in essence one of the greatest gems of Sega. It's one of those games that you never hear about, but once you play it, you're happy that you gave it a chance.

A direct sequel to Yakuza, this follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu once again as he takes on Korean mafia members.

Although this is an amazing brawler with tons of fun extras and gameplay, this is NOT your typical beat'em up. Yakuza 2 has a very deep story with tons of intricate relationships between a multitude of characters. Some characters are reappearing from the first game (Majima, Haruka, Date, etc.) and there are alot of newer characters as well.

Pros:

1) The gameplay is definitely revamped and the fighting system is alot smoother than before. No longer do you have to deal with clunky battle mechanics and you can truly enjoy the fights. Plus there are newer finisher and grappling moves with even more weapons at your disposal (but my favorite is still around: the caution cone. lol)

2) The story stays true to everything set out in the first game but also expands and introduces new elements to keep the whole experience fresh.

3) The environments are both familiar and new. The city of Kamurocho is the main setting once again but Kiryu visits two more lush and complex cities with plenty of side missions and mini-games to play.

4) Re-play value is way up for this one. This game isn't over as soon as you complete the story because there are tons of side-missions and mini-games to play within the actual game.

Cons:

1) To some, the story can be a little long-winded or confusing. While the game does have an optional "flashback" in the begininning to explain the events of the first game, playing the first Yakuza truly does help you understand everything that's going on in this one.

2) Although this was a plus for me, some may not like that the game only has the Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. There is no English dub for this game.

Altogether Yakuza 2 is everything you'd expect from a sequel and more. To anyone with any interests in Japanese culture or just a genuinely good game, Yakuza 2 is definitely worth a look.