SegaThe Yakuza series has gone through a profound transformation over the last decade — going from an incredibly niche franchise for diehard fans, to one of Sega’s big money makers. But amidst that rise to prominence the series’ absolute best story, Yakuza 2, often gets overlooked because of how it’s relegated to the PlayStation 2. But in 2017 that all changed when Ryu Ga Gotoku released Yakuza Kiwami 2, a full-blown remake of the second game that almost perfectly fused Yakuza’s past and present. It’s still, by far, the best Yakuza remake we’ve seen, and a stellar example of why the series has had such an enduring legacy. And now you can even play it on the go on Nintendo Switch 2. Yakuza Kiwami 2 originally released on the PS2 in 2006, and was arguably more foundational for the franchise than the first game. This was where the series’ hard-boiled storytelling really came together, featuring both a harrowing love story and a phenomenal rival for protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. The visual upgrade to the Dragon Engine does wonders for the noir stylings of Yakuza 2. | SegaTo this day, I’d go to bat for this being the strongest narrative in any Yakuza game, and maybe even video games as a whole — perfectly paced, and fully embracing the blend of drama and quirkiness the series has become known for. Yakuza 2 wildly succeeds by enhancing that story with better presentation and context, while layering in two decades of gameplay enhancements on top of it. Picking up one year after the events of the first game, Kiwami 2 sees Kazuma Kiryu leaving a life of crime behind — trying to focus on living life and taking care of his adopted daughter Haruka. But, as you might expect, Kiryu gets drawn into the criminal underworld again when the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan is assassinated. This puts Kiryu into the crosshairs of two big personalities, a rival Yakuza named Ryuji Goda (renowned as the fearsome Dragon of Kansai), and a brilliant detective named Kaoru Sayama, who’s earned the nickname Yakuza Headhuntress. Ryuji Goda, even after two decades, has remained the series’ strongest villain. | SegaThese three characters form the trinity of what makes Yakuza 2 so special, as the game dives into the complex relationships between all three — and the way each influences the criminal underworld. And two of Yakuza 2’s elements truly feel unrivaled in the rest of the series, the first of which is an actual romance. There are a genuinely compelling and gut-wrenching relationship that forms between Kiryu and Kaoru, a kind of Romeo and Juliet situation between people from entirely different worlds. Then you have Goda who gets layered in on top of that, as one of the sole villains that has truly been able to rival Kiryu himself — both in terms of sheer strength and personal ideology. The original game’s story is retained for Kiwami 2, but largely enhanced by bringing the game into the Yakuza 6’s Dragon Engine — which enriches a lot of the cutscene direction and world design. Even past that, Kiwami 2 adds on a fantastic side story focusing on Goro Majima, providing some much-needed closure to lingering threads left from Yakuza 0. And although Yakuza 2’s story has always shined, the remake ups the ante in terms of gameplay by bringing in a wealth of the series’ innovations. Kiwami 2 easily has one of the best combat systems in any Yakuza game — emulating the crunchy feeling of Yakuza 6, while making the actual action feel and flow a lot better, and also adding in a ton of new weapons for Kiryu to wield. Kiwami 2’s combat feels like it has real weight behind it — and yes, Kiryu even gets to punch tigers. | SegaKiwami 2 plays much more like a modern Yakuza game, with full-on action brawler combat, a plethora of minigames, a robust city to explore, and more side stories than you can count. There’s a few key additions here that really make Kiwami 2 shine — chief of which is the beloved hostess club minigames from Yakuza 0. The enhanced version of that minigame here lets you run your hostess club in a kind of strategy sequence, while playing through a huge side story that has Kiryu going through the trials and tribulations of being a club owner. It’s practically an entire game in its own right, and that’s before you talk about any other minigames — including golf, batting cages, Mahjong, clan creator, karaoke, and more. If you like having a game within a game — Yakuza Kiwami 2 has a lot you’ll love. | SegaKiwami 2 is one of the most complete packages out there, in terms of a thrilling tightly-paced main story, and an expansive selection of side content. It’s the kind of game you can spend 20 hours or 100 hours with, and have a blast either way. It’s one of those rare remakes that doesn’t just keep the spirit of the original game alive, but polishes it up just right to make the whole thing shine. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is still, hands down, one of the best games in the series — and a crime drama that will have no problem getting your tears flowing. Yakuza Kiwami 2 is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.