Having recently finished Kiwami and being disappointed with it after how great Yakuza 0 was, I'm glad to say that this sequel improves upon its predecessor in every single way, and surpasses Yakuza 0 in some aspects too.

The visuals are the most notable improvement in this game, running on the engine that was first introduced in Yakuza 6. Kamurocho and Sotenbori both look great and the character models are noticeably better too. Perhaps the best part about the new engine is that there are far less loading screens in the open world; you can enter and exist most buildings seamlessly and the random fights initiate much faster too. In addition to this, the interactivity with the city during the fights is greatly improved, allowing you to throw opponents through shop windows and knock items flying off shelves in the convenience stores (among other things).

The main story is also good, though not quite on par with the excellent story that Yakuza 0 had. Though as this is a remake of the second game, it can't really be held against the team who made Kiwami 2.

The minigames are what truly make this game one of the best in the series however. All of the classic minigames like Karaoke, Mahjong and the Sega arcade make a return and are as good as ever and the cabaret club and construction company games are excellent for the most part.

I haven't talked about the fighting system at all in this review, and that's because its not much different to how it was in the previous games, bar the removal of multiple fighting stances. It also isn't the main reason why I play these games. All I'll say is that if you liked the fighting in Kiwami or 0, you'll probably enjoy this too.

Overall, Kiwami 2 is an excellent sequel and well worth playing for anyone who enjoys this series.

Having recently finished Kiwami and being disappointed with it after how great Yakuza 0 was, I'm glad to say that this sequel improves upon its predecessor in every single way, and surpasses Yakuza 0 in some aspects too. The visuals are the most notable improvement in this game, running on the engine that was first introduced in Yakuza 6. Kamurocho and Sotenbori both look great and the character models are noticeably better too. Perhaps the best part about the new engine is that there are far less loading screens in the open world; you can enter and exist most buildings seamlessly and the random fights initiate much faster too. In addition to this, the interactivity with the city during the fights is greatly improved, allowing you to throw opponents through shop windows and knock items flying off shelves in the convenience stores (among other things). The main story is also good, though not quite on par with the excellent story that Yakuza 0 had. Though as this is a remake of the second game, it can't really be held against the team who made Kiwami 2. The minigames are what truly make this game one of the best in the series however. All of the classic minigames like Karaoke, Mahjong and the Sega arcade make a return and are as good as ever and the cabaret club and construction company games are excellent for the most part. I haven't talked about the fighting system at all in this review, and that's because its not much different to how it was in the previous games, bar the removal of multiple fighting stances. It also isn't the main reason why I play these games. All I'll say is that if you liked the fighting in Kiwami or 0, you'll probably enjoy this too. Overall, Kiwami 2 is an excellent sequel and well worth playing for anyone who enjoys this series.