Yakuza 2 (PlayStation 2)

YAKUZA 2 is a continuation of the story from the original Yakuza title, and it follows the tale of Kiryu Kazuma as he attempts to make competing Yakuza clans patch up differences and follow a life of peaceful coexistence. The story is somewhat complicated with many characters who appear for short periods of time but propel the story dramatically forward. Players who have not experienced the first Yakuza title can catch up on the story, thanks to an optional series of flashbacks that explains what has happened to the characters.

The story and game unfold through a series of chapters which are all self-contained story elements generally connected to a single location, be it a section of Osaka's electric nightlife or a more tame residential area. These sections are filled with exploration sequences where optional side quests can be performed to not only help flesh out characters, but to also add items and gain experience points which can be used to level up various combat actions for Kiryu, basically unlocking more violent ways to kill an opponent. As you walk through the locations in the game you may encounter thugs or other unsavory types who challenge you to a fight, and then the surprisingly monotonous fighting controls take center stage. While the fights can be entertaining at first, it soon becomes apparent that the encounters are all quite similar with hand to hand combat, and liberal use of environmental weapons to assist in your defending your clan's honor.

Yakuza 2 is an excellent extension of the first game in the series, only changing itself for the better with a more involving combat system and a storyline that expands the excellent tale that was laid out in the first title. The always twisting story makes for a very engaging game, but sometimes the focus on story makes this seem more a movie than a video game. For example, playing through the first chapter and watching the recap from the first title took nearly one hour, during which you control what is going on for only a few minutes.