A great game with a diverse cast of characters and a complex story that will knock your socks off! It's a must play!
Graphics are improved with more detailed models, especially for the faces. Many characters look quite realistic and their facial animations are very life-like and subtle. The lip syncs are spot on as well. Considering how good they look in a PS2 game, it makes me wonder why other developers on the current gen systems can't achieve the same level as detail as this game. Graphics ain't perfect tho. There are pop-in and fade-in for the pedestrians in the streets. I can't really blame the devs since this is a PS2 game after all. I also gotta mention that they improved the loading quite a bit. The battles load really fast now which is a relief.
The sound is awesome. The voice acting is superb and everyone's performances are excellent. You might be wondering why this game ain't dubbed. Well, if you played the game, you would understand. There are two distinct Asian languages featured here so if this game was dubbed, it would be REALLY awkward and silly. I gotta give props to Sega for not dubbing this game. It was interesting to hear the differences between the dubbed first game compared to the original voices in the sequel. The music is excellent and works within the game really well. There are lots of recycled tracks from the first game but they sound good so I'm not complaining. The music is really moody and adds a lot to the atmosphere of the game. Well done.
Gameplay is similar to the first game with a free-roaming adventure and battles. Kazama seems to fight faster and he has way more moves that make him more agile compared to the first game. Not only are the battles more fun but they're also less frustrating. The main story missions are decent but it's the side missions that really surprised me. They're quite long and the rewards are worth it. But I loved the story so much that I skipped a ton of sidequests in order to finish the story asap.
Speaking of the story, it's AWESOME! Yakuza 2's story is leaps and bounds better than the first game. If you liked the first game's story, this game will floor you. It features a bunch of new interesting characters, an incredibly complex plot and lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. There are lots of very cool moments including a lot of emotional scenes between various characters. Everyone in the game feels like they're real people. The localization team did an excellent job with the script. Kudos. The story is truly cinematic and full of drama. It's worth playing for the story alone. I felt like I was watching a triple A movie. I was totally hooked!
Btw, I have to urge anyone who plans on playing this game to check out the first one. This is a DIRECT sequel and many characters return from the first game. Not only do you learn more about certain returning characters but there are some major revelations about them. I think if you didn't play the first game, these revelations wouldn't resonate as much with you. So check out the first game please...
Overall, Yakuza 2 is a good game with an amazing story. It's definitely a game that everyone should check out. The experience is worth it alone. I'm REALLY excited about the third game now. I can't imagine how amazing Yakuza 3 will be for the PS3. Bring it Sega! I'll be first in line. :)