Previously i mentioned that when i spoke with Sega, there was a PS2 game on display. Normally i would have ignored it as an outdated last gen system, but this one has a bit of nostalgia to me. Yakuza 2, looks startlingly similar to Shenmue from the DreamCast, and its not surprising since Sega was the one who made that game.
For those not familiar with Shenmui, Yakuza 2 is a third person action RPG title. You play as Kazama, an ex yakuza member who is investigating suspicion within his clan. However from then on, the world is surprisingly open. The story takes place in Osaka, and one of the nice things is that the game world is modeled after the real Osaka Japan. It would not be a lie to say that if you play this game, you will have a good idea about how to get around the city when you vacation in Japan yourself.
Also like Shenmue, while there is a story that you can follow, you can also ignore the story and just amuse yourself within the world. There are mini games for Bowling, Batting Cages and tons of other activities, and many of the shops and buildings can be entered to be explored.
In terms of gameplay, there have been improvements made. While in Shenmue the hand to hand system felt sluggish, its been cleaned up here and feels more responsive. They still have the QTE sequences (that pop up randomly at times), but overall the controls simply feel cleaner and easier to use.
My only complaint is that this is a PS2 game. I don’t fault Sega for making games for this system, but i’m tired of endorsing it. I have a next gen system, and it really does hurt to look at a game like Yakuza 2 after playing Valkyria Chronicles.
Though if you still play your PS2, or you are desperate for something to hold you over until Sega finally decides to make the 3rd game to the Shenmue series, then this really isn’t all that bad. The plus side is that i can’t imagine this game releasing for more than 40$ on an ancient system like the PS2. And compared to new game prices, thats really kind of a bargain.
Keep an eye out for a September release.
Chris Hori
