A new trailer for Yakuza Kiwami 2 was unveiled during SEGA’s TGS 2017 live stream, and the remake shows some familiar faces. This isn’t just in the traditional sense, as characters from the Yakuza 0 were also spotted during the two and a half minute trailer. Give it a watch, and let us know who you see in the comments below!
Check out the TGS 2017 Yakuza Kiwami 2 trailer below:
If you’re wondering about whether or not you should get into the series, check out our Yakuza Kiwami review! Here’s what I had to say about the remake:
The other major issue that Kiwami runs into is some annoying game design that stems from the 2005 original. Yakuza has never had the greatest encounter designs (don’t even get me started on the final fight in Yakuza 4), but a lot of the fights in Kiwami boil down to the game throwing 20 baddies at Kiryu. Playing on normal, I never died during combat, but getting crowded and knifed repeatedly by foes ends up being more annoying than a satisfying challenge. There’s also a pretty lame car shootout sequence (tip: remember that you can slow down time during that scene so you don’t fail it three times like I did). Yet, for the most part, the sub-standard design doesn’t bring down the story. It all mostly ranges from serviceable to fun, and the fantastic localization and storytelling more than make up for some frustrating moments.
As a remake, Kiwami is a triumphant success. Not only is it leaps and bounds more playable than the PS2 original, the additional scenes help flesh out character motivations. This all makes the story of Kiryu’s rise feel more special, and it’s a perfect continuation for those who recently played Yakuza 0. There are some disappointments, though, as just roaming around Kamurocho feels like a step backwards from previous games that featured multiple cities to explore, but that’s just an unfortunate side-effect of being a remake of a much-less ambitious title. The new bells and whistles make Yakuza Kiwami a worthwhile time no matter if you’ve played the original or not.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 will release December 17, 2017 in Japan.
