Sega announced that Yakuza Kiwami 2, a remake of Yakuza 2 in the Dragon Engine, would be making its way West on August 28th. Yakuza Kiwami 2 will come just nine months after its release in Japan, faster than almost every Yakuza game before it. It will also boast a number of improvements and additions aside from being remade in Yakuza 6's Dragon Engine. The Dragon Engine itself ensures that load times are limited, and there are almost no transition periods between entering buildings and getting into combat. Sega has redone both the localization and the voice acting for Kiwami 2, as well as add new minigames and stories. Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be available both digitally and physically for $49.99 on August 28th, 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGA3XZm1GPk

Much like the other Yakuza remake, Kiwami 2 comes with a laundry list of new content. There's a new side story that follows the life of Goro "Mad Dog" Majima between the events of Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2, as well as expanding on events in Yakuza 0. Additionally, the original arcade Virtua Fighter, Yakuza 0's Cabaret, a new minigame titled "Golf Bingo," and the Sega "Toylet" games are also coming as part of this remake. Yakuza Kiwami 2 will also come in a special steelbook for anyone who preorders or purchases at launch, for no extra charge. Sega is clearly building up considerable goodwill in the West with the Yakuza series, especially considering the extremely positive reception of the recent games. If you've missed any of the games, you can always check out the Yakuza Experience, which has comics that sum up plotlines, as well as trace character arcs.

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Yakuza 2 follows the life of Kazuma Kiryu after the events of the first game. Swearing off of a life of crime, Kiryu finds himself once again embroiled in clan politics, attempting to defuse a conflict before it spills into all-out war. It takes place in a fictionalized version of Kabukichō called Kamurocho, as well as two fictional districts of Osaka. Known for its highly detailed depictions of Japanese city life (the yakuza itself notwithstanding), Yakuza 2 on its original English release was lauded for its visuals and interesting story. Now, with this upcoming full-fledged remake for the PS4, we will once again roam the streets of Kamurocho when Yakuza Kiwami 2 comes to our shores on August 28th.

The Yakuza series has been on the ascent in the west of late, and if you want to check out about other titles in the series we have reviews of Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and the upcoming Yakuza 6.