Ryu-Go-Goto/Yakuza 2: This December (In Japan)

[Zenien]

Coming out in Japan on 7 Dec for PS2.

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7th Dec - Ryu ga Gotoku 2

- 1 year after the previous game
- Set in Kamutai (the city in the first game) as well as Osaka
- Awesome voice cast once again
- Cabaret Clubs system is evolved, you can become a Host, there will be many more play spots, and over 100 sub stories
- 200% improved awesome new action packed battle system
- Not just a simple sequel but a large improvement on previous game
- 80% complete right now
- There are twice as many Heat Actions now, including co-operative attacks
- You can freely attack in any direction now (i think it means you can change directions even in a combo... not sure)
- There is a higher sense of freedom in battles now
- No major changes to the Character Growth system
- The main producers and scenario superviser are the same guys on the original
- Music performance by Crazy Ken Band
- New characters include a Yakuza known as the Dragon of Kansai and a female detective who's after the Yakuza

IGN[/url]]
August 30, 2006 - Although we're just about to get Sega's Yakuza, Japan has spent over a year with the title under its original name of Ryu Ga Gotoku. With a pricey graphics engine already in place, just about everyone was expecting a sequel at some point, and that's just what we're getting. The latest issue of Famitsu provides first details on Ryu Ga Gotoku 2, which is in development for the PS2.

Kazuma Kiryu returns as the main character in the sequel. Set a year after the events of the original, Yakuza 2 expands Sega's recreation of Japan's underground to the city to the south, Osaka. The game takes place both in the original's Tokyo-based Kamurocho and in a similar seedy district in Osaka. The Osaka location is said to be similar in size to the well-sized Kamurocho.

A few new characters have been announced for the title. The game's heroine is Kaoru Sayama, a police officer who's known as the Yakuza Hunter. Her purpose in making contact with Kazuma is currently unknown. Kazuma will also meet up with an Osaka rival, Ryuji Koda, known as the Dragon of the Kansai area.

The sequel begins with an assassination which prompts Kazuma to head south. We'll spare you the details, since Yakuza has yet to be released stateside. A number of characters from the original will be returning, although we'll also keep quiet on this area for now.

In addition to returning characters, the original's staff has also returned to action. Toshihiro Nagoshi once again serves as general producer. Seishu Hase is overseeing the title's scenario. Susumu Terajima and Hiroshi Tachi return as voice actors for the Japanese version.

Speaking with Famitsu, Nagoshi commented on some of his goals with Yakuza 2. In addition to providing a deeper dramatic storyline over what was found in the original, the game also has some themes that weren't in the original, including an adult love story. The story focuses on a battle between Tokyo and Osaka.

All areas from the original are being improved. The cabaret club, which allowed you to interact with girls in a limited way in the original, now lets you actually go out on dates with girls once you've gotten tired of sitting around in the club. You can also manage your own cabaret club now, customizing the interior to your liking.

The number of sub quests/stories, which you encounter by speaking to people across town, has increased to above 100. Included is a quest where you actually become a host and have to do your best to please the ladies and earn the most cash in your cabaret club.

The original also had a number of mini games. Famitsu has details on golf and bowling mini games, which have been added to the sequel. There also seems to be a "game" of some form where you sit in your home and watch videos.

One of the best features of the original was its battle system. Sega is keeping some elements of this system the same while improving others. There aren't any changes to the character growth system, through which you build up Kazuma by assigning experience points to three parameters. However, Sega is adding more "heat action" moves to the title. Heat action moves are pulled off by filling up a special attack gauge, and result in a cinematic attack.

You can also now team up with allies for combo attacks. In one sequence, a restaurant employee gives Kazuma a bowl of ramen to use against his opponents. A bit more down to earth, one sequence features Kazuma and a friend beating up on an opponent together.

Perhaps the biggest addition to the battle system is the ability to direct your attacks in whatever direction you like. In the original, battles became difficult when you were surrounded by enemies. The sequel lets you select the direction of your next attack, allowing you to finish off an attack in one direction, then begin pounding an opponent behind you.

With all these updates to what is already one of the PS2's best games, Yakuza's sequel should be one to watch out for. The game is set for Japanese release on 12/7. Hopefully Sega will be a bit faster with the translation this time around.

 

[Mentok]

If they can fix the problems I had with the first game I might pick it up. I will probably just rent it though.

 

[Zenien]

Can you read/understand Japanese like really well? If noty you likely missed a huge chunk of the appeal of Yakuza.

 

[블라스]

Yessss!

When is Yakuza 1 coming out again?

 

[Zenien]

*Looks at Calendar*

6 days?

 

[블라스]

Mama Pajama

 

[Mentok]

Can you read/understand Japanese like really well? If noty you likely missed a huge chunk of the appeal of Yakuza.

Fairly well. Most of my problems come from the gameplay though. If they can fix that up then it should be good.

The first one though I found pretty overrated (but still pretty kickass in places).

A next gen Yakuza would be great too.

 

[hey yo its sean]

I think they should have some guy on the side of the road saying, "Care for a game of Lucky Hit?"

 

[Mentok]

Plus more saving puppies too.

 

[GekigangerV]

http://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/contents.html

Trailer is up. Its pretty cool that the game is coming out soon.

 

[Zenien]

Wow the graphics actually look noticably better in Yakuza 2, I wasn't expecting much of a difference. With such a quick sequel, it probably eans that they were developing Yakuza 2 at the same time more or less as Yakuza 1, that both projects overlapped at some point (Sort of like the model Factor 5 is adopting for their development).

People who have played the game have said if you haven't watched the game don't watch the trailer for the sequel, but that you'll probably have no idea what the spoilers mean anyway.
And for those of you who have played the game already, spoiler tag that **** if you're going to say anything.

And while they're at it:

Yakuza the Movie
Sega goes beyond games.
by Anoop Gantayat
August 31, 2006 - Yakuza 2 may have just been announced for the PlayStation 2, but Sega's planning on taking its new hit gangster series beyond just games. The company gathered members of the Japanese press today to announce a Yakuza movie to be titled, in Japan, Gekijou-Ban Ryu ga Gotoku (for the English speakers out there, that's Ryu ga Gotoku: Theatrical Version).

The film will be directed by Takashi Miike, who's known for violent and sexual themes, often dealing with, appropriately, the yakuza. Said the controversial director today, "When I heard about this, I played the game and cried twice before clearing it. We're filming with the belief that it would be great to make a movie that matches up with the game. This movie can, of course, be enjoyed just as a movie, but we hope to make the content truly interesting for those who played the game."

Kazuma will be played by Kazuki Kitamura, who made an appearance in Kill Bill Vol.1 and has a long history in Japanese films and television. That's right, Kazuma is the star of the movie, which will take place in the same world as the game, and will also feature Haruka (played by Haruno). In addition to a few other game characters, played by the likes of Ki****ani Goro and Saki Takaoka, the film will introduce a new character called Goh, who will be played by Shun Shioya.

Actual details on the film's storyline were not revealed.

A Japanese release for Yakuza's film adaptation is planned for Spring 2007. An English release has yet to be announced.

Yakuza strikes me as more of a high budget RPG focused River City Ransom style game, then a true Shenmue type game, and even though the North American localization seems inferior next to the authentic Japanese version, I'll still be picking it up day one.

 

[Manny Calavera]

So long as the (seemingly, I don't know when the Japanese version was released though) rapid release schedule doesn't keep the games from improving, I'm all for it.

 

[Zenien]

Well it is a pretty fast sequel, because the last game was released a year ago, which is why I think they must have had the projects overlapping at some point. They probnably started Yakuza 2 around the half way point of Yakuza 1, and they probably did all the groundwork for Yakuza 2 at the same time they were writting the script etc for the first game. As long as the story delivers, the adding of needless swearing every third sentence not withstanding, I'm all for a sequel.

 

[Manny Calavera]

If the swearing adds character, fine, but I really hope it doesn't come off as something thrown in to make the game more appealing to middle schoolers

 

[Zenien]

Unfortunately it probably is, I want you to read this sentence and tell me if anything seems out of place:

I won't be using thea ctual character names

Spoiler

Ajima... tried to... hurt Yuki, and I... I... I ****ing shot the bastard, I totally lost in man... I just killed... the top captain of the Tojo clan...

But I'll ask the people on GAF before panicking.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Oh yeah, "- Awesome voice cast once again", who's in it?

 

[Manny Calavera]

****ing seems alright, bastard is out of place though. I don't think people actually say bastard anymore

 

[Zenien]

THe Japanese voice cast is NUTS high quality stuff, so they say, but I'm pretty sure they'd have been high quality professional Japanese voice actors, not movie people or what have you.

THe American voice cast has a bunch of people:

Leading the pack is the redoubtable Michael Madsen who brings the roughness he learned in Reservoir Dogs and Sin City to his new role as yakuza boss Shimano. Madsen is joined by Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum as Nishiki, Buffy's Eliza Dushku as Yumi, Rachael Lee Cook as Reina, and the Force-powered Mark Hamill as the violent and insane Majima.


But we're diverging into Yakuza 1 talk here.

 

[Mentok]

If the swearing adds character, fine, but I really hope it doesn't come off as something thrown in to make the game more appealing to middle schoolers

Nope. The western audio track seems only to have swearing in it because they were too lazy to translate the Japanese.

In parts they replaced whole lines from the Japanese Audio and went with "**** You *******!". Which is a pitty because over the game everyone tells everyone else to "get ****ed"... Sorry The Yakuza have a strict code of ethics and a deep seeded respect (even for rival gangs). Stuff like that just does not happen.

Its annoying as all hell since the Japanese audio has very little swearing (compared to the English tracks).

As for the English voice actors in the game... They all suck, with the exception of Mark Hamill and Michael Rosenbaum (who once again shows he is a very competent actor).

 

[Mentok]

Anyway... Fix the crap camera, Fix the fighting (for the first part of the game at least), Minimise the constant loading pauses and stick it on the PS3

Then it would be awesome.

Oh, and more puppy saving

 

[Aran]

Well you could certainly PLAY it on a PS3. This is a game that makes me want to learn Japanese and Kanji, since the English localization isn't very good from the sounds of it. Maybe worse then Shenmue? Since they didn't mess around with the script in that game, and in this one it's "**** YOU" every 4th sentence.

Despite that, I'm still looking forward to this game, and I enjoyed the trailer for the sequel. If the series does well (400 000 units sold in Japan) we could hopefully see a Yakuza 3 on next gen platforms.

 

[Mentok]

More Puppy Saving