Completing Sega’s 2006 crime epic Yakuza on the PlayStation 2 was the best twenty-three hours and thirteen minutes I’ve spent on a single video game, but many players missed it since they had already moved on to the newer systems such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.  Well, blow the dust off your little black box because the sequel Yakuza 2 proves that the PS2 still has some life left in it.
 
Set one year after the original, the story shows why the game’s badass hero Kazuma Kiryu is one of the best original characters of the last few years, and the game plays out like a Japanese gangster film. 
 
After relinquishing his position as head of the Tojo Clan, Kazuma tries to avoid a return to the criminal lifestyle, but a brewing war between clans makes a return to the mean streets necessary.  Most of the main characters in the original game were killed off, but Kazuma’s niece Haruka and his friends Detective Date and Terada return for the sequel.
 
Yakuza 2 is a beat ‘em up where Kazuma confronts a few hundred thugs in combat.  Kazuma can use any weapons he finds to confront his enemies, and he must level up his abilities after successfully winning battles.
 
In addition to the numerous side missions he can take on for rewards, the diversions are varied.  Kazuma can bowl, go to batting cages and driving ranges, play mahjong and shogi, visit massage parlors and even own and manage his own nightclub.
 
Instead of getting American actors to do voice-overs this time, the entire game is in Japanese with English subtitles.  Like any good foreign film, however, the authenticity of Yakuza 2’s portrayal of Japanese culture ensures that it’s better than similar games made in the West.

Spend several thousand dollars on a plane ticket from the U.S. to Japan or $29.99 MSRP for Yakuza 2?  You do the math.