Info about Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Legacy):

Official game description:
Kazuma Kiryu thought his Tojo Clan days were behind him. He and the young girl in his care, Haruka Sawamura, have built a peaceful life from the ashes of conflict. All it took was a single gunshot to shatter that peace. Yukio Terada, the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, has been assassinated. With war on the horizon, the legendary Dragon of Dojima is pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind.
Kiryu must travel to Sotenbori, Osaka in an attempt to broker peace between the rival clans, but Ryuji Goda, known as the Dragon of Kansai, will stop at nothing to get his war. In this world, there can only be one dragon.
**■ UNLEASH BRUTAL BRAWLING ACTION**
Deploy devastating combos, brutal 'heat action' moves, and dynamic environmental takedowns with Yakuza Kiwami 2’s full-contact brawling action. Every blow hits like a ton of bricks with intuitive controls that make it easy for anyone to feel the thrill of realistic and strategic street fights where anything goes.
**■ LIVE IT UP IN JAPAN**
Take a break from busting heads to enjoy all the activities that Japan's leading entertainment districts have to offer. Kamurocho is home to a variety of restaurants, bars, and experiences made to satisfy the endless desires of visitors. Sotenbori welcomes all with its deeply rooted culture of food and laughter. Whether you're into karaoke, cabaret, batting cages or blackjack, there's something for everyone.
**■ DISCOVER AN UNTOLD SAGA**
A bonus ”Majima Saga” scenario, separate from the main story is also included. Discover the untold saga of what takes place between the events of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 as the man known as the Mad Dog of Shimano, Goro Majima.
_\*If you have Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Legacy), Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be automatically added to your library._
_\*Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a version of Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Legacy) with additional text languages included. There are no differences in the basic game content or specifications._
_\*Save data from Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Legacy) does not carry over to Yakuza Kiwami 2._

Release date: May 9, 2019

Categories: Brawling Combat, Character Development, Story-driven Gameplay, Mini-game Collection, Open-World Exploration, Side Quest System, Beat 'em up

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 100; verdict: Predatory; summary: The game has been criticized for its approach to DLC, with users feeling that necessary content and minor updates are being sold as overpriced DLCs. This practice has led to a negative perception of the game's monetization strategy.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Technical Improvements; summary: The primary issues reported by users revolve around technical problems such as alt-tab issues and various bugs and glitches. These problems significantly impact the user experience, requiring external resources and workarounds to mitigate.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key issues impacting the Steam Deck experience. Performance issues, including frame rate problems and poor optimization, are significant concerns. Loading screens, particularly black screens during transitions, also detract from the gameplay experience. Additionally, some users have expressed frustration with certain gameplay mechanics. While the game runs well on Steam Deck for some users, others have had to make adjustments, indicating variability in optimization.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging Combat Mechanics (weight 0.95): The combat system is highly praised for its fluidity, responsiveness, and variety. The Dragon Engine improves combat dynamics, making fights more realistic and enjoyable.
- Improved Graphics and Visuals (weight 0.63): The game's graphics have seen significant improvements, with detailed character models, stunning visuals, and realistic lighting. The use of the Dragon Engine enhances the overall visual experience.
- Excellent Story and Characters (weight 0.55): The game features a well-constructed story with engaging characters and relationships. The narrative is praised for its emotional depth, compelling plot twists, and high-level storytelling.
- Majima's Saga and Character Development (weight 0.43): The Majima Saga is highlighted as a significant addition, providing emotional depth and closure to Majima's story. The character development and additional content are well-received.
- Memorable Antagonists (weight 0.41): The game features some of the best antagonists in the series, with Ryuji Goda being a fan favorite due to his compelling and engaging character.
- Quality of Life Improvements (weight 0.13): The game includes various quality of life improvements, such as better map UI, smoother combat mechanics, and more intuitive controls, enhancing the overall player experience.
- Atmospheric and Immersive World (weight 0.12): The game's world is detailed and immersive, with atmospheric locations and a lively cityscape that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Seamless Gameplay Experience (weight 0.09): The Dragon Engine allows for seamless transitions between battles, cutscenes, and exploration, reducing loading screens and enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Enjoyable Substories (weight 0.03): The substories in the game are praised for being humorous, entertaining, and well-integrated into the overall narrative, providing a fun and engaging experience.

Common complaints:
- Lack of combat styles (weight 0.61): The removal of multiple combat styles is a significant downside for many players. This lack of variety makes the combat feel repetitive and less engaging.
- Technical and optimization problems (weight 0.6): The game suffers from various technical issues, including poor optimization, frame drops, and bugs. These problems detract from the overall enjoyment and smoothness of the game.
- Grindy and annoying side quests (weight 0.58): Side quests and mini-games are often seen as grindy, annoying, and sometimes poorly designed. This includes issues with difficulty and repetitiveness.
- Missing and cut content (weight 0.47): The game is criticized for missing content, including cut mini-games, music tracks, and other features that were present in previous entries.
- Heat action problems (weight 0.46): Heat actions are criticized for being difficult to trigger, poorly synced with audio, and less impactful compared to previous games.
- Enemy behavior issues (weight 0.43): Enemies often exhibit unrealistic reactions and behaviors, such as excessive blocking and strong attacks that can disrupt the player's combat flow.
- Save data and version issues (weight 0.03): Players are frustrated with the lack of shared save data between versions and the higher cost of the new version compared to the old one.

Gameplay feedback:
- Variety of minigames and side activities (weight 0.54): The game includes a diverse range of minigames such as Cabaret Club management, Majima Construction, karaoke, golf, and more. These activities add depth and variety to the gameplay experience.
- Enhanced combat mechanics (weight 0.45): The game features an improved combat system with a wide range of combos, finishing moves, and environmental interactions. The Dragon Engine enhances combat dynamics and visuals, providing a more realistic and engaging fighting experience.
- Engaging storyline and characters (weight 0.41): The game offers a well-constructed narrative with emotional moments, character development, and dramatic stories. Majima's saga and the main storyline provide a rich and engaging experience.
- Improved graphics and engine (weight 0.37): The Dragon Engine provides improved visuals, graphics, and combat mechanics. The new engine enhances the overall presentation and dynamics of the game.
- Heat actions and combat improvements (weight 0.34): The game introduces heat actions that are faster and more brutal than previous iterations. The combat system includes upgradeable skills and a variety of combat abilities.
- Majima Construction minigame (weight 0.16): The Majima Construction minigame adds significant content and a unique gameplay experience, allowing players to engage in construction management.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.12): Players can explore different zones like Kamurocho and Sotenbori seamlessly. The interactive map and open-world design enhance the exploration experience.
- Easy gameplay and polished mechanics (weight 0.03): The gameplay is considered easy and polished, with built-in ragdoll physics and a simple system for various activities like golf.

Performance notes:
- Mixed graphics and performance reviews (weight 0.2): Players have mixed feelings about the game's graphics and performance. While some praise the incredible detail, smooth animations, and realistic lighting, others report issues with FPS instability, flickering, and the need to lower graphics settings for better performance. The game's high graphics quality is noted, but it requires a powerful PC for the highest settings.
- Optimization and performance issues (weight 0.17): Many players report optimization and performance issues, including frame drops, poor performance on powerful PCs, and unstable framerates. Some players experience stable performance and no crashes, while others note significant performance issues and technical quirks.
- Higher PC specifications required (weight 0.04): The game is more demanding in terms of PC specifications compared to previous games. Players note that it requires more resources than usual, which can be a drawback for those with less powerful hardware.
- Dragon Engine praised (weight 0.04): The Dragon Engine is widely praised for its performance and the beautiful visuals it delivers. Players appreciate the expressiveness of faces, fluid animations, and convincing lighting effects.
- Minigame FPS instability (weight 0.03): Players report FPS instability specifically with certain minigames, which are often locked at 30-40 FPS. Some minigames require fan-fixes to address these issues.
- Crashing issues and fixes (weight 0.02): Some players report crashing issues and mention potential fixes. This includes issues with the Silent Patch and general performance problems.
- Lack of FPS display setting (weight 0.01): Some players mention the lack of a setting to display FPS, which can be inconvenient for those who want to monitor their game's performance.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.27): The game is highly recommended for fans of the Yakuza series, anime, cinematic storytelling, and beat 'em up genres. It offers extensive content, high replay value, and emotional depth, making it a must-play for those who enjoy long, emotionally dense narratives.
- Improvement over previous games (weight 0.13): Kiwami 2 is seen as an improvement over Kiwami 1 and is recommended for those who have played previous parts of the series. It offers a very different experience and is suggested for completing the Kiryu saga.
- Minor shortcomings but recommended (weight 0.13): Despite some minor shortcomings, the game is highly recommended for its overall quality and content. It is suggested for those who enjoy the storyline and gameplay.
- Value for money (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for its value for money, offering many hours of gameplay and entertainment. It is worth buying at full price for fans of the series and worth picking up on a good sale for others.
- Appeals to both fans and newcomers (weight 0.05): The game is suitable for both longtime fans of the Yakuza series and newcomers. However, some suggest that newcomers should start with the new version or play previous games first.
- Mods enhance gameplay (weight 0.03): Players recommend installing mods like the Style Switching Rebalanced mod and the Silent Patch mod to fix FPS issues and enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- Avoid fanbase interaction (weight 0.01): Some players advise avoiding interaction with the fanbase, indicating potential issues or toxicity within the community.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Players expressed disappointment primarily due to the combat system, which was criticized for being repetitive, poorly optimized, and less enjoyable compared to previous titles. The story was also a significant letdown, described as weak, abstract, or poorly concluded. Additional frustrations included the removal of certain gameplay features, such as fighting styles and climax battles, as well as performance issues and lack of content depth in side activities.
- Excitement (weight 0.13): Players are excited about the engaging narrative and refined gameplay mechanics, including improved combat systems and character interactions. The game's cinematic brilliance, emotional impact, and the variety of mini-games and side content also contribute to this excitement. Additionally, the anticipation for future releases and the overall quality of the game's content and graphics have players eagerly looking forward to more.
- Frustration (weight 0.11): Frustration stems mainly from the combat system, which players find stressful, annoying, and poorly optimized. Issues with the ragdoll system, enemy reactions, and heat action mechanics add to the combat-related frustrations. Performance issues, including FPS limitations, crashes, and technical quirks, further exacerbate player frustration. Additionally, the abstract storyline and tedious missions contribute to a less enjoyable experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players are satisfied with the well-developed story and combat system, which are seen as realistic and engaging. The variety of side content, mini-games, and overall presentation, including graphical improvements, contribute to a fulfilling experience. The game's polished mechanics, powerful combat, and engaging narrative provide a solid and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Enjoyment is derived from the engaging story, improved combat mechanics, and a variety of fun side content and mini-games. Players appreciate the seamless combat, diverse activities, and overall quality of the game. The enjoyable gameplay mechanics, exciting combat, and engaging narrative make the game a fun and worthwhile experience.
- Joy (weight 0.08): Joy comes from the enjoyable story, gameplay mechanics, and mini-games. Players appreciate the great story, fun combat system, and engaging side content. The game's visuals, charm, and overall presentation, including the enjoyable side missions and improved combat, contribute to a joyful experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.07): Nostalgia is evoked by the return of fan-favorite characters, familiar game locations, and the legacy of the series. Players reminisce about the old combat style, specific mechanics, and the storyline. The personal connection to the game series and the familiarity with older Yakuza games bring a sense of nostalgia.
- Amusement (weight 0.06): Amusement is primarily derived from the funny ragdoll physics, humorous substories, and entertaining heat actions. Players find the gameplay mechanics and mini-games, such as hostess and karaoke features, to be amusing and enjoyable.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Admiration is directed towards the well-developed characters, top-tier combat system, and detailed cities. Players admire the high-level storytelling, revolutionary Dragon Engine, and the game's visuals and presentation. The meticulously crafted world and attention to detail contribute to the admiration for the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Appreciation is expressed for the improved gameplay mechanics, story, and graphics. Players appreciate the meticulously crafted world, attention to detail, and the variety of activities and combat system. The game's story, graphics, characters, and content volume are also highly appreciated.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is evoked by the emotional moments in the story, which deeply affect players. The poignant and moving narrative elements can lead to strong emotional reactions, including crying.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the fun beat 'em up gameplay and the amazing storyline. Players are enthusiastic about the enjoyable gameplay elements, side content, and the overall engaging experience the game provides.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from the resolution of the Majima saga and the joy of returning to the game. Players are happy about the fulfilling conclusions to story arcs and the pleasure of revisiting the game world.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by poorly designed fights and frustrating gameplay elements. Specific missions or tasks, such as the bodyguard missions, can evoke strong feelings of anger and frustration.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement comes from the significant amount of time spent on mini-games and the dark, engaging story. Players are deeply engaged by the immersive narrative and the variety of activities the game offers.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is evoked by the game working well on a laptop despite initial doubts. Players are pleasantly surprised by the game's performance and their unexpected attachment to it.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the great improvements in gameplay, graphics, and quality of life. The fun sub-stories and the strong storyline contribute to this excitement, making the game a highly anticipated and enjoyable experience.}