Ryu ga Gotoku 2
Encyclopedia
Yakuza 2, originally released in Japan as , is the sequel to the video game
Yakuza
by Sega
. The title was released on December 7, 2006, for the PlayStation 2
video game console
in Japan and in September 2008 in North America and Europe.
Its sequel Yakuza 3
(龍が如く3, Ryū ga Gotoku 3) was released in Japan on February 26, 2009 and in North America on March 9, 2010.
's Shinjuku ward, most noticeably a recreation of Shinjuku's red-light district
Kabukichō renamed Kamurocho.
The other half takes place in Osaka
, with the fictitious Sōtenbori and Shinseicho areas modeled after Osaka's respectively Dōtonbori
and Shinsekai
districts. Although these areas were recreated as fictionalized versions, much real life landmarks remain such as Dōtonbori's Sammy Ebisu Plaza (サミー戎プラザ) and Shinsekai's Tsutenkaku Tower (通天閣) and Billiken
(ビリケン).
Then the game comes back to the present and the detective is still in awe at what happened.
The sequel takes place one year after the events of the first game. Since then, the Tojo Clan (tojo kai) has been falling apart and they are on the brink of war against the Osaka based gang, the Omi Family (omi rengo), the gang backing Akira Nishikiyama (Nishiki) in the first game. As a last resort, the Tojo Clan requests their former leader, Kazuma Kiryu (4th Chairman) for their help. Kazuma Kiryu and Haruka Sawamura are living a peaceful life and they visit the graves of Yumi Sawamura, Akira Nishikiyama, and Shintaro Kazama. There, the appointed Chairman, Yukio Terada, a former member of the Omi Family, asks for Kazuma Kiryu's aide. However, the Omi Family quickly act and assassinate their former family member Terada in front of Kazuma and Haruka's eyes and Kiryu heads out for Osaka to find a peaceful solution and prevent an all out Japan gang war from happening.
While in Osaka, Kiryu meets his Kansai
equivalent and new rival, Ryuji Goda, the son of the head of the Omi Family, Jin Goda. Ryuji also has a nickname that he hates, "The Kansai Dragon." He hates the name because he doesn't like the Kansai part (that he wants to be the Dragon of all of Japan) and that he hates the idea of having two dragons with Kiryu around ("Dragon of Dojima"). Like Kiryu, he has a tattoo of a dragon on his back; his is tattoed in vivid gold with the animal coiling and writhing in flames.
Though enemies, Ryuji seems to hold a genuine respect for Kiryu and holds him in regard as his equal, hence necessary to vanquish Kiryu for there's only room for one Dragon in Japan.
in Japan on January 25, 2007. The music was composed by Hidenori Shoji
, Hideki Sakamoto
, Norihiko Hibino
and Takahiro Izutani
. As with the first game a classic gospel, this time Franz Gruber's Silent Night, Holly Night
(Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht), is sung in English by Eri Sendai
. Singer So Yoki performs Kamuro Setsugekka (神室雪月花). The tracklist for Yakuza 2 has 27 titles (details are available below).
Additional soundtrack includes two songs by Japanese artist Crazy Ken Band
.
with famous Japanese companies. As a result some places found in the game, such as the Don Quijote
discount store, the Club Sega game center
s and the Matsuya (松屋) restaurants (replacing its unlicensed version called Akagyu) are modeled after the real life buildings. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed train is also featured in the game.
strategy and introduced ads within the game. This includes the Japanese coffee brand Boss Coffee
, numerous brands of alcohol appearing in the game's bars and pubs including Suntory
Whiskey
, Jack Daniel's
Bourbon
or Carlsberg Beer.
Sega's UFO Catcher crane game machine is included as a minigame, and arcade cabinets of Virtua Fighter 4
can be seen in the Club Sega game centers.
In Japan, Famitsu
has given the game a score of 38 out of 40.
In America, IGN
has given Yakuza 2 a score of 8.5 out of 10, and Diehard GameFAN has given the game a score of Very Good, as well as their Best Playstation 2 Game award for 2008.
In Europe, Eurogamer
rated the game 8 out of 10. In Australia, Hyper
has given the game 8 out of 10.
to Yakuza 2 was released in Japan and South East Asia in February 2009, and in North America and Europe in March 2010. A fourth game in the series, Yakuza 4
, was released in March 2010 in Japan and is set to be released in Europe and North America in early 2011.
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
Yakuza
Yakuza (video game)
Yakuza, originally released in Japan as is an action-adventure fighter video game developed and published by Sega in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2...
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. The title was released on December 7, 2006, for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
in Japan and in September 2008 in North America and Europe.
Its sequel Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3 is a PlayStation 3 video game, originally released in Japan as , the sequel to Yakuza 2 and the fourth installment in the Yakuza series. It is developed by Sega Japan's CS1 Team and published by Sega...
(龍が如く3, Ryū ga Gotoku 3) was released in Japan on February 26, 2009 and in North America on March 9, 2010.
Synopsis
Setting
As with the first episode, half of the game takes place in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Shinjuku ward, most noticeably a recreation of Shinjuku's red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
Kabukichō renamed Kamurocho.
The other half takes place in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, with the fictitious Sōtenbori and Shinseicho areas modeled after Osaka's respectively Dōtonbori
Dotonbori
is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan. It is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka...
and Shinsekai
Shinsekai
Shinsekai , "New World" in English, is an old neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half...
districts. Although these areas were recreated as fictionalized versions, much real life landmarks remain such as Dōtonbori's Sammy Ebisu Plaza (サミー戎プラザ) and Shinsekai's Tsutenkaku Tower (通天閣) and Billiken
Billiken
The Billiken was a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Florence Pretz of St. Louis, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream. In 1908, she patented the Billiken, who was elf-like with pointed ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair on his...
(ビリケン).
Plot
The intro of the game starts in the early 1980s, a detective is chasing after somebody and witnesses a murder of a Korean mob boss who says in Korean "Even if you kill me, our organization will live on". And the murderer happens to be Kazuma Kiryu's foster father, Shintaro Kazama (Fuma). After Shintaro Kazama runs off, the mysterious detective checks on the man who tells him in Japanese that his child is in danger just ahead before he dies. The detective heads in that direction and notices a fire and finds the room where a Korean woman is alone with a baby. The woman is contemplating suicide (in Korean) and taking the child with her. However, the detective successfully convinces the woman not to kill herself and the baby.Then the game comes back to the present and the detective is still in awe at what happened.
The sequel takes place one year after the events of the first game. Since then, the Tojo Clan (tojo kai) has been falling apart and they are on the brink of war against the Osaka based gang, the Omi Family (omi rengo), the gang backing Akira Nishikiyama (Nishiki) in the first game. As a last resort, the Tojo Clan requests their former leader, Kazuma Kiryu (4th Chairman) for their help. Kazuma Kiryu and Haruka Sawamura are living a peaceful life and they visit the graves of Yumi Sawamura, Akira Nishikiyama, and Shintaro Kazama. There, the appointed Chairman, Yukio Terada, a former member of the Omi Family, asks for Kazuma Kiryu's aide. However, the Omi Family quickly act and assassinate their former family member Terada in front of Kazuma and Haruka's eyes and Kiryu heads out for Osaka to find a peaceful solution and prevent an all out Japan gang war from happening.
While in Osaka, Kiryu meets his Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
equivalent and new rival, Ryuji Goda, the son of the head of the Omi Family, Jin Goda. Ryuji also has a nickname that he hates, "The Kansai Dragon." He hates the name because he doesn't like the Kansai part (that he wants to be the Dragon of all of Japan) and that he hates the idea of having two dragons with Kiryu around ("Dragon of Dojima"). Like Kiryu, he has a tattoo of a dragon on his back; his is tattoed in vivid gold with the animal coiling and writhing in flames.
Though enemies, Ryuji seems to hold a genuine respect for Kiryu and holds him in regard as his equal, hence necessary to vanquish Kiryu for there's only room for one Dragon in Japan.
Cast
This is the first game in the series to feature only Japanese voice acting for its U.S. and PAL release as a response to the criticism of the English voice acting in the first game.- Takaya KurodaTakaya Kurodais a Japanese voice actor, narrator, and actor. He is affiliated with the Bungaku Company, formerly with Mausu Promotion and Aoni Production. He is currently a member of 81 Produce....
as Kazuma Kiryu (桐生 一馬) - Yu Daiki as Kaoru Sayama (狭山 薫)
- Masami IwasakiMasami Iwasakiis a Japanese voice actor. Most but not all of his roles are minions or ruffians.-Anime:* Birdy * Koji Kuroki, Cerberus, Kaoru Hatsujo, Morgan, and other misc. in * Roland/Isono * Akazawa Yoshiro...
as Ryuji Goda (郷田 龍司) - Rie KugimiyaRie Kugimiyais a Japanese voice actress affiliated with I'm Enterprise.Kugimiya's most famous roles include Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Happy in Fairy Tail, Kagura in Gintama, Nagi Sanzenin in Hayate no Gotoku!, Shana in Shakugan no Shana, Louise in Zero no Tsukaima, Taiga Aisaka in Toradora!, and...
as Haruka Sawamura (澤村 遥) - Tetsuya WatariTetsuya Watariis a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's .He is now the president of Ishihara Promotion.He has a younger brother, Tsunehiko Watase, who is also an actor.-Filmography:-External links:* *...
as Shintaro Kazama (風間 新太郎) / Shintaro Fuma - Satoshi Tokushige as Daigo Dojima (堂島 大吾)
- Kazuhiro YamajiKazuhiro Yamajiis a Japanese actor and voice actor from Mie Prefecture affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company.-Television animation:*Case Closed *Geneshaft *Last Exile *Monster...
as Makoto Date (伊達 真) - Susumu TerajimaSusumu Terajimais a Japanese actor who has appeared in over 100 films, 15 television commercials, three PVs, and numerous television dramas in a career spanning over 20 years. He rarely is the star of the films he is in but he is widely respected for taking every job seriously and diving into his work,...
as Jiro Kawara (瓦 次郎) - Hidekazu Akai as Tsutomu Bessho (別所 勉)
- Hiroshi TachiHiroshi Tachiis a Japanese actor and singer. He is probably best known for starring the TV drama series Seibu Keisatsu.He is a dropout of Chiba Institute of Technology.- References :...
as Ryo Takashima (高島 遼) - Nana NatsumeNana Natsumeis an award-winning former AV idol and a well-known celebrity in Japan.-Life and career:Natsume was born on January 23, 1980 in Sakai, Osaka, Japan...
as a nightclub hostess
Soundtrack
The Yakuza & Yakuza 2 Original Sound Track (HCV-287) dual-disc boxset was published by Wave MasterWave Master
Wave Master Inc. is a research and development team for Sega, focusing on the soundtracks for various games...
in Japan on January 25, 2007. The music was composed by Hidenori Shoji
Hidenori Shoji
is a video game music composer who has contributed to such Sega titles as Fighting Vipers 2 , Yakuza 2 , and Yakuza Kenzan. He is a member of H., a band composed of Sega sound designers.-Live performances:...
, Hideki Sakamoto
Hideki Sakamoto
is a video game music composer who has contributed songs to the soundtracks of Echochrome, Yakuza 2, and Yakuza: Kenzan!. He serves as the representative director of Noisycroak, a Tokyo-based sound design company focused on game soundtracks....
, Norihiko Hibino
Norihiko Hibino
is a Japanese video game composer and saxophonist.-Biography:After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to Kansas City to start a career as a solo jazz musician...
and Takahiro Izutani
Takahiro Izutani
Takahiro Izutani is a composer of video game music and a guitarist.- Profile :...
. As with the first game a classic gospel, this time Franz Gruber's Silent Night, Holly Night
Silent Night
"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
(Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht), is sung in English by Eri Sendai
Eri Sendai
is a Japanese female voice actress who is represented by Production Baobab.-TV animation:*Atsuko Hongō - Yomigaeru Sora - RESCUE WINGS -*Arika - Medabots*Ayaka - xxxHolic*Ayumu Oume - Best Student Council*Furfur - Umineko no Naku Koro ni...
. Singer So Yoki performs Kamuro Setsugekka (神室雪月花). The tracklist for Yakuza 2 has 27 titles (details are available below).
Additional soundtrack includes two songs by Japanese artist Crazy Ken Band
Crazy Ken Band
, also referred to as CKB, is a Japanese musical group formed in 1997 by its lead vocalist, writer and composer Ken Yokoyama. The band first came together in 1991 under the name "CK's", with a four-member lineup: Ken Yokoyama, Keiichi Hiroishi, Masao Onose and Shinya Horaguchi. This incarnation of...
.
- additional theme: Kuroi Kizuato no Blues (黒い傷跡のブルース, kuroi kizuato no burusu, lit. "black scar blues") by Crazy Ken Band from his 2006 album Galaxy released by Almond Eyes (XNAE-10010).
- additional theme: 12 gatsu 17 nichi (12月17日, lit. "December 17th") by Crazy Ken Band from his album Galaxy.
Tie-in
In order to make realistic recreations of Tokyo's Kabukicho and Osaka's Dohtenbori, Sega made 17 tie-inTie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
with famous Japanese companies. As a result some places found in the game, such as the Don Quijote
Don Quijote (store)
is a discount chain store that has over 160 locations throughout Japan as well as three stores in Hawaii. It carries a wide range of products, from basic groceries to electronics to clothing. The store is well known in Japan and is often referred to by its shortened name .-History:Don Quijote...
discount store, the Club Sega game center
Game Center
Game Center is an online multiplayer social gaming network released by Apple. It allows users to invite friends to play a game, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking, track their achievements, and compare their high scores on a leader board.-History:...
s and the Matsuya (松屋) restaurants (replacing its unlicensed version called Akagyu) are modeled after the real life buildings. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed train is also featured in the game.
Product placement
In order to support the game's expensive production, Sega used product placementProduct placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
strategy and introduced ads within the game. This includes the Japanese coffee brand Boss Coffee
Boss Coffee
is a brand name of canned and plastic bottled coffee and coffee-flavored beverages sold by Suntory in Japan. It was released in 1992 and is one of many brands of Japanese Canned Coffee....
, numerous brands of alcohol appearing in the game's bars and pubs including Suntory
Suntory
is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
Whiskey
Japanese whisky
Whisky production in Japan began around 1870, but the first commercial production was in 1924 upon the opening of the country's first distillery, Yamazaki...
, Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
Bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
or Carlsberg Beer.
Sega's UFO Catcher crane game machine is included as a minigame, and arcade cabinets of Virtua Fighter 4
Virtua Fighter 4
is a fighting game by Sega. It is the fourth game in the Virtua Fighter series.The game was first released in arcades on the NAOMI 2 board in 2001...
can be seen in the Club Sega game centers.
Reception
The PlayStation version of Yakuza 2 was the 98th best-selling game in Japan in 2008, selling 136,809 copies, with total lifetime sales of 850,000. 40,000 copies were sold in North America.In Japan, Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
has given the game a score of 38 out of 40.
In America, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
has given Yakuza 2 a score of 8.5 out of 10, and Diehard GameFAN has given the game a score of Very Good, as well as their Best Playstation 2 Game award for 2008.
In Europe, Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
rated the game 8 out of 10. In Australia, Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
has given the game 8 out of 10.
Sequel
The sequelYakuza 3
Yakuza 3 is a PlayStation 3 video game, originally released in Japan as , the sequel to Yakuza 2 and the fourth installment in the Yakuza series. It is developed by Sega Japan's CS1 Team and published by Sega...
to Yakuza 2 was released in Japan and South East Asia in February 2009, and in North America and Europe in March 2010. A fourth game in the series, Yakuza 4
Yakuza 4
, is a video game developed and published by Sega exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game was announced on July 24, 2009. A promotion video was presented at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show and a preview presenting the main story was released on January 13, 2010....
, was released in March 2010 in Japan and is set to be released in Europe and North America in early 2011.