8.5
Presentation
Absolutely fantastic stuff, from the cinematic camera angles that actually give some Hollywood flicks competition to the attention to detail in the audio.
9.0
Graphics
It's a solid-looking game, if a little prone to seaming and the odd bit of aliasing, but the atmosphere of running down a neon-lit street teeming with people is undeniable.
9.5
Sound
Absolutely fantastic. Only the music grates, and even then is only for a short time. The rest of the audio is some of the best on the PS2. Yes, really.
8.5
Gameplay
You'd think that caving in Generic Punk with "FART" on His Back #5456773 would get old after the 50th time, but nope, it's just as satisfying to lay waste to a group of enemies.
8.0
Lasting Appeal
There is a TON of stuff here to find, explore and uncover, from the return of locker keys to side quests to just chatting up virtual ladies.
8.5/10
While Yakuza 2 isn't vastly improved or even all that different from the first game (that will likely happen when the PS3 continuation finally hits), but what it does offer is a fantastic story that is actually interesting, sports characters that you can grow to love or hate, and plenty of twists to keep all those disparate parts fresh. Go buy this game. Seriously. SEGA needs to be rewarded for cranking out an experience like this, and doing it on the anniversary of the Dreamcast's launch is just icing on the cake.
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/909/909571p1.html
