Yakuza 2

I'm not much of a fighter. Given the choice between a Saturday night punch-up with notorious gangsters or a quiet evening spent with Classic FM and a nice cup of tea, I will always reinforce my hatred of violence and plump for the latter option - perhaps with the addition of some Hobnobs too. Unfortunately Yakuza 2 contains as much peace-on-earth goodwill as the average sky contains flying pigs, and so my inevitable foray into the seedy world of gangs, violence and groin punching begins.

The scene is set with a vague video sequence which will make sense to those with a good background knowledge of the previous Yakuza, though fried my braincells three sentences in. Luckily this is followed by a far more in depth reminisce into the past of main character Kazuma  Kiryu, an option which all but the most hardcore of fans would be crazy to skip. A good half hour of cut scenes tells a story with more twists than a John le Carré novel, staying true to the Eastern authenticity with original Japanese and Korean narration. English subtitles are also shown, a Godsend for those without an advanced foreign literacy degree and a spare dictionary to hand.

To cut a long story short, your role as Kazuma is to prevent a war between Japanese rival gangs, forcing you to rejoin the violent Tojo Clan you were once such an important part of. However as the twists and turns of the storyline progress and side plots develop, things become far more complex. You will often find yourself caught up in the fast-paced hysteria of action, losing track of time. This is exactly what makes Yakuza so great; the engrossing events tie your emotions to the characters, making sure that you actually give a toss about what happens to them (well, as much of a toss as you can give towards a gun clad psychotic who, given half a chance in the real world, would extract your brains via your nose).

To keep gameplay fresh, side quests are offered to help break up the main chapters. Casual involvement helps to momentarily divert attention, allowing a break from the demanding series of plot turns. Although linearly based, some leeway is offered for open exploration in Tokyo and Osaka. The cities are bright and vibrant, but the PS2 hardware is inevitably showing its age with clumsy street crowds and sluggish fighting controls.  Camera placement is automatic; expect more hindrance than help when you find yourself punching the air for five minutes, before staggering backwards into the iron fists of your pissed off opponent and resembling a particularly dodgy contestant in Strictly Come Dancing.

Look beyond the limitations though and you'll find the story-telling alone easily justifies the departure of your hard earned cash. Fans will love the striking resemblance to the original title, while curious gamers enjoy the gripping storytelling without feeling left out.

Sega have without a doubt pushed both game and console to the limit with spectacular vigour - a fitting celebration of Sony's decade old machine - and leave us reassured that Yakuza 3 will be nothing less than a high-def fistful of heart-stopping action.