PCWorld – August 2019

AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 111

should be in the modern era, full of breathtak-
ing vistas and packed with secrets that make it
a delight to explore, and meticulously
designed so even without any guidance the
player can string its breadcrumbs together,
figure out where to go next and what to do to
bring the journey one step closer to its end.

BONUS: YA K U Z A K I WA MI
TRAILER: GO.PCWORLD.COM/YAKI
In the interest of letting another proper 2019
release get on this list, I’m relegating Yakuza
Kiwami (go.pcworld.com/yk) to the “Honor-
able Mention” section. After all, it came out
on consoles three years ago—and is a remake
of a game from 2006, no less.
Don’t skip it though. Don’t think “Ah, it’s

not on the actual list, so who cares?” Kiwami is

one of the best games I’ve played this year, and

the perfect entry-point to the series for some-

one who doesn’t want to spend 50 or 60

hours on Yakuza 0. I took that route, and I think

it’s the better option because some of the story

moments hit harder having played the prequel

and spent more time with those characters.

Kiwami gives you a bite-sized introduction to

what makes the series special, condensing the

typical Yakuza experience down into 20 or 25

straightforward hours, and putting longtime

protagonist Kazuma Kiryu through some

harrowing events before it’s all over.

It’s a soap opera, but it’s a great one, and

I’m glad Sega’s porting these games over to

the PC at last.

Yakuza Kiwami