AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 111should 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