PC Gamer Annual - UK (2022)

20

YAKUZA:

LIKE A DRAGON

RELEASED 2020 | LAST POSITION New

Phil: This marks the series’ transition from

arcade brawler to JRPG, and swaps out

the stoic long-time lead Kiryu for an

entirely new ex-Yakuza – an endearing

goofball who can’t help but wear his heart

on his sleeve. It’s still everything you

expect from a Yakuz a game: a lengthy

main story that’s filled with twists and

turns, numerous sidequests that range

from wacky to absolutely absurd, and a

whole host of minigames that offer fun

diversions to pursue as you explore.

HALO: THE MASTER

CHIEF COLLECTION

RELEASED 2019 | LAST POSITION 41

Nat: Every weekend, for the past year, I’ve
been jumping on for a bout of Halo 3
multiplayer like it was 2007 all over again.
There’s never been a shooter quite like
Halo, and after more than a decade away,
its uniquely chaotic sandbox arenas still
feel as fresh as ever – whether that’s a
tense slayer match on Blackout, or one of
many absurd Forge maps folks are playing
on the collection’s new server browser.
With the Master Chief Collection
now on PC in its entirety, 343’s collection
has proven itself more than just a fun
throwback. It’s a love letter to FPS fans

• letting you dive into more than a decade
  of Halo history in a single matchmaking
  playlist, or revisit Bungie’s truly stellar
  campaigns in both original and remastered
  forms. I may not be a fan of 343’s own
  additions, but you can’t deny the studio’s
  done a hell of a job.
  Wes: I want to thank whoever at 343
  brought back Halo 3 ’s Rocket Race playlist,
  a mode I sank hours into more than a
  decade ago and still love with all my heart.
  A custom game browser is in the works,
  and once it’s live, I expect classic Halo CTF
  to outlast the heat death of the universe.

22

21

RAINBOW SIX

SIEGE

RELEASED 2015 | LAST POSITION 25

Evan: Folks, this is how you operate a
multiplayer game. Siege gets four major
updates a year like clockwork, adding
new operators who often scramble the
meta. But as it’s expanded, Siege has
simultaneously rethought some of the
game’s biggest systems alongside all the
new additions, anti-toxicity measures,
and overhauled characters. A testament
to good production practices, careful
roadmapping, and the insane effort it
takes to maintain a popular game.

The Top 100

FE ATURE

PREVIEW

Phil

Savage

GUILD WARS 2

Still secretly one

of the best and

most generous

MMOs around,

and one that

could teach most

live service games

a lesson. From

battle passes to

update cadence,

Guild Wars 2 has

already solved

most of the

problems that

other GAAS

developers are

still trying to

figure out.

PERSONAL PICK

PREVIEW

Jody

Macgregor

DAWN OF WAR

• D A R K
  CRUSADE

Still my favourite

RTS thanks to a

paint-the-map

campaign where

structures remain

where you left

them. You return

to contested

ground to find

your defences still

standing, ready to

serve again. And

the sync-kill

animations make

zooming in on

combat a treat.

PERSONAL PICK