The Yakuza series launched in 2005 to great success in Japan and developed a cult following in the West. Yakuza 0 introduced the series to a more mainstream audience. The games feature semi-open and faithfully recreated Japanese settings in famous Tokyo cities and their seedy underbelly. The first seven games in the series center around Kiryu and are self-contained stories in their own right. The eighth title, Yakuza: Like a Dragon , introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban, with unique motivations and a turn-based combat sys
However, despite its clunky mechanics, Mafia 2 features a compelling and mature story of Vito Scaletta’s rise to power in the ranks of the Falcone crime family. Fans of Yakuza’s more dramatic and political mob stories will love the struggles of Vito and his relationships with friends and fam
Before Streets of Rage 4 reinvigorated the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre, Double Dragon: Neon took a shot in 2012. There is an 80s feel and theme to the gameplay, mechanics, and style that fans of Yakuza 0 will love. It is more challenging than Streets of Rage 4 and the recent Double Dragon: Gaiden , the more classically styled update on the arcade clas
As far as indie horror games go, one of the most intriguing titles on the horizon is easily Undying . A freshman effort on the part of studio Vanimals, players take control of a mother and son as they attempt to survive in a zombie apocalypse. While there are no shortage of zombie games out there, the mother/son dynamic of Undying is something different, and the game’s unique art style will also help it stand out from the cr
Fiction’s most famous secret agent has made undeniable contributions to the medium. GoldenEye 007 on the N64 revolutionized the first-person shooter and local multiplayer games. After the 1997 masterpiece, a steady stream of releases came through until 2012 when 007 Legends stopped it all in its tracks. The compilation of famous playable set pieces throughout the franchise was panned as one of the worst first-person shooters in recent memory. Since then, not even murmurs of a new Adventure Game Walkthrough have popped up. Given the character’s relationship to the medium, he deserves a glorious ret
Life and death are inevitable parts of existence. All things born will eventually leave this place, and while no one quite knows where they go, traces of their time on Earth linger after they leave. This doesn’t solely apply to living beings, eit
Technically, Mortal Kombat never really died, it held on by a thread during the PS2 generation. Titles like Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon made several changes to the formula, making the series unrecognizable from its roots except for the trademark aesthetic. After Midway closed its doors and the studio was picked up by Warner Bros., Ed Boon and his team became NetherRealm Studios and got to work on a return to form. 2011’s Mortal Kombat brought the battles back to a two-dimensional plane and added a story mode where bouts were divided up by detailed cutscenes showing the game’s soap opera-esque narrat
While Skate 4 ‘s no-show could be part of a licensing problem – the game would feature a ton of music and clothing brands, after all – it’s nonetheless disappointing that digital skaters have to stick with the last-gen entry if they want to enter the Hall of M
Microsoft plans on launching its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X , at some point later this year. So far, the only first-party game confirmed for the Xbox Series X is the upcoming Halo Infinite , leaving much of the console’s launch lineup a myst
However, Fable 4 rumors have been popping up quite a bit lately, leading gamers to suspect an announcement was imminent. Unfortunately, no such announcement was made, though it’s possible Microsoft could be saving Fable 4 for next year as an early Project Scarlett rele
Just like Until Dawn featured some Hollywood star power, so too does The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan , with Shawn Ashmore playing one of the lead roles, alongside Pip Torrens. The first game in a new horror anthology series , The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan looks to deliver very similar gameplay to Until Dawn , but with a new ghost ship setting and a new cast of characters, it should still feel like a fresh experience when it launches on August
Conker’s Bad Fur Day was a cult classic on the Nintendo 64, notable for pushing its M for Mature rating to the limit. The game was vulgar and violent, but also quite good, with a fun story and addicting multiplayer modes. Since then, Conker has largely been relegated to obscurity, getting a graphical update on the original Xbox and being featured in episodic format for the canceled Project Spark . Similarly to Banjo-Kazooie , Microsoft has seemingly refused to take proper advantage of Conker and the popularity of the IP, but hopefully that changes with a proper Conker’s Bad Fur Day sequel on Xbox Serie