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Our favorite games of 2018
It didn't take long for us to declare 2017 a pretty great year for games, with a spectacular roster that included Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and Assassin's Creed Origins. In our roundup last December we also listed what we were looking forward to in 2018 and, while very few of those titles made our final list this year, we can still confidently declare these past twelve months pretty awesome in the world of gaming. We got a new God of War title and possibly the best Smash Bros. installment yet, while a few indies like Into the Breach and Celeste knocked it out of the park as well. Rather than try to come up with a simple "best of" list, the editorial team here at Engadget proudly presents the games that made the biggest impact on us this year, whether they were technically impressive, emotionally engaging or just flat-out fun.
'Project Judge' is the new series from the creators of 'Yakuza'
If you're all Yakuza'd out, then we have some good news. The creators of your favorite gangster series have something new -- Project Judge (or Judge Eyes, depending on your translation choice). This time you're starting off on the other side, playing a lawyer-slash-detective who's looking to clear his name, save innocents and generally do good. The teaser trailer appears more narratively driven, with creator Toshihiro Nagoshi hinting that you'll be able to control dramatic interactions of the characters, and making it sound possibly less violent and less action-driven than the Yazuka series. For now, it's hard to discern how the game will play, but it looks like it'll have the same drama and angst that fans loved from Sega's gangster series.
Yakuza Kiwami 2's tangled plot is half the appeal
The Yakuza series on the PS4 is, at its heart, a story of family. It explores this theme through the narrative lens of the protagonist Kiryu Kazuma and the Sisyphean task of protecting the people that constitute various iterations of his family -- often from one another. In Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of the 2006 original), Kiryu is in for more of the same challenges but with even higher stakes.
'Yakuza 6' makes its belated appearance on PS4 today
After a few bumps in the road, Yakuza 6, the latest entry in Sega's long-running gangster series is finally available for purchase in the US. That means you can finally take a stroll down the game's fictional recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho for yourself. The game was released in Japan last December, but given how story-heavy it is, it took awhile to localize all the voice and text for Western audiences. That's fine though -- early word is that the narrative is one of, if not, the best, in the franchise and a fitting send-off to protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.
'Yakuza Kiwami 2' set for Western launch on August 28th
While Western fans of the Yakuza series are still patiently waiting for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life's delayed PS4 launch next month, Sega decided to tease further by announcing that Yakuza Kiwami 2, the remake of Yakuza 2 from 2008, is also heading to the West on August 28th. This is surprising considering that there is a 28-month gap between the Japanese debut of Yakuza 6 and its Western counterpart, whereas for Yakuza Kiwami 2 it's just going to be a nine-month wait -- assuming that there will be no delay, of course. In other news, following the botched release of the Yakuza 6 demo that let folks play beyond the intended limit, Sega said it will finally be releasing the demo back online "early next week." This should keep fans busy until April 17th, at which point their progress in the demo will be carried over to the full game.
'Yakuza 6' makes Tokyo's red-light district virtually real
I'm a relatively late fan of Sega's famed Yakuza franchise. It was the 2015 prequel, Yakuza 0 on the PS4, that got me hooked: It was the series' first title to be localized in Chinese, which helped me understand its rich storyline on the humble beginnings of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and his strangely charming acquaintance, Goro Majima. What also fascinated me about these open-world games was how most of the world was based on Tokyo's Kabukicho and Osaka's Dotonbori, often with incredible attention to detail.
What we're playing: 'Yakuza 0' and 'Reigns: Her Majesty'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month, we spend too much time taking photos in Assassin's Creed Origins, lose ourselves in Yakuza 0's side stories, and ask the important question: "Tinder or Reigns?"
'Yakuza 6: The Song of Life' launch date pushed back to April 17th
One more month, folks. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is due to land in the United States, Europe and elsewhere around the world on April 17th, a one-month delay from its original release date. To soften the blow of this announcement, publisher Sega also revealed the launch date for the Yakuza 6 demo: It'll go live on PlayStation 4 on February 27th, and save data will transfer to the full game.
'Persona 5' took me back to Tokyo
Two years ago I took my first trip to Tokyo. The city exceeded my wildest expectations, an addictive blend of ramen, neon nightlife and tranquil parks. I spent a fortnight exploring the place, absorbing every street, shrine and video game store that wandered into my peripheral vision. It was a glorious adventure, and I would give anything to go back there.
The best of the Tokyo Game Show 2016
The biggest gaming show outside of the US, the Tokyo Game Show has a different atmosphere that's all its own. While it's contracted and shrunk over the last few years, the heat and interest in virtual reality has reinvigorated the show -- regardless of the lack of an official Xbox or Nintendo presence. Sony may have already revealed two new consoles in the last month, but it wanted to remind everyone that it has a virtual reality headset coming out. In short: lots of VR, PlayStation and domestic-centered games, sprinkled with just enough weird.
'Yakuza 6' adds the thrill of running your own cat cafe
As Sega attempts to tie up the long-running (typically late-to-translation) Yakuza series, its producer has revealed that the sixth iteration will have plenty of ridiculous mini-games and side jobs, offering some mundane distractions from the boot-to-face Japanese gangster brawls that typically make up a large part of the games. While calming a weepy baby is certainly dull IRL, if you're a speedy enough typer (through your DualShock controller) you'll be able to charm webcam girls online -- for those days when the protagonist can't quite make it to his regular hostess club. And that's just for starters.
'Yakuza 0' is coming to brutalize your PS4 in January 2017
Yakuza fans, rejoice! Yakuza 0 has finally been given a release date, and it's officially on its way as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Prepare your PS3s, North America: 'Yakuza 5' lands next month
Yakuza 5 launched in Japan for the PlayStation 3 in December 2012. Three years and one console generation later, it's heading to North American PS3s in "mid-November, if all goes to schedule." Sega announced the release window today in a blog post, noting, "It's a little later than we would've liked, and a few weird development bugs that popped up in localization caused the delay." Specifically, but not technically, Sega ran into issues with the on-screen text, which had to be flipped from Japanese to English. Once the bugs are squashed, Yakuza 5 is on track to hit PS3 digitally via PSN next month across North America.
Yakuza 5 coming to western PlayStations in 2015
The Yakuza series is headed west. Sony announced during its PlayStation Experience keynote that Yakuza 5 will be coming to stateside PlayStation 3 systems next year, while Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls (both previously available in disc form for the PS3) will be available on the PSN starting this week. [Image: Sega]
Yakuza Zero sets the calendar to 1988, coming 2015
Yakuza Zero, the recently-revealed entry in the Japanese crime sim series, will take fans back to the year 1988, developer/published Sega announced at Sony's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference. Taking place years before the first Yakuza game, the new entry in the series will focus on two protagonists: Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. The game, which is coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, will feature cross-play with the PS Vita. Yakuza Zero is expected to start its crime spree in spring of 2015. [Image: Sega]
Sega unsheathes Yakuza Zero: The Place of Oath
Yakuza Zero: The Place of Oath will be the next game in the Yakuza series, publisher/developer Sega revealed this morning during a livestream event. Unfortunately, other than being in development for PS3 and PS4, little else is known about the game. Gematsu reports that in addition to revealing the title of the upcoming organized crime simulator, Sega revealed 30 actresses who will appear in the game. These women were part of a "Sexy Actress Popularity Contest." Well, no one ever accused the Japanese mafia of being subtle. [Image: Sega]
Sega teases August 24 Yakuza announcement
Sega plans to announce something on August 24, and while it appears to be related to the long-running Yakuza series, it's unknown exactly what the publisher has in store. Pay a visit to the Ryu Ga Gotoku website - that's the Japanese title of the Yakuza franchise - and you'll find the message seen above. Those who don't speak Japanese aren't missing much as the message roughly translates to the title of the series, and the words "9 p.m., August 24." That text also links to a Nico Video page which will presumably play host to whatever sort of announcement Sega is plotting. Whether Sega is planning to unveil a new Yakuza entry or not, fans outside of Japan shouldn't get their hopes too high that the series might leave its native country. Though a handful of Yakuza games have received localization over the years, the series' two most recent entries, Yakuza 5 and Yakuza Ishin, remain in Japan with no known plans for release elsewhere in the world. [Image: Sega]
Sega CCO: No current plans for Yakuza 5 in the West
Sega Sammy CCO Toshihiro Nagoshi recently told Edge that the Yakuza development team is focusing on their Japan-exclusive PS3 and PS4 launch title, Yakuza Ishin, rather than localizing 2012's Yakuza 5 for Western audiences. Ishin is a spin-off set in the late Edo period in Japan and will feature some form of Vita Cross-Play. Nagoshi explained that due to the Yakuza team's size, they decided to pass up working on a port of Y5 to focus solely on Ishin. Nagoshi feels that he and his team "owe it to PlayStation fans" for Ishin to be a PS4 launch title, "even if it means a bit of pressure." Nagoshi expressed interest in localizing Ishin for other territories, provided the Yakuza team finds the manpower and money to do so. Yazuka: Dead Souls was the last game in the series to be launched outside of Japan.
Kazuma's back in Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Edition
The Yakuza 1 & 2 HD update originally spotted in a Sega Japan release schedule is official, with Famitsu featuring a back-tattooed blowout of the PS3 update. A preview page of the article was posted today on the publication's website.The top of the article reveals a November 1 release date for the collection, a month sooner than Sega's release calendar had it. There's still no word on a North American release; despite almost every Yakuza game being localized, there's still always an element of suspense whenever a new one is revealed.
Yakuza: Dead Souls emerging Mar. 16 in EU, Mar. 13 in NA
In mid-January, Sega locked down a North American release date for Yakuza: Dead Souls, and now Europe's date with Tokyo-based zombies has finally been scheduled.Yakuza: Dead Souls will arrive in Europe on March 16, according to Eurogamer. The PlayStation 3-exclusive is coming to North America on March 13, which is plenty of time for seasoned zombie killers to prepare for the impending attack. Already released in Japan under the name Yakuza: Of the End, the sixth game in the cult-hit series throws players into the "infamous red light district of Tokyo" during a zombie outbreak.Don't fret, Yakuza fans, because zombies aren't the only enemy you'll be facing. Yakuza: Dead Souls will also throw hordes of "merciless" mutants in your path, along with all of those seedy characters from the Japanese underworld. As for possible zombie-infected Hostesses? We're keen on letting the brain-chomping ladies sit this one out.%Gallery-135830%
