Even just a handful of years ago, the Yakuza series was viewed as a “big in Japan” IP that hadn’t quite crossed over into the rest of the world yet. Something about the contemporary Japanese setting, complex characters, and often wild storylines just didn’t work for the Western crowd. But (as we mentioned in our Yakuza: Like a Dragon feature last year) that’s all changed now. Audiences around the world have caught up to what Japanese fans have known since 2005 and now embrace the series — and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s related projects, like last month’s Lost Judgment. The sequel to 2019’s (or 2018’s, for Japan) Judgment, the latest title once again features private detective Takayuki Yagami doing what he does best by investigating a suspected criminal. As per usual, the tale takes some twists...
In the world of co-op zombie-killing games, Left 4 Dead pretty much set the standard in 2008 and never looked back. To this day, it’s still considered the peak of the genre by many, which is why a ton of folks are excited about the team at Turtle Rock Studios returning to the genre for the first time in a dozen years with Back 4 Blood. If you’ve somehow missed the thousands of commercials and advertisements across a multitude of platforms, Back 4 Blood is an intense, action-packed first-person shooter where you and three teammates face off against a seemingly endless horde of the “Ridden” — conventionally known as zombies and other undead monstrosities. It’s a post-apocalyptic bloodbath that requires teamwork, nerves of steel, and a whole lot of bullets. To provide the right type of atmosp...