13 Awesome Summer 2018 Video Games You Probably Missed

3. Yakuza Kiwami 2

Though the Yakuza franchise has picked up considerable traction over the last 18 months in the west, the last few gaming weeks have been so damn busy - and expensive! - you'd be forgiven for not giving Yakuza Kiwami 2 a whirl yet. Releasing it just a week after the Shenmue HD Collection really wasn't the smartest idea, was it?

While the rate of Yakuza releases in the west threatens to strike fans with "Yakuza fatigue" in the near-future, that hasn't quite come about just yet. Kiwami 2, a remake of 2006's Yakuza 2, reinvents the PS2 action classic in the series' flashy new Dragon engine first used in Yakuza 6 earlier this year.

Everything you know and love about the franchise is here: the blunt, addictive combat, the self-consciously melodramatic main story, the INSANE side missions and, of course, the bada** characters. Following Yakuza 6's lead, there's also a greater emphasis on RPG-esque levelling mechanics this time, which makes the already moreish gameplay loop even more additive.

There may not be many big surprises or innovations here, but Yakuza Kiwami 2 is spectacularly-executed comfort food all the same. Carving a few weeks out of your life to get through it won't be easy, but it needs to be played regardless.