Chris "Atom" DeAngelus: Yakuza is a weird franchise. On the surface, it's a gritty crime drama about manly men doing manly things. Beneath the surface, it's a remarkably silly and heartfelt franchise about manly men racing slot cars, taking care of babies, playing video games, and singing karaoke. Yakuza 6 is supposedly the end of the story for longtime series mainstay, Kazuma Kiryu. Despite his constant attempts to lead a less violent life, he finds himself once again drawn into a tangled web of mystery and intrigue when he is released (yet again) from prison to find the world has changed dramatically since he was gone. What hasn't changed is the franchise's eclectic mix of hard-brawling action and hilarious minigames, and Yakuza 6 looks to be the most refined and content-filled version of the series yet.

Thomas Wilde: I appreciate that the Yakuza games continue to exist. I'm disappointed that Akiyama doesn't seem to be playable in this one, but Kiryu's still one of the more entertaining protagonists in modern games. Yes, he will murder eight men at once with a broken bicycle, but yes, he will also appoint a chicken as his personal financial manager.