On May 7, RGG Studio officially announced Lost Judgment, an upcoming legal thriller that will be released worldwide on September 24 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. It is a sequel to Judgment, which came out a couple of years ago for the PlayStation 4 and was just recently remastered for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia. The announcement of Lost Judgment has drawn a lot of attention from players who weren’t aware of the previous game and have many questions–including how it ties in with the Yakuza series.
While Judgment has its own identity and the potential to become established as its own series, it is a Yakuza spin-off that everyone should try. Yakuza fans and newcomers alike will find a lot to love here, so let’s take a look at how the two compare.
Familiar Setting, New Faces
Judgment is set in Kamurocho, the city at the heart of the Yakuza series. Meanwhile, the upcoming Lost Judgment will take place in both Kamurocho and Yokohama, the city introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon when it came out last year. But while the setting might be the same, the game stars an entirely new cast of characters. You play as Yagami, a former lawyer turned private detective whose investigation into a recent string of murders leads him to unravel a dark conspiracy. The Tojo Clan does play a role in Judgment, but primarily through a minor branch family. The story is completely standalone, with no direct connections to any of the previous games, so you can play it no matter where you’re at in the main Yakuza series. Don’t expect any cameos from familiar faces here, either. Fortunately, Yagami is a great protagonist and he has a solid lineup of supporting characters to make the story shine.
Action and Investigation
Yagami is a private detective, so Judgment features a number of investigation mechanics used while inspecting crime scenes. These are fairly basic and generally involve zooming in on interesting spots to find clues (and hidden cats), along with a somewhat tedious tailing system where you must follow a suspect without being seen. There are also certain points where you’ll need to present evidence and contradictions in order to uncover the truth. It sounds like Lost Judgment has improved and expanded the investigation mechanics, so I can’t wait to see what they involve this time. Hopefully, there will be a bit more depth to the detective side of the gameplay this time around.
Investigating crime scenes and presenting clues are only part of the picture, however. Yagami knows hand-to-hand combat, so he spends a significant portion of time solving problems exactly the way Kiryu would–by punching the people responsible until they give up. While the main series recently shifted to turn-based combat, Judgment and its sequel use the brawler style action combat more typical of the series, although Yagami’s combat is a little lighter and faster than that of someone like Kiryu. Judgment gives you two combat styles to switch between, a heavier style for fighting single opponents and a faster style for dealing with groups. Both will be returning in Lost Judgment, along with a third combat style that makes use of parries and counterattacks.
A Darker Story
Although the marketing might have led you to believe it would be the other way around, due to its emphasis that you’re working on the right side of the law as a detective, Judgment is a much darker game than the main Yakuza titles. Yakuza deals with its fair share of serious topics and emotional moments, but Judgment goes deep into the darkness as Yagami searches for the truth behind the disturbing serial killings that plague Kamurocho. It has a dark atmosphere, heavy revelations at the heart of its mystery, and the most unsettling villain I’ve seen in the series so far. From the looks of the trailer, the story in Lost Judgment isn’t going to be any lighter… and it might even be darker still.
Substories and Side Cases
But don’t worry! Judgment retains the odd blend of tones that makes Yakuza so unique, with a serious main story alongside a variety of wacky and humorous substories. Substories return in Judgment in the form of side cases, smaller jobs Yagami takes on as a detective. These side cases range from chasing down a man’s wig after it blows away on the wind to setting a trap for a groper named Ass Catchem, so they definitely provide some lighthearted relief compared to the intensity of the main story. Lost Judgment will also introduce School Stories, new lighthearted parts that take place while Yagami is undercover at a high school. Most likely these will exist alongside the regular side cases, although they haven’t specifically discussed side cases yet. Either way, substories and side cases always provide a good detail of entertainment, much like the many mini-games the series is known for.
Mini-Games Galore
Let’s get it out of the way: there is no karaoke in Judgment, and quite possibly not in Lost Judgment either. The actor who plays Yagami is actually a singer, so fans have speculated that the lack of karaoke is due to it being too expensive to have him actually sing in the game. However, there’s a ton of other mini-games for you to enjoy, some familiar ones from the Yakuza series as well as a number of new additions. A VR board game was one of my favorite ways to spend time and earn money, and Yagami’s drone lets him participate in drone races at the Millennium Tower. We don’t know the full lineup of mini-games for Lost Judgment yet, but the announcement live stream showed toy cars, boxing, dancing, and more. Screenshots on the website also show Yagami walking a dog, although that might be related to the new investigation mechanics or a substory rather than a mini-game.
Conclusion
In short, if you’re a Yakuza fan, you should absolutely give Judgment a try. It’s basically a Yakuza game in all but name, albeit one with a darker story and some detective elements added into the gameplay. And if you’ve never tried a Yakuza game but find the idea of Judgment intriguing, its standalone nature makes it perfect for checking the series out. I absolutely loved Judgment and I’m counting down the days until Lost Judgment arrives. If it’s anywhere near as good as the first one, it will be another must-play game.
