It ain’t Metal Gear, but they’re infrequent enough to be a decent diversion without overstaying their welcome. On top of all the punching fools Yagami has to do, there are now stealth missions thrown in for good measure. The developers have made their intentions clear that Judgment (as a franchise) is taking the ‘action game’ mantle from Yakuza while it goes on a Dragon Quest-induced spirit journey into the realm of turn-based combat. Now there are four styles, and each one is different enough to justify mixing it up based on the situation, so the core brawling here is possibly the deepest and most rewarding Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has delivered. The first game had two distinct fighting styles (one for fighting large groups while the other was meant for individual opponents) but neither felt distinct enough to prioritize using either one. Tailing suspects is both a more engaging and less frequent affair, and the first-person crime scene investigations are also improved due to a wider assortment of gadgets to investigate with, including a directional microphone that can be used to listen in on conversations. The investigation aspects of the original Judgment needed the most TLC, and the sequel delivers on that front. It’s very much a Yakuza-style affair, but Lost Judgment adds being a detective to the mix, which means there’s investigating crime scenes, interrogating witnesses, and it generally takes a more grounded, methodical approach compared to the all-out frenzy of Yakuza. It’s still a third person open-world action game absolutely brimming with mini-games, side content, vintage Sega arcade cabinets, and an endless supply of rapscallions waiting to have their heads kicked in increasingly wonderful ways. Mechanically, Lost Judgment is very similar to Judgment in that it’s essentially the same game with the rougher edges polished up. This title nails what it’s like to work with teenage students in a way that few pieces of media achieve, and this made the experience significantly more memorable from a personal standpoint. As a high school teacher myself who also worked at a Japanese school, I absolutely adored untangling this yarn alongside the hilarious and often touching “School Life” side missions. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it essentially becomes a wonderful homage to the film Kindergarten Cop. The highlight of the experience is Seiryo High School, where much of the campaign takes place. There’s quite a bit more to it than that, but it’s a magnificent tale with all the twists and turns one would expect. Lost Judgment‘s story centers around the murder of a teacher at a wealthy private school with a dark history, so it’s up to former ace-attorney-turned-ace-detective Takayuki Yagami and his burly backup Kaito to crack the case. While it certainly helps to have the background information from the first installment, new players can easily jump here thanks to how strong these characters are and how little the events of the previous game are actually brought up. Lost Judgment isn’t the middle chapter in a planned trilogy (or, in the case of Yakuza, a heptalogy), this is The Continuing Adventures of The Yagami Detective Agency. While the sprawling Yakuza franchise is one of the studio’s greatest strengths, Judgment seems to be moving in a more episodic direction. Or at least get a nap in!īut before they do (and I really hope they do), a hearty pat on the back is in order for yet another exceptional release. While I am thankful for their bountiful efforts, I must say to Ryu Ga Gotoku studio - Please, in the name of all that is holy, take a vacation. Between those titles and the recently released Lost Judgement, I would estimate that at least half of all the hours played on my PS5 have been dedicated to titles from Sega’s new golden goose. They followed that up with a PS5 version in March and a poorly priced (but competent) remaster of their exceptional gumshoe simulator Judgmentin April. Yakuza: Like A Dragon was a Series S/X launch title, which means this majestic developer can now also lay claim to creating one of the greatest launch games of all time. This is now their third game to release on next-gen hardware, and these machines haven’t even been out for a year. It is quite possibly too good a time to be a fan of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. WTF …Is this series really ending because of pig-headed Japanese talent agents? LOW Some of the original Judgment‘s nagging issues are still present HIGH It’s still the best way to beat the hell out of people in modern gaming.
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