TheYakuzaseries has gained momentum as a mainstream hit, withYakuza 0andYakuza: Like a Dragonachieving critical and commercial accolades in recent years. That success has extended to the spin-off entriesJudgmentandLost Judgment. As the mainline series segued into aDragon Quest-inspired traditional JRPG,Judgmentand its sequel maintainedYakuza’s beat-em-up style combat system.
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The sequelLost Judgmentcontinues to follow Takayuki Yagami’s exploits as a former lawyer-turned private detective. It serves as another milestone for theYakuzaseries as it leaves behind Kiryu Kazama, giving fans a more sympathetic hero. It’s an undoubted improvement over its predecessor, but there are a couple issues that need to be addressedif fans are lucky enough to get a third entryin theJudgmentseries.
10Loved: Excellent Storytelling
Even though the Yakuza are still present inLost Judgment,a clear effort has been made to move away from the gangster stories that were so prevalent in its sister series. Still, the storytelling is some of the best in the entire series.
As with its predecessor, there’s a deliberate effort made in its execution to feel like a boxset series. Even though there is a lot of action and a variety of things to do,Lost Judgmentoften feels like a visual novel or interactive movie due to the strength of the story.
9Loved: Its Approach To Real-World Issues
In addition to an excellent script,Lost Judgment’s story is thematically darker and impactful than any of its predecessors. It still has elements of humor and the wacky side stories that the series has become known for, but there’s a more serious underlying tone.
The game deserves commendation for the way it handles difficult subjects like bullying, sexual assault, and suicide. The victims and those suffering — as well as the perpetrators of cruel deeds — are incredibly well-written. It shows a level of maturity that so many other modern games lack.
8Loved: Impressive Voice Acting
It has to be said that many translated Japanese games can miss the mark in their execution. This is often true with JRPGs, with many scenes coming off as overly melodramatic or downright cheesy when they are trying to be thoughtful.
Thankfully, this is not the case inLost Judgment,as it features some of the best voice acting in this generation. A powerful script that deals with real-world issues needs a great voice cast, complete with a lead that appears sympathetic towards Yagami and his colleagues. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese voice acting is superb as well, if one would prefer playing the game in its original dub.
7Loved: The School Environment
One of the best story arcs in theLost Judgmentis when Yagami and co are tasked with going undercover at the Seiryo High school. They are asked to investigate allegations of bullying, leading to a21 Jump Street-style story that’s entertaining from start to finish.
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Lost Judgment manages to expertly craft a believable environment that captures the culture of a modern-day Japanese school in a far more effective way than evenPersona 5. Again, this is thanks to the engaging script and the tremendous voice acting on display throughout.
6Didn’t Love: The Linear
The story and script ofLost Judgmentmay be the most compelling piece of drama in theYakuzaseries. Unfortunately, a focused story is often a linear one and that’s where the game draws another parallel with visual novels: there’s no deviating from the script in any way, no way for the player to impact the story through their decisions.
It’s not a deal-breaker at all, but it would have added some replayability if gamers were able to make different choices during some of the cases. This was an idea that was executed surprisingly well in Frogware’sSherlock Holmesseries, and it would fit well into theJudgmentseries too.
5Loved: The School Activities
In addition to creating excellent scenarios within the Seiryo High School, there isa School Stories System. Yagami sets up the school’s Mystery Research Club to investigate the goings-on at the school, which leads to some of the most memorable moments in the game.
In addition to the investigations, there are school activities to take part in. These include the Robotics Club, the Skating Club, eSports, boxing, and more, making the world ofLost Judgmentfeel deeper and more fleshed out.
4Loved: The Combat System
Those that have kept up with theYakuzaseries will already know that the latest mainline entry,Yakuza: Like A Dragon,has transitioned to a turn-based combat system. It’s likely that the series will keep this system for the foreseeable future.
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However, that miss theStreets of Rage-style combat system of the past will be glad to know that like its predecessor,Lost Judgmentmaintains the old school mechanics of Kiryu’s adventures. Yagami is definitely faster than Kiryu, but the combat is more fluid than ever before.Lost Judgmentadds the Snake stance, a more defensive style that caters to parrying, disarming, and countering moves. In turn, this makes it a more approachable way to deal with violent students at the school.
3Loved: Impressive Graphics
It has always been a joy to explore Kamurocho in the Yakuza games, and that extends toLost Judgmenttoo. The recent titles,Yakuza: Like a Dragonand theJudgmentseries, are the most visually impressive in the series by far.
They aren’t the most photo-realistic games on the market, but the attention to detail is almost second to none. Everything from the wide-open city streets to the back alleyways looks distinct and detailed. It’s one of the few games that get exploring at night absolutely just right. So many open-world games are too dark when the night falls, butLost Judgmentlooks amazing day or night.
2Loved: The Mini-Games
What would aYakuzagame be without the mini-games?Lost Judgmentseems to have upped their game even more with a world where one can lose hours of their time just messing around at the Sega arcade.
For a healthy dose of nostalgia, there isa console-perfect Sega Master systemto play at Yagami’s detective office. In addition, there are mini-games and activities at the school, as well as bar games like darts and billiards. It’s also worth mentioning that to markSonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary, the developers have includedSonic Fightersin the arcade.
1Didn’t Love: Possibly Too Familiar For Some
The fans of theYakuzaseries are devoted, and Kamurocho is an amazing location to explore. So for the hardcore fans, it will be like slipping back into a comfy pair of slippers. However, there’s no escaping the feeling thatLost Judgmentwill feel like a sizeable expansion rather than a brand new game.
There’s certainly enough to keep everyone happy. The storytelling is a massive step forward, as the spin-off series is moving away from gangster-centric stories. That said, for anyone that has been playing theYakuzagames since it launched on the PS2 the sights and sounds of Kamurocho may feel all too familiar.
