I make it no secret, most of the time, that I am a huge fan of the Yakuza franchise. I also make it no secret that those games look way different at first glance than they actually are. Judgment is no exception to this rule. In fact, this spin-off of the Yakuza series might just be the start of a beautiful new franchise.

In Judgment, rather than playing a former (or current) member of the Yakuza, you play Takayuki Yagami, a former lawyer who now works as a Private Investigator in Kamurocho. Three years prior to the events of the game, Yagami defended a man in court who was accused of murder. He managed to get the man acquitted, only for that same man to get arrested for murder again, in a presumably open-and-shut case.

This disgrace leads to Yagami hanging up his Lawyer badge and opening up a detective agency, working alongside his former colleagues at the Genda Law Office, to investigate cases. Interestingly enough, Yagami finds himself involved in a serial murder case that has connections not only to his past but also is connected to multiple other cases.

The story is where Judgment shines brightest. I am a fan of true crime, as well as anything that lets me try my hand at being a detective. Surprisingly, Sega (and the Yakuza Team) knocked this out of the park, creating a multi-layered series of crimes, with a conspiracy tying them all together. Of course, it wouldn’t be a game set in Kamurocho if there wasn’t a little silliness, which is where the side cases come in.

Judgment has 12 chapters in total, but within each chapter (sometimes across multiple chapters) there are side-cases, as well as main story sections. The side cases are tied to your “City Reputation” which builds up as you make friends with various inhabitants of Kamurocho. Some friends you can only acquire by doing side-cases involving them, while others come from being a patron at restaurants or convenience stores.

Cases tend to involve a variety of different mechanics, so strap in for this lowdown. The first major mechanic is the “tailing” mechanic. Essentially, you follow the person at a distance, hiding behind things to make sure they don’t realize you are following them. If you lose sight of them, you have a limited amount of time to catch up, before you lose them completely.

Secondly, there are “chase” sequences, which require you to dodge obstacles and execute Quick Time Event button presses in order to catch up to your fleeing target. Normally, I would complain about QTE’s but Judgment does things in a really interesting way, giving you a visual timer that shows you how long you have to press the button.

Then there are Photo Missions, which require you to take photos “catching” someone in the act of whatever it is you’re trying to uncover. Whether you are looking for evidence of bribery, infidelity, or assault, taking the perfect photo to use as evidence is important.

There are also parts of the game where you will need to be in disguise. Disguises are gained over the course of the game, and each one serves a different purpose. Maybe you disguise yourself as a homeless guy to seem less threatening, or as a repair man to get into a secured building. In either case, playing the part is important.

Yagami also does detective work by interviewing people, and knowing when to ask the right question is important. Sometimes, you also have to take a page out of Phoenix Wright’s book, and present evidence during a conversation to get to the truth.

You also get to explore crime scenes, investigate for clues, and do all sorts of other detective-related things. In a way, Judgment feels like a marriage between L.A. Noire, Yakuza, and Phoenix Wright; all coming together to create a truly beautiful crime experience.

Now it wouldn’t be a game in the Yakuza franchise (or a spinoff) without mini-games. There are an absolute TON of mini-games in Judgment, from Shogi and Mahjong to Pinball and the UFO Catcher. I was a tad disappointed that the Bowling mini-game didn’t make a return, but the Paradise VR board game somewhat makes up for it.

The Paradise VR Board game is but one of many mini-games and gives you the opportunity to get a variety of rewards depending on how successful you are. Weirdly enough, Sega implemented a form of “microtransaction” in Judgment, since you can purchase play passes (required to play the Paradise VR game) in the PSN store.

Interestingly enough, I was frustrated by this, until I discovered something. You also pick up play passes occasionally from fighting thugs in Kamurocho or taking on the Keihin Gang (who picks fights with you frequently.) The Keihin gang gets annoying after a while, but the idea of getting play passes from it makes it semi worth it. Additionally, you can get a permanent free pass, by collecting six vouchers from doing other mini-games and other side content.

Cases and investigations sometimes require things like lockpicking as well. The lockpicking mini-game is very well done, and has two separate versions depending on the type of lock, keeping things fresh and exciting the whole way through.

Yagami also has a drone, which you can fly to do surveillance during cases or use in drone races. You can also use the drone in Photo Missions, but the cool new mechanic involves crafting. Crafting is a new thing in Judgment, (though some Yakuza games contain it too) where you use odds and ends found around Kamurocho to research new Drone parts or create Extracts.

Extracts are like potions that provide a variety of effects, such as making your attack speed faster or making your attacks break enemy guards. I haven’t delved too deep into the combat yet in this review, but Extracts are very helpful, though not necessary for all battles.

Yagami has two combat styles available, which is a stark contrast to Kiryu and Majima, who each had four. His Crane style is suited for hitting groups of enemies, with wide, sweeping strikes. His Tiger style is more focused on single combatants but deals more damage. As you progress through the game, you can unlock abilities for your styles via a skill app on Yagami’s phone.

Yagami also has the capability of doing what is called a “Wall jump” where you run at a wall, vault off of it, and use that momentum to attack enemies and take them by surprise. Utilizing this effectively can be difficult since it is a tiny bit finicky, but it looks and feels super stylish when you pull it off. I find that it is easiest to utilize in enclosed spaces, such as the Champion District.

Combat also brings back the EX Gauge and brutal EX actions, though it adds a new mechanic in the form of “Mortal Wounds.” Certain enemies will utilize powerful attacks, which lower your maximum health until you can recover via a medical kit or a doctor visit. To counteract this is the EX Boost mechanic, which prevents mortal wounds and enhances Yagami’s attacks at the cost of the EX gauge.

To be quite honest, combat is fluid and addictive. I’ve always been a fan of the Yakuza-brand combat mechanics, so Judgment carries them forward perfectly, keeping them fresh but still fun.

The last major mechanic I need to explain (before I get into my thoughts on the game as a whole) is the KamuroGo App. KamuroGo is an app that records all of your achievements and gives you SP (skill points) for doing various things. Eating every dish at a restaurant gets you KamuroGo completion, as does running a certain distance, using wall jumps a certain number of times, and so on.

This replaces the “Completion point” system from the Yakuza games, and also enables you to keep track of things more easily. Need to eat food, but you aren’t sure which restaurants you need to complete? KamuroGo has a handy list that you can reference. Yagami’s phone also provides a map app, and case files that allow you to refresh your memory if you get stuck.

I have to applaud the team for doing such great work on the localization for Judgment. Judgment’s localization is fairly unique because it was designed in multiple languages, but the script was adjusted in each language to fit the slang and colloquialisms of each language. The English voice acting is absolutely fantastic and the cutscenes are beautifully done.

The characters in Judgment are all uniquely rendered and created. They look incredibly realistic, and every piece of the game has beautiful attention to detail. My only major complaint lies with the map system. This is mostly because the text on the map is very small, and for some reason zooming in on the map makes the text even smaller. Sometimes, I want to check out a certain street, but I practically need a magnifying glass to spot where I’m supposed to go.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t applaud Sega and the team for the variety in each of the cases. The main storyline is a multilayered series of cases, that all interweave together. The side cases, on the other hand, are amazingly crafted and have a variety of storylines that give you the sense of accomplishment and excitement of being a real detective.

To conclude before I gush way too long about Judgment, if you are a Yakuza fan, you’ll love this game. Even if you’ve never played a Yakuza game before, if you’re a true-crime fan or even a fan of detective/noir situations, give this a try. I’m pretty sure that you could get well over 60 hours of gameplay out of this, so it is well worth your money.

Judgment is the beginning of what I hope is a brand new branch in the Yakuza brand. I would absolutely love to see more games like Judgment, though a Yakuza/Judgment game with a female protagonist would be pretty fantastic too.

A PS4 review copy of Judgment was provided by Sega for this review.

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Judgment

$59.99 USD

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Fantastic Storyline
• Lots of Side Content and Minigames
• Addictive Gameplay and Combat
• Fun Investigation Mechanics
• Awesome Voice Acting

Cons

• Text on the Map is Small
• Wall Jumping is Kind of Inconsistent

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