While Judgment might not bear the actual Yakuza moniker, it is still very, very much a Yakuza game. Developed by the Ryu Ga Gotoku team over at SEGA, and set in the neon-lit mostly fictional streets of Kamurocho, players take control of former lawyer turned personal investigator/detective Takuya Kimura. The game primarily focuses around a series of murders, the serial killer dubbed Mole, and how all of this ties into events in Takuya?s life both past and present. It?s a solid tale that really spirals out into different areas, featuring city and police corruption, a subsidiary of the Tojo yakuza clan, and more. It also has some of the more wackier elements, mostly via side stories, that the Yakuza series is also well-known for.
But again, despite not featuring series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, Judgment is pretty much in line with prior Yakuza games. Kamurocho feels largely unchanged, with a layout and locations that are virtually identical to recent Yakuza titles. You?ll have various restaurants, arcades, a batting cage, an underground sewer area, and more. Some of the more familiar locations aren?t necessarily accessible, like host club Stardust, but still end up being factored into the story. Sadly, there was no karaoke mini-game to compare Takuya?s singing chops to Kazuma though.
The crime scene investigation bits are a little more frustrating, mostly because they all devolve into the equivalent of a hidden objects mini-game that doesn?t always make sense. During these segments you?ll have a zoomed in, first-person view of a small area, and you?ll need to use a cursor to highlight points of interest until you uncover the one or two points that matter. This can get a little tough without any standout visual indicator, but early on you can devote some skill points to an ability that?ll cause the controller to vibrate when you pass over something, which I found vital when it came to relieving some of the more tedious aspects of these seek and find sections.
The story elements of Judgment are certainly its biggest selling point, but it?s a strong selling point at least. I really enjoyed the overall main story plot, and most of the side stories are entertaining, even if they are far less serious overall. It?s also nice to have a completely fresh cast of characters here, and I found most of the side characters, like the members of Takuya?s former law firm, his right-hand ex-Yakuza man Kaito, and the villainous Captain Hamura, to be great additions to the Yakuza stable. Also, and I think this is the first time since the original Yakuza, Judgment features an English voice cast, which is really well performed. I defaulted to Japanese voices at the onset, and about halfway through switched to English, and ended up sticking with the English cast throughout the rest of the game.
Note: SEGA provided us with a Judgment PS4 code for review purposes.
Atari takes on Mattel's Intellivision in the next drop of content heading to this unique…
Get an extended, flat look at the Metro 2033 prequel before it launches next week.
There's a lot to unpack and configure in the latest entry in the MechWarrior series.
Want some heavy machinery with your video game?
Voidwrought is an exceptional Metroidvania style adventure in a year that's been filled with great…
So is Mila Jovovich the new Agent G?
This website uses cookies.