View attachment Judgment (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X｜S, & Stadia) ｜ Launch Trailer-7-5tcTkEC8k.mp4
I’ve just finished
Judgment (The Yakuza spin-offs) after about 45 hours, doing pretty much everything except the usual mahjong and shogi rabbit holes, plus all side cases and the Amon fight. And yeah… this is a really, really good game.
I was a bit hesitant going in. Coming straight off
Yakuza 0,
Kiwami 1,
Kiwami 2, it’s hard to let go of Kiryu and Majima. New protagonist, new cast, it could have felt like a downgrade. It doesn’t. Yagami is immediately likeable and carries the game effortlessly. Same goes for the whole supporting cast. The detective agency crew, the wider circle, everyone feels properly fleshed out. I was invested very quickly, which surprised me a bit if I’m honest.
The story is the standout, no question. It’s basically a 45-hour detective crime drama that you play through, and it’s gripping pretty much the entire way. It’s got that classic Yakuza pulp energy, twists, turns, things getting increasingly messy, but it’s also more grounded and mature than I expected. The whole Alzheimer’s drug angle, the political mess surrounding it, the serial killer thread tying it all together… it’s handled really well. I was guessing right up to the end, and the payoff actually lands. It all comes together in a way that feels coherent, which is not always a guarantee with this series.
That said, it’s not flawless. The detective mechanics are easily the weakest part of the game. Tailing missions in particular are just mediocre. Some of the investigation stuff is very basic as well, more “click the obvious clue” than actual detective work. It never really evolves. It doesn’t come close to ruining the game, but it definitely feels like the part they couldn’t quite crack.
Outside of that, though, it’s still a Yakuza game at heart. Combat’s fun, Kamurocho is as enjoyable as ever, and there’s plenty of side content and general madness to get stuck into. It might be a bit less unhinged than
Yakuza 0 in places, but it still has those moments where it just goes completely off the rails in the best way.
Overall, the story absolutely carries it. One of the best narratives I’ve seen in this series so far, easily and it actually sticks the landing.
I've heard that some of the less interesting game mechanics have been totally revamped for the sequel
Lost Judgement so I'm
really looking forward to playing that in the near future although I usually take a short breather from the series in-between games. I have a lot of other games to mop up at the moment
. Expedition 33 and
Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader are both in their third acts so I'll invest back into them for the time being.
