At E3 2019, we had the opportunity to meet with Sega and Atlus to preview their upcoming 2019 and 2020 releases. At the time, we did not know this would potentially be the last physical E3. During our preview, Sega gave us a hands-on preview of Catherine: Full Body, Mario & Sonic Olympics, and Judgment. All three titles were enjoyable, but Catherine caught our eyes the most; however, this did not stop us from playing through and reviewing most of the Sega titles that year. Despite previewing Judgment at E3 2019, the game’s review was handled by our writer Alex. Now, three years later, it was my turn to sit down with the Yakuza Detective spin-off, this time on the Xbox Series X.
Since the release of the game, I have tried to avoid story spoilers. Thankfully, I was able to and this made playing through the game even more enjoyable. Although the E3 demos were enjoyable, they did not fully capture what Judgment has to offer. Judgment is not just a Yakuza spin-off, but instead, is a thought-provoking detective narrative. While playing through each level, it left us asking, what’s going on and where is this story going to take us next? Thankfully, the answers were never immediately answered and the player is left wondering all the way up to the dramatic conclusion. This well-blended narrative reminded us of Rockstar’s L.A. Noire. When the player closes one door multiple new doors open.
Story
Going into Judgment’s story, there was a fear that the story would be cut and dry. Regrettably, this is the first game in the Yakuza franchise that I have gotten to experience; however, it has left me wanting to go back and try the other ones. At the start of the game, Takayuki Yagami is tasked with proving the innocence of a notorious Yakuza member, Kyohei Hamura. Hamura stands accused of murdering a rival gang member from the Kyorei clan. After gathering the evidence to prove Hamura’s innocence, the killings continue to happen, each corpse found with its eyes removed. Despite Hamura being found innocent, Yagami is determined to uncover Hamura’s involvement in the killings. As the game progresses, the player is taken deeper down the rabbit hole to discover that a great conspiracy is occurring.
When it comes to storytelling, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has done a great job with Judgment. Just as we thought we were coming to the conclusion of one case, the game added another layer to the mystery. The player is forced to complete the game and watch all the way up to the credits to know how everything is connected. Yes, you can guess some of the connections, but you will not always know why.
Not only is the main story an enjoyable experience, but the side quests each have their own tale to tell. Throughout the map, the player can find a variety of characters to build friendships with. These friendships open up new resources and options that make the game easier at times. Each encounter could lead to a future encounter that assisted with a different friendship task.
Gameplay
Although the story and side quests are enjoyable, there are multiple gameplay factors that distracted us from the overall story. Judgment features a variety of mini-games. From a House of the Dead clone to a metaverse Mario Party, there are a variety of mini-games to be played but ultimately they are optional. Will you benefit from completing them? Yes, but it makes the game a lot longer, potentially even too long. On multiple occasions, we were forced into chase sequences that felt added for the sake of having it in there rather than to actually catch the person. Basically, just an added quest. On numerous occasions, if we had free control of running and the camera, we could have easily caught our target.
Outside of the various mini-games, there are a variety of other tasks that Yagami can complete. Run around the city collecting resources to upgrade your drone or materials to make powerful extracts to help you in combat. Speaking of combat, Judgment features two martial art fighting styles (Crane and Tiger). During combat, the player can switch between the two to take out attacking enemies or choose to ignore both and use a piece of the environment as a weapon. Throughout my playthrough, I typically stuck to the Crane style to take out groups of enemies quicker. The Tiger style was useful for one on one fights, typically the boss battles. By attacking our enemy, we were able to charge our EX gauge and unleash special strong attacks. The game features a variety of EX attacks, however, most are locked behind the skills menu.
Skills
The game features a variety of skills focused on Ability, Battle, and Special tasks. While playing through, it is important not to just focus on leveling one menu branch. In order to be successful in Judgment, the player should unlock skills from each category. The first category primarily focuses on combat stats such as health, attack speed, damage, and healing done from items. The second category focuses on moves. Most of the moves are related either to special ex moves, wall attacks, or counters. Finally, the last category focuses on making the player’s life a little bit easier; upgrades in the category make it easier to find clues, track subjects, unlock doors, and even increase friendships faster.
Throughout the playthrough, players can earn SP to leave Yagami in a variety of ways. This allows for different kinds of players to level in their own ways. Searching for additional information or getting puzzles correct rewards the player with more SP. Completing specific milestones or tasks also rewards the player. Even some mini-games allow for the player to gain SP. Ultimately, the most common way to earn SP is through fights and by completing missions. If you are a perfectionist, you will max out all three skills menus before you complete all tasks.
Controls
Going in, I was a bit hesitant to play Judgment based on its controls. From the E3 2019 demo, I recalled finding the combat controls a bit aggravating and the drone controls to be obnoxious. Thankfully, since the rerelease of Judgment, it feels like the controls have improved slightly. Yes, flying the drone can be a challenge especially when the wind is involved, but combat overall felt smoother. Yes, there were times while fighting that we missed completely, but this time it didn’t feel as frustrating; it occasionally left us open to attack, but we wouldn’t die as quickly. Drone control on the other hand was a completely different beast. Hopefully, drone racing does not return in Lost Judgment.
In most fights, the player can get away with slamming buttons to take down foes. Bosses on the other hand are a completely different monster. If you treat them like a common enemy, you’ll have an experience similar to Dark Souls/Elden Ring. You will die and have to start over. So taking the time to learn the combat controls is important in the long run. When observing investigation points, the zoomed-in camera is a bit too slow; it is easier to just zoom out and find the vibration area, if you have the skill, than it is to inch it to the area.
Graphics
Throughout our playthrough of Judgment on the Xbox Series X, we did not notice a lot of graphical issues; however, we did notice a few that mostly left for comedic experiences. Only on two occasions did the graphical issues cause a problem. The first instance occurred during a street fight where we ran away from the Yakuza but they chased us over a wall. Somehow, that one member got stuck on the wall making us unable to leave the area. The second issue occurred during a boss fight where the boss was able to hit us no matter which way he was facing. Upon resetting the game, this bug was fixed and the boss felt like a joke.
The city is vibrant throughout the day and feels like it’s alive even when you aren’t doing anything. Returning to the comical aspect, on various occasions, we saw the AI snap back into place or walk through objects to get to a certain location during cutscenes. As a whole, the game plays smoother than the original release of Cyberpunk 2077. Characters appear as if they directly recorded living their everyday lives rather than characters created for a game. This is partially due to capturing different actors’ looks.
VA/Audio/SFX
Whether playing through Judgment Subbed or Dubbed, each experience will draw you in. The voice actors they chose for each role convey a wide variety of emotions. Although you can tell who certain voice actors are based on their previous works, it does not detract from the overall experience. The crowds’ ambient noise makes you feel like you are in a living city. Even the game’s soundtrack helps set the mood. From the opening to the closing credits, the developers have chosen a great soundtrack that keeps the player’s focus. Will the Yakuza catch you or will you escape just in the nick of time.
Replay Value
Going into Judgment, it is important to know that the game is rather long, especially if you are trying to perfect it; however, the Japanese and English voice acting make it worthwhile. Players can choose to play through the game in only one combat style or hunt down anything they might have missed the first time through. If you are a collector or perfectionist, there is a lot to do.
Verdict
Although I did not get to play through the original version of the game, I took the time to compare it to its original release. The developers have definitely taken the time to enhance the graphics, sounds, and gameplay. Going through, Judgment on the Xbox Series X felt like a truly polished enhancement of its original predecessor; the rerelease made me thankful that I waited rather than playing the game at launch because I was able to experience the game how the developers intended. If you have yet to try Judgment, it is worth picking it up on the Xbox Series X. If you have but it’s been a while and you are considering playing through Lost Judgment then it is something to consider picking up as well.
The game’s overarching story is enhanced by smooth graphics and great voice acting; it makes you feel like you are living through the character trying to solve the mysteries in your hometown. If you haven’t picked it up, we would recommend doing so.
A copy of Judgment was provided for review on the Xbox Series X.
