Judgment Reviews

Bro I can't even begin. This game is by far one of the most masterfully crafted RGG studio pieces. The story is engaging and you can actually remember what's going on. It keeps you hooked, and you just want to keep coming back for more. The characters are deep, and interesting, even the side cases have some depth to them. The combat is completely newer from the normal beat-em-up stuff we've gotten before. Our MC can do flips and tricks, new heat actions, and even a mortal wound system (great idea btw, still very annoying). I will say this, I had a harder time beating the bosses in this game, though I beat them in like 2-3 tries. Last boss literally watched me scarf down my whole inventory. Anyways, you want combat, you got that here. You want a good story you can't put down, its here. Great graphics, also here. Funny and wacky side quests, maybe even girlfriends as well!?! Yeah it's all here. Just play the damn game already, it's great. 10/10

UNDERRRATED!! This is a great game. One of RGG's best. Great acting, and story, fun combat and other gameplay elements. The combat progression system is not quite as good as some of the yakuza games, but the flow, animations and just general feel of the game is fantastic. I Highly recommend this, especially if you like the yakuza games or if you want to like the yakuza games but don't like all the silly and goofy stuff. This game is quite a bit less silly and weird than the Yakuza and LAD games but once RGG delivers a game with heart.

[i]Judgment[/i] really feels like the first of the Dragon Engine games to get things right, though it took me a bit to realize that at first. Like [i]Yakuza 0[/i] before it, this thing starts [i]slow[/i] – and its first few chapters take quite a while to start picking up steam. Before even getting into what the game does best, what I noticed first and foremost about this game is how much better the combat feels here than it does in either of [i]Yakuza 6[/i] or [i]Kiwami 2[/i]. While, in those games, Kazuma Kiryu felt weighed down by the transition from the Kiwami Engine, here Takayuki Yagami—our intrepid detective protagonist—is unfettered by such baggage as he unleashes his styles of self-taught martial arts on the lowlives plaguing Kamurocho. Unfortunately, however, I only ever used one of those styles extensively over the course of my playthrough; Tiger style always felt much more effective than Crane. But, as previously alluded to, what [i]Judgment[/i] truly does best is everything involving its story and its characters. Yagami is no Kiryu, but he definitely started growing on me towards the end. Alongside him is a pretty colorful cast of supporting characters, with Kaito, Mafuyu, and Saori being my personal favorites; they all get a chance to shine over the game’s runtime. The story itself is, naturally, reminiscent of the [i]Yakuza[/i] games, but the change in perspective to that of an ex-lawyer turned P.I. unraveling a grand conspiracy does more than enough to keep things feeling fresh. I’m really looking forward to playing [i]Lost Judgment[/i] to see where Yagami’s story goes next, but also to get more of these characters. Of course, when Yagami isn’t looking for the next break in the big case, he tries to keep the lights on at Yagami Detective Agency by taking on routine P.I. work. While [i]Judgment[/i] largely makes the most of its detective gameplay, parts of it quickly wear out their welcome. Most who have played the game will likely complain about the tailing missions. They take too long, are not very interesting, and there are just way too many of them. Investigations and gathering clues fare a bit better, however, and the side cases are generally pretty great – with some fun characters and stories that take place over multiple cases. Closely tied to the side cases is the Friend system, allowing Yagami to get to know and befriend the people of Kamurocho. I enjoyed most of these, and they make for a good equivalent to substories along with the side cases. Girlfriends also come into play as you progress with side cases and go for more of a quality over quantity approach compared to the hostesses of previous [i]Yakuza[/i] titles. However, I’m not a big fan of the available options, and I do find it a bit weird how some of them are so much younger than Yagami (Sana, 19, and Tsukino, 20, to Yagami’s 35). Amane is probably my preferred choice, as her fortune-telling angle makes her quite unique among nearly all dateable characters in the RGG games I’ve played. If I were to complain about something, then it’s the Keihin gang. I thought the frequency of random street battles was bad in Yakuza 5, but here it’s on a whole other level; it’s as if these goons are around every single street corner, and it just doesn’t feel rewarding to fight them – neither materially nor in the way of experience. And once Yagami’s friend Kim starts asking you to take the fight to their leaders… let’s just say it quickly gets irritating more than anything else. Add this up with the mortal wounds system, letting bosses reduce your health permanently lest you cough up absurd amounts of yen to the local doctor, and you’ve made running about town a hassle more often than not. With those complaints out of the way, I did really enjoy my time with [i]Judgment[/i]. After my relative disappointment with the gameplay side of the Dragon Engine games, this one has done a hell of a lot to redeem it in my eyes. Score: 4/5 [h3]★★★★[/h3]

Been playing Sekiro and Judgment at the same time so this has been my chill game. Really enjoy the pace, the vibe, and the camaraderie. Yakuza 0 was the only Yakuza game that I played before Judgment. Fair to say that it feels familiar but the combat system is massively improved here. But let's face it combat is not the focus here. Great story and the connections Yagami build over time have really made an impact by making game more personal. Didn't bother to finish majority of the side quest as I was trying to progress in the main story so by the time I finished the game was telling me I only finished 12.9 of the game. Fuck that.

A highly engaging story-driven detective/mystery game. The satisfying combat makes it many times better. If you want to experience a thrilling movie while also playing a fighting game, this is the one to try. Definitely worth checking out!

The worst type of person is the one who thinks they are right when they are dead wrong. And ironically they end up dead. This is the premise of the game. Play as a detective as you solve a mystery of intrigue and deception. I really felt like a detective as I trailed and chased suspects. Solve cases by using investigative mode to look for clues and then use the right clues to piece it all together. RGG knows how to improve upon their games. It felt smoother and seamless, such as picking up items by walking over them instead of having to press a button as well as ladders are automatically climbed when used. There are old and new minigames, but no karaoke. It was a fitting (grisly and darker imo) ending. Tak is no Kiryu, but he can hold his own as a cool dude with swagger and ass-kicking friends. Some of the substories were okay, but not as interesting or funny as the ones in Yakuza. It felt like there were less fights to run into in the world, but threat levels make up for it by increasing the likelihood of a fight from time to time which was okay... Overall, a fun game with an interesting plot and good action.

A beyond unbelievable game, absolutely enjoyed from start to finish, while it does not have that much content compared to it's sequel, its story is very unique, almost like a movie, and IMO i enjoyed it way more than it's sequel story, a defo must play game, alongside it's sequel. [spoiler] shoutout to my boy kuroiwa, [url=https://youtu.be/4fa2pkneE8s] YAGAMIIIIEEEE! [/url] [/spoiler]

+Great new characters +Great story +Great OST +Very likeable antagonists +Interesting new mechanics -Too much side content is implemented to the main story, it ruins the immersion a little -Medkits are only sold on the furthest part of Kamurocho -Too much tailing missions Overall a very well made game and a great LAD series spinoff 9.5/10

Overall Grade: 9.4/10 Amazing game. this is the first action game that I played that made me cry multiple times because the story is deep and rich. Story-wise, I enjoyed it and really loved how immersive it was. The story showed illustrates how good intentions paves the away for evil especially with Yoji Shono and all antagonists in the story. It made me realized that the issue is never having good intentions but not letting your integrity be damaged by caving to any proposal because you have a good heart or you want to be empathetic due to past experiences. the revolving theme of the story is that evil lies within good intentions. There was no plot holes like you see in modern games today made by many major companies like EA or To build a rocket boy that create gimmicks and call it games. The side content especially friend events. there is one with Kim where every time you're in a mission, he calls you to help him and it is a constant problem because at first it sounds like a honorable duty but it looks like a chore and the rewards you get is minimal the more you help him; this makes the action more annoying and you get sick of it. i got so frustrated that i left the game and played it again later. overall this is a great game with small blemishes. i would recommend it for anyone but if it is on sale, i'd say that is the best time to buy it because that blemish alone is annoying.

Judgment isn’t just a game—it’s an experience that stays with you long after the credits roll. The storytelling is masterful, the characters feel real, and every moment pulls you deeper into Kamurocho like it’s a place you’ve known forever. I didn’t think I’d get this attached, but here I am, completely in love. I laughed, I cried, I sat in silence after finishing just to process it all. 10/10.