Judgment, an offshoot of the Yakuza series, brings an investigative thriller into a colourful Japanese setting. Does it hit the mark? Read to find out
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Judgment
Rating: 4.5/5
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 2,999
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The Yakuza series has been playing it safe, with its stream of hits that build on the previous world and lore. This time around, the developer, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, has shaken things up a bit with Judgement. It is the same Yakuza world that you know and love with plenty of gangsters, food, arcade games and street fights.
However, the game revolves around a lawyer turned detective, Takayuki Yagami. After a tragic backstory that is revealed fairly early, Yagami gives up being a lawyer to start his own detective agency. While most of the mechanics of the previous Yakuza games remain intact, the new game adds an investigation mode to it. So, the game feels a lot like a Yakuza, but it isn't. Graphically too, the game looks a lot better than the previous Yakuza games. Even the combat is smoother.
This is a great game, even if you have never played Yakuza, since there is an entire new roster of characters, with no link to any of the previous games. A key difference between the older games and this one is the new investigation mode. This, as it turns out, is nothing great — it just lets you look around and focus on things to reveal clues.
The investigation challenges are mostly just Yagami following people, talking to people or paying close attention for clues. Nothing innovative or exciting. The story progression is also linear and doesn't feel as open world as the descriptions of the game make it out to be. That said, the story is interesting with a bunch of twists that just beg you to complete the next challenge to move forward. It is peppered with great performances by the actors and nail-biting moments that make this game well worth it.
All the Yakuza bits are also still great, for example, the side missions are just you making friends with the locals by helping them out. In return, if you have a brawl near their establishment, you can perform special moves with them. The arcade games are also a world of its own; you can spend hours playing classic Sega games or batting practice or maybe a game of darts. Not to mention the street brawls: we spent hours just running around searching for them, so we could utilise freshly upgraded moves and skills to kick a**.
For a game that is so similar to Yakuza, Judgment offers a lot more bang for your buck. The compelling story and brilliant acting more than make up for the unimpressive investigation system in the game. If you are looking for something that is easy, yet entertaining, Judgement is the game for you.
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