Judgment Reviews
Anyone who enjoys the Yakuza series should check out Judgment. While it doesn’t stand apart from the main series as much as I might have liked, with its most significant weaknesses being the places it tried to go its own way, the core gameplay from its parent series is as good as ever, and it features perhaps the best story in the entire saga.
With how much there is to do in Judgment, this is a game that looks like it could easily turn into a 60- or 70-hour experience even if you don't see yourself as a completionist. It's a crime drama for people who don't just want to smash square and triangle for endless combos and it's an adventure-driven brawler for people who don't just want to spend all day cracking cases. Judgment might have ridden on Yakuza's success to get people's attention, but with everything this game accomplishes, here's hoping we get another game in order to see more of Judgment and Tak in the future.
Judgment presented a beautiful mixture between investigating cases and a fun fighting style in the world of Yakuza, despite the varying level of cases, but it has a beautiful story and offers a distinctive experience, especially with the improved version, which only increased it beauty, the design of the city and regions in the game is one of the best Stuff we've seen from the studio before in the Yakuza series and it's no different than that in Judgment. If you are a fan of the series or investigation games, I recommend you try the game and have a good time.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Judgment is an easy game to recommend, especially with the sequel coming out in September, and I’ve had as much fun with it as any other mainline Yakuza title. Plus, it’s hard to argue with getting a full-fat, high quality Yakuza narrative experience in a $40 price point. This is a really promising start for a new franchise, and it’s only going to get better from here. Seeing RGG Studio stretching itself and finding new ways to apply and change the formula it’s already found so much success with is an exciting and welcome shift. Whether you’re racing drones, playing a Mario Party inspired VR board game for cash, tracking down cheating spouses, chasing a local parkour crime gang through the streets, or solving a really thorny murder mystery, you’re going to find yourself having a blast.
This remastered version of Judgment is the definitive edition that all newcomers should go with first. The fluidity of the combats are very smooth and the loading times are basically completely gone. Its just too bad that this upgraded version doesn't really bring anything new to the table to entice returning players.
Review in French | Read full review
Perhaps it is not an especially remarkable version for the new generation. Beyond the resolution itself, the 60 frames per second and some improved lighting touch, it does not seem that much care has been put into showing that we are facing a different generation from that of its version of PlayStation 4, although where else we will notice the improvement is in the loading times. We miss that they have tried to take advantage of the possibilities of Dual Sense, for example. Still, in itself, Judgment is a great game, essential if we are fans of the Yakuza saga or good stories while we beat left and right.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Judgment is a very good game that could have been great, if not for its uninspired detective gameplay mechanics. Aside from that one negative, it offers great drama, addictive action and a variety of activities that rank Judgment as one of the best the Yakuza series has to offer. It’s also a good introduction to the Ryu Ga Gotoku universe without having to play all 7 games of Kiryu’s story, making it a recommended title for new fans as well.
Judgment is actually a sub-version of the original Yakuza series, but the title is so powerful that it can easily be enjoyed as much as the original. If you are a lover of adventure with a detective theme and also love the Yakuza series, the Judgment experience is a must.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Judgment is an exciting detective adventure that follows the paths of the Yakuza series. The new characters are all sympathetic, while the story is a motivating pacing. Thanks to the new game mechanics a fresh breeze enters Kamurocho, sweetening the return of Yakuza fans to Shinjuku. In a direct comparison with star lawyer Phoenix Wright, however, the Japanese detective gets the short end of the stick. The game never has a too big claim, we searched for tricky cases in vain. An English voice output, a completely self-sufficient storyline and the accessible level of difficulty make the title a successful entry point, especially for newcomers, that wonderfully shows what kind of games the guys and girls of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio can create.
Review in German | Read full review
The combat continues to improve — it’s incredibly fun taking down huge groups of yakuza — and the story and characters really shine.
The main story is wonderfully noir and entertaining from start to finish and the side stories are full of absurd situations. On the one hand, great mobility during combat is great fun, on the other hand, the detective mini-games sometimes disappoint and I hate the pursuits. All in all, it is a nice addition to the Yakuza universe, and the combination with Ace Attorney elements was a smart move.
When you look back at the origins of the Yakuza series (the original was released way back in 2005). It’s a credit to think almost 15 years later we’re still seeing fresh content and looking to explore this world with new characters. Judgment definitely ticks all the boxes to be considered a top-quality ‘spin-off’ and hopefully with a few little tweaks we will see more of Yagami and perhaps other characters. Ryu ga Gotoku Studios have certainly found a formula to produce great games and it makes me very excited to see what the future holds, both for a potential Judgment sequel as well as the rumours we may be seeing some of the previously released spin-offs here in the west. My verdict is that Judgment truly deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award and should be a part of any PS4 collection (especially if that collection contains Yakuza games).
It’s a bit rough around the edges, but Judgment is an overall worthy successor to the Yakuza game franchise. Yagami and Kaito are fantastic and entertaining main characters, and the detective-oriented story gives a unique new perspective to the usual Yakuza narrative. Some parts get old quick, but I’m hoping Yagami and co. will stick around for future Judgment games, as there’s plenty of potential.
Another fascinating entry for a series that masterfully blends the kind of drama you might expect from a soap opera with absurdist comedy and the fascinating exploration of Kamurocho, maybe the real protagonist of the Yakuza series.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While mechanically flawed, Judgment bridges the gap between new and old Yakuza fans marvellously and points towards a confident future for a new franchise. Court adjourned.
If you’re looking for a more accessible bar of entry to the Yakuza franchise, this is a strong entry with the studio stepping outside of its comfort zone a little bit. Thankfully, their experiment is a success.
That Judgment drops the Yakuza moniker from the title is surprising, as the game feels like a Yakuza game through and through, with the signature sprawling open world of Kamurocho, combo-based brawling combat, and kooky sidequests. Yagami’s new detective abilities add some enjoyable variety into the mix, but the title would have comfortably fit into the main franchise. That being said, Judgment stands out as one of the very best in the series and serves as a perfect entry point for anyone curious about the Yakuza games.
Judgment Remastered has visually made significant changes. The type of shading of characters on the floor and wall, as well as lighting, are among the things that make this version eye-catching.
Review in Persian | Read full review
If you’ve already played the game on PS4 then there’s little here to warrant a replay. But if not, you should definitely consider picking Judgment up now that it’s available on more formats whether you’re a Yakuza fan or not.