Judgment Reviews

Judgment is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
85 / 100
Apr 29, 2021

Judgement is a fantastic Yakuza game, but the spinoff's other elements can feel half baked. Brawling and investigating can both be fun, but it's clear there's depth missing from both aspects. The PS5 version is a blanket upgrade, with improved lighting, textures, and load times, but could have used a bit more care to preserve the artistic choices of the original.

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Apr 27, 2021

As mentioned, this remaster is geared for newcomers and so it's the best way to experience the game, even if it isn't a must-play for those who already experienced it on last-gen. Luckily, those who are returning to Judgment Remastered may also have reason to hold out hope for something brand new. Sega has deemed May 7 as Judgment Day, with many thinking this will be a sequel announcement. That ultimately remains to be seen, but if there's one thing this remaster proves, it's that Judgment is worthy of its own franchise.

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Apr 22, 2021

Judgment is a great spin-off of Yakuza, and is an excellent starting point for those interested in the series. However, the new detective elements don't go as far as they need to and end up feeling like scene dressing.

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9 / 10
Sep 14, 2022

Judgment is another high-quality release in the Yakuza franchise, complete with a ton of compelling side content, a great story, and enthralling drone races -- all wrapped up in a very nice PC port.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 6, 2021

Judgement is a game that was limited by its one console release. It is great to see the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku bring it to a wider audience. If you have never played a game in the Yakuza franchise this is a great jumping off point. It captures what makes those games so great without requiring a ton of investment in older titles to appreciate the story. There is so much to love about these games and I am constantly impressed at the way the team is able to craft genuinely fantastic characters and still pump out hefty experiences on a regular basis. I hope the Judgement series gets to continue, but as it stands this game is one worth checking out.

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9 / 10
Apr 23, 2021

Judgment is a truly gripping detective thriller, and it plays better than ever on PS5. As a standalone adventure, it's an excellent action RPG, boasting some outstanding storytelling and a brilliant cast of characters. And as a Yakuza spinoff, it's arguably the perfect gateway into SEGA's stellar series.

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7.5 / 10.0
Apr 22, 2021

Judgement is a fine and serviceable port of the PS4 game, but apart from enhanced visuals and 60 FPS gameplay, the overall experience doesn't feel that much more enhanced than what you saw on PS4. This is definitely the way to play for newcomers but those who have already seen Yagami's journey through shouldn't worry about missing much here.

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2019

Judgment is an excellent Japanese adventure that feels incredibly familiar, yet engrossing all the same. With Judgment, RGG Studio has managed to create an excellent entry point for the Yakuza series, and a fantastic standalone adventure. While it's familiar to myself and Yakuza fans, if you're new to the series this might just be the very best place to start. A wonderful, though sometimes slow, adventure from beginning to end.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.

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90 / 100
Jun 28, 2019

This city feels alive, and despite it’s incredibly seedy underground, it’s a locale in video games that I look forward to returning to each and every chance I get, with Judgment’s story and cast being one I won’t forget.

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The Escapist
Top Critic
Jun 21, 2019

Judgment is as magical and grounded as true city life

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9.2 / 10.0
Jun 20, 2019

Judgment is another hit for a team that can't seem to miss the target.

Review in Italian | Read full review

GameMAG
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jun 20, 2019

Despite the new name, Judgment is the next chapter in Yakuza series with a great story, excellent English voice acting, realistic graphics, charismatic characters and addictive gameplay.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 20, 2019

A sizeably riotous spin-off to Sega's Yakuza franchise, Judgment combines the series penchant for balancing seriousness and absurdity with a hyper-engaging central protagonist whose deeply charismatic persona freshens the whole affair up massively. Judgment is a toweringly good offering then, and one that we hope leads to its own series with leading man Yagami at the forefront.

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Apr 25, 2021

Judgment isn't quite so ready to put away childish things.

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Apr 28, 2021

Ultimately, however, Judgment on PS5 is the best version of a great game, with no hiccups in the transition to current-gen consoles and a few exceptional benefits for players to enjoy. Judgment remains, like a crucial discovery in Yagami's case, strong evidence that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio knows its way around compelling crime narratives in a way few other developers can aspire towards. Like its setting, it's not perfect in any sense, but also like Kamurocho, the flaws are another reason to get drawn in, and Judgment on PS5 is a must-play for anyone who enjoys a good detective story.

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8.2 / 10.0
Apr 27, 2021

‎Ryu ga Gotoku Studio has done a great job of bringing this great work to the next generation consoles, where we can highlight the renewal of the vast majority of textures for a higher resolution and the 60 frames per second immovable. A great adaptation of each of its missions and main plot, although the first bars can be done to us something uphill. The final edition of Judgment gives us a hundred playable hours thanks to all the content of its base game and its subsequent DLC.‎

Review in Spanish | Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Apr 22, 2021

If you’ve not yet experienced the game — or just thoroughly enjoyed the original release — then the Judgement PS5 version – and I imagine the Series X|S versions – are the absolute best way to experience Kamurocho through the eyes of a detective. The visuals are better than ever, the 60fps framerate really amplifies the fluidity of Dragon Engine and combat, and load times are near non-existent. It may take a little while to get going, but once it has got its claws in you, it’ll be difficult to put down.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jul 31, 2019

Whether you're a long-time Yakuza fan or just coming to this series, Judgment is well worth the investment. Boasting a cracking story, oodles of content and a fantastic fighting system, this spin-off can keep you glued for days… possibly months.

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Jul 12, 2019

Judgment is a weird, wild, and absolutely absurd journey through the streets of Kamurocho. While the mechanics can be clunky, and there are a few instances of gross writing, it's an excellent game to pick up and get lost in.

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Slant Magazine
Ed Gonzalez
Top Critic
Jul 6, 2019

Where the game goes in-depth, and where it clearly feels most comfortable, is in its omnipresent brawls.

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