I think Judgement is one of the most concise stories RGG has made, start to finish. Not a lot of “rubber bullets” -tier plot twists, and I enjoyed the murder mystery story. Substories are the best they’ve ever been (coming hot off the heels from Yakuza 6) and the main cast is very likeable.
Unfortunately Judgement is really lacking in gameplay. I’ve never been super crazy about the Dragon Engine, but Yagami is super clunky and slow compared to Kiryu in Yakuza 6. I also don’t think there’s a lot of variety in the combat. I despised the tailing missions, especially towards the end. They never work in any game. Karaoke is sorely missed, and the music is pretty forgettable in my opinion. I did enjoy the story, but the worst parts were the “wait for xyz to call” sections. I would’ve liked to use those opportunities to work on side jobs, but instead you’re thrusted into a totally useless filler mission.
Judgement has good bones indicative of the typical “Yakuza” experience. Even though I’d recommend Judgement to someone who wants to try the series but is intimidated by the length of Kiryu’s saga, I don’t think it really holds a candle to 0-6.
Unfortunately Judgement is really lacking in gameplay. I’ve never been super crazy about the Dragon Engine, but Yagami is super clunky and slow compared to Kiryu in Yakuza 6. I also don’t think there’s a lot of variety in the combat. I despised the tailing missions, especially towards the end. They never work in any game. Karaoke is sorely missed, and the music is pretty forgettable in my opinion. I did enjoy the story, but the worst parts were the “wait for xyz to call” sections. I would’ve liked to use those opportunities to work on side jobs, but instead you’re thrusted into a totally useless filler mission.
Judgement has good bones indicative of the typical “Yakuza” experience. Even though I’d recommend Judgement to someone who wants to try the series but is intimidated by the length of Kiryu’s saga, I don’t think it really holds a candle to 0-6.