Judgment is yet another banger in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Not only that, it probably has one of its cleanest and best written stories in terms of execution: there is no bullshit twist, pointless sub-plot, needlessly convoluted story, none of that. It didn't make me as emotional as most of the other games did - even those that had said issues - but it was still an exciting ride.
Yagami is absolutely a worthy addition to the roster of protagonists RGG has served up; the same goes for the main antagonist who is exceptionally well-writtten, -acted and bounces off of Yagami with a fiery spark.
As usual, the combat takes a while to get used to/open up via a skill tree. Once it does, it's really fun. The crane style definitely needed some more moves though.
Now, after my gushing introduction, come the reasons why I'm taking away a few points. Firstly, the detective game aspect of Judgment at times clashes pretty hard with its linear storytelling: you rarely need to activate your brain during investigations and you can't really make any wrong decisions, as the game will eventually just guide you towards the right one in the main story.
Furthermore, while some of the detective gameplay can be decently fun - like the lockpicking - I really need to throw a can of trash at the tailing missions: they are profoundly boring and excrutiating every time they pop up.
For my second/third and last big complaint: I found the side content to be much less exciting than in a number of the other games. The side cases are just super forgettable and none of the bigger side activities kept me hooked like say the Cabaret Club in Y0/Kiwami 2 did.
Still, Judgment is a rock-solid game whose strength lies in its main story, characters, combat and stylish presentation. It's a game I'd recommend in a heartbeat to any Yakuza fan and also to complete newcomers.
Yagami is absolutely a worthy addition to the roster of protagonists RGG has served up; the same goes for the main antagonist who is exceptionally well-writtten, -acted and bounces off of Yagami with a fiery spark.
As usual, the combat takes a while to get used to/open up via a skill tree. Once it does, it's really fun. The crane style definitely needed some more moves though.
Now, after my gushing introduction, come the reasons why I'm taking away a few points. Firstly, the detective game aspect of Judgment at times clashes pretty hard with its linear storytelling: you rarely need to activate your brain during investigations and you can't really make any wrong decisions, as the game will eventually just guide you towards the right one in the main story.
Furthermore, while some of the detective gameplay can be decently fun - like the lockpicking - I really need to throw a can of trash at the tailing missions: they are profoundly boring and excrutiating every time they pop up.
For my second/third and last big complaint: I found the side content to be much less exciting than in a number of the other games. The side cases are just super forgettable and none of the bigger side activities kept me hooked like say the Cabaret Club in Y0/Kiwami 2 did.
Still, Judgment is a rock-solid game whose strength lies in its main story, characters, combat and stylish presentation. It's a game I'd recommend in a heartbeat to any Yakuza fan and also to complete newcomers.