I've played a number of RGG's games at this point, and they're fairly consistent. Lost Judgment is a more mixed experience than my normal forays into the series though. The main story starts off pretty strong for about the first half to the first two thirds of the run time of the game. However, the latter third of the game kind of loses its way and feels like not a whole lot happens for about four chapters. This culminates in a final confrontation that is cool in a set piece sense, but left me a bit cold at the same time. While I enjoy the main villain of the game, I think the story handles their conclusion fairly questionably.

The big side story arc however is very good with lovable cast members, like Amasawa, who I specifically really hope returns to take on a bigger role in later games. This is my favorite rendition of the side content done in these games, and I hope they take from this going forward.

The gameplay itself is a bit mixed. I think the combat styles feel better than the previous game, but runs into a similar issue as most Yakuza games where it often gets a bit stale after spending hours and hours with it. Also unfortunately, many of the new minigames(especially in the school) are fairly weak in my opinion like robotics, photography, biker gang, etc.

Overall, it's an enjoyable game with some of the highest highs in the series, but also with some fairly low lows. As always, any fans of the series will be right at home and likely enjoy it.

Reviewed on Oct 11, 2021


1 Comment


I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way. After finishing the game the other day I had a hard time figuring out if it was just me or if the game had some issues that aren't bad, but weren't necessarily good either. I also agree with you about Amasawa! Part of me hopes she becomes like an intern or new employee with Yagami and the crew. If Tsukumo, a relatively minor character in the Judgment, can be part of the main cast then I hope Amagawa will be the same as well! Also loved how much of a bigger role Saori has. I really love what RGG has done with her so far.