Played from – to: (2023-01-22 – 2023-03-06) – PS5.
‣ 9/10 – A game where to get laid all you need to do is be good at darts.
‣ Thoughts: Lost Judgment is a brilliant sequel and probably one of the most refined entries in the Yakuza franchise. Every single problem I had in Judgment is eerily addressed to perfection. Side quests have fun conclusions both in terms of story and gameplay. No longer, must you trail a target to an x location to figure out the problem (You do but only 5% of the time). Now the gameplay is varied, where you can sneak, use your dogs scent abilities, take pictures, scan gadgets etc. All this to say the base detective gameplay has way more variety and complexity to it where it does not get repetitive over the 50+ side quest that I did. Speaking more about the side content, The School Stories deserve their own review, but I won’t get too much into detail here. Overall, that whole experience is amazing and the 10+ mini games you get to do could easily be their own games. The story is complex enough to throw you off but also enjoyable to feel rewarding in the end. Touching up on the main story, I’d say it is in every way better. The villains have unique motivations, the stakes are high, and mistakes get punished. Sure, like every Yakuza game, there are believability issues. For example: Nobody ever brings a gun, when the protagonist is an absolute nuisance, but that’s beside the point. The story is well executed, and I loved it. It is finally not some pesky squabble for money or power (it sort of is, but that’s a side plot thank fuck) but an actual justifiable story in its own twisted way. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Lost Judgment and hope they keep this spin-off going.
‣ 9/10 – A game where to get laid all you need to do is be good at darts.
‣ Thoughts: Lost Judgment is a brilliant sequel and probably one of the most refined entries in the Yakuza franchise. Every single problem I had in Judgment is eerily addressed to perfection. Side quests have fun conclusions both in terms of story and gameplay. No longer, must you trail a target to an x location to figure out the problem (You do but only 5% of the time). Now the gameplay is varied, where you can sneak, use your dogs scent abilities, take pictures, scan gadgets etc. All this to say the base detective gameplay has way more variety and complexity to it where it does not get repetitive over the 50+ side quest that I did. Speaking more about the side content, The School Stories deserve their own review, but I won’t get too much into detail here. Overall, that whole experience is amazing and the 10+ mini games you get to do could easily be their own games. The story is complex enough to throw you off but also enjoyable to feel rewarding in the end. Touching up on the main story, I’d say it is in every way better. The villains have unique motivations, the stakes are high, and mistakes get punished. Sure, like every Yakuza game, there are believability issues. For example: Nobody ever brings a gun, when the protagonist is an absolute nuisance, but that’s beside the point. The story is well executed, and I loved it. It is finally not some pesky squabble for money or power (it sort of is, but that’s a side plot thank fuck) but an actual justifiable story in its own twisted way. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Lost Judgment and hope they keep this spin-off going.