Lost Judgment continues following the exploits of the Yagami Detective Agency and makes several notable improvements to the play experience. I think there are areas of this game which are a bit weaker than the first though, so I'm conflicted on which I like more. After finishing this though, I am confident putting the Judgment games near the top of RGG's catalogue.
Lots of gameplay mechanics were improved from Judgment, lots of things were added, and a few things that kinda sucked were taken out. For the most part, the additions make the game better. For instance, I had a great time exploring the more fleshed out side stories at the high school which are also peppered with new minigames to enjoy. Skateboarding around town is fun, beating people down with the improved combat system was very satisfying, and having a change of scenery in the form of Like a Dragon 7's setting Ijincho was nice. Off the top of my head the only thing the game could have done without is those blasted parkour segments, they were so clunky and boring.
Story here obviously takes more of a mystery approach than RGG's mainline crime thrillers, it is a detective game after all. However, compared to the first Judgment which felt like I was unraveling a mystery bit by bit until the very end, this one felt more like 2/3 uncovering the mystery and the last part of the game was just resolution. I'm not sure how to explain it even with spoilers, but that last third of the game did not hit that hard for me. Even the finale, which is usually where even meh RGG games bring their A-game, didn't really captivate me as much as I expected.
All in all, Lost Judgment is a great sequel, but also just a great game in its own right. There's lots to see and do, and a solid plot to back it all up.
Lots of gameplay mechanics were improved from Judgment, lots of things were added, and a few things that kinda sucked were taken out. For the most part, the additions make the game better. For instance, I had a great time exploring the more fleshed out side stories at the high school which are also peppered with new minigames to enjoy. Skateboarding around town is fun, beating people down with the improved combat system was very satisfying, and having a change of scenery in the form of Like a Dragon 7's setting Ijincho was nice. Off the top of my head the only thing the game could have done without is those blasted parkour segments, they were so clunky and boring.
Story here obviously takes more of a mystery approach than RGG's mainline crime thrillers, it is a detective game after all. However, compared to the first Judgment which felt like I was unraveling a mystery bit by bit until the very end, this one felt more like 2/3 uncovering the mystery and the last part of the game was just resolution. I'm not sure how to explain it even with spoilers, but that last third of the game did not hit that hard for me. Even the finale, which is usually where even meh RGG games bring their A-game, didn't really captivate me as much as I expected.
All in all, Lost Judgment is a great sequel, but also just a great game in its own right. There's lots to see and do, and a solid plot to back it all up.