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User Review : Judgment

Judgment - Greatest Spinoff Ever? | GAMEGROUNDUP

From the makers of the acclaimed Yakuza series, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Judgment is the dramatic tale of a disgraced lawyer seeking redemption in a world rife with corruption and despair. Investigate the seedy Red Light District of Kamurocho by stepping into the mind of private detective Takayuki Yagami and utilize innovative investigation systems to uncover the secrets that lie deep within Kamurocho’s corrupt underbelly. Experience visceral combat with two unique combat styles. Take down groups of thugs with sweeping blows in Crane Style, then switch to Tiger to overwhelm a single foe with a series of powerful strikes. Practice mixing-and-matching styles in combat in conjunction with a wide variety of skills, weapons, and powerful (and hilarious) EX Actions to unlock a whole new dimension in combat.

JUDGMENT PS4 REVIEW

JUDGMENT

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Publisher: Sega

Release: June 25th, 2019

Platform: PS4

Introduction

From the makers of the acclaimed Yakuza series, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Judgment is the dramatic tale of a disgraced lawyer seeking redemption in a world rife with corruption and despair. Investigate the seedy Red Light District of Kamurocho by stepping into the mind of private detective Takayuki Yagami and utilize innovative investigation systems to uncover the secrets that lie deep within Kamurocho’s corrupt underbelly. Experience visceral combat with two unique combat styles. Take down groups of thugs with sweeping blows in Crane Style, then switch to Tiger to overwhelm a single foe with a series of powerful strikes. Practice mixing-and-matching styles in combat in conjunction with a wide variety of skills, weapons, and powerful (and hilarious) EX Actions to unlock a whole new dimension in combat.

Judgment marks the first time in over 12 years that a game set in the Yakuza series universe has received an English dub for its Western release. A starstudded English voice cast brings Judgment to life. Greg Chun takes on the role of Judgment’s protagonist, Takayuki Yagami, supported by Crispin Freeman, Matthew Mercer, Cherami Leigh, Yuri Lowenthal, James Hong, Ed O’Ross, Amy Walker, Matt Yang King, Fred Tatasciore, Brian Mcnamara, as well as guest appearances by SungWon Cho, Cristina Vee, Max Mittleman, and many more.

Features:

Dual Audio: Players can switch between the Japanese and English VO tracks at any point during the game. Experience Judgment using whichever language you prefer.

Dual Subtitles: Subtitles change based on which audio track is selected – Japanese or English. Japanese voice subtitles are presented in a way that represents the traditional Yakuza experience while English voice subtitles match the English script.

Localization Pedigree: Judgment’s localization has been handled in-house by SEGA of America’s talented Yakuza series localization team. Amazon

Table of Contents

OVERVIEW

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio brings us yet another action adventure game played from a third-person perspective. Game is set in the city of Kamurocho where private detective Takayuki Yagami investigates the the grim serial murder cases.

MY GENERAL ANTICIPATION OF JUDGMENT

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio finally drops us with the long awaited spinoff release of its Yakuza series. As a major fan of the Yakuza series my initial reaction to the trailers shown consisted of mainly screams that were at the top of my lungs and the “Oohs and Ahhs” because I personally was highly excited and looking forward to the opening release in the US. I wanted to know what new content the developers put in and how much of an upgrade it has made in comparison to the latest Yakuza Kiwami 2 released, I had some expectations to to say the least.

Up until now, we have seen many story and combat trailers since it was released earlier in Japan, and most of the mini-games and in-game footage were shown. I was committed, I knew it look great on paper; however, as a gamer that I am, I wanted that personal touch, to get my hands wet and dirty to fully immerse myself, and wholly experience what Judgment has to offer. Judgment is exclusively for the PS4 console, hence this is will be a Judgment PS4 review.

STORY OF A DISGRACED LAWYER SEEKING JUSTICE

A brief background surrounding this game’s existence is that it starts off with a private detective, lawyer who seeks to unravel the corruption within the red light districts of Kamurocho. It isn’t Kazuma Kiryuu being featured this time, but a different, new protagonist named Takayuki Yagami who will be taking on uncountable amounts of ruthless thugs with his specialized Crane and Tiger style martial arts. As the introduction and story revolving this game may sound similar to the Yakuza series, I can assure you that this is not your typical remake and same centerpiece that we may have all played and enjoyed before. Judgment although at first glance intertwines with the oh so familiar city of Kamurocho, but the darker image arousing the story line, deep level of various narrative, and cast of new characters brings alive a whole new dimension of game play and story telling to witness. This was what separates Judgment from the other Yakuza series.

SAME, SAME, BUT VERY DIFFERENT

Just to crack right into what many may say this game is basically the same Yakuza series with the same type of story line and action which made them skeptical about purchasing the game, I can attest that its not true. As I have played majority of Yakuza series the only few things that I felt similar. The city itself Kamurocho, was obviously a familiar place brought into play but one can easily notice the amount of upgrades and tweaks such as fixtures, buildings, and more focused NPCs that vastly improved the design and structure of the game. Not to be confused with the Yakuza series, Judgment lands its own title and story to its glory.

The elements within the game such as item bags, interface, combats, and actions were very unique and definitely has upgraded noticeably. I will explain that a little more down the line, but for many of you wondering if it was the same, to reiterate no different than the previous Yakuza series, I can assure you it is not identical at all and that you will have exposure to new concepts and features that makes it all the better. Trust me I have played majority of the Yakuza series, I found myself still spending a great amount of time venturing and enjoying the experience that this game has to offer, especially if you have not played any Yakuza titles before, this is a must have.

As the introduction and story revolving this game may sound similar to the Yakuza series, I can assure you that this is not your typical remake and same centerpiece that we may have all played and enjoyed before. Judgment although at first glance intertwines with the oh so familiar city of Kamurocho, but the darker image arousing the story line, deep level of various narrative, and cast of new characters brings alive a whole new dimension of game play and story telling to witness. This was what separates Judgment from the other Yakuza series.

CONTROL AND GAMEPLAY

The main physical controls like running and fighting is quite fluid while roaming in the streets of Kamurocho. From time to time you will find yourself flying all over the place when combating groups of foes. In a third party perspective, there will be high chances when exploring the city streets you will bump into gangs and groups of thugs to engage in combat. This is where the fun begins actually. Battling and having a good sense of fighting combos is the most important control in this game. In total, there are two different styles of combats available, Yagami brings to life his martial arts style known as the Crane and Tiger, respectively one that excels in one one combat, and the other to tackle formidable groups of foes. The actions within these fights are very easy to get accustomed to, connecting combos and timing will help ward off foes in no time.

You get to experience super flashy moves and throws that involve flying punches and kicks that sends enemies in every direction possible. A big fun factor in the game is the amount of props that you can use that pave way to different tactic to the the game such as using cones, bicycles, and essentially whatever you can get yours on. Bosses can be quite difficult as they have penetrable attacks that make guarding impossible to do, but adds a challenging notion to the game and allows you actually think and not button smash in attempt to defeat these bosses.

As an action game you will literally be fighting almost every time your strolling around the streets of Kamurocho. Despite how tedious that may sound like, I beg to differ I did not once felt like it was overused or extremely boring and was personally engaged knowing I could cash out on these enemies just outside.. The action aspect just becomes more fun and it was hard to leave my controller alone. Literally, the game play boasts seamless frames even when you are fighting from a building rooftop to tight corridors of an alley, and scuffling your enemies in and out of dining cafes to convenience stores the action never freezes and blends in so well. Great job to the guys who put this together!

INVESTIGATION AND INTERROGATION

We mentioned that the main protagonist is a private detective, so there will be a lot of unraveling and investigative work incorporated in this game that gives it a different mix to the game play. From obtaining sides quests you can uncover a variety of exploitative actions such as lock picking, using drones to scout or uncover areas, and searching for clues in hidden places. This new element proves to be a big part of this series as it will be heavily influenced through out the game.

If you are looking forward to these discerning segments, you will find yourself tackling a lot of these puzzle pieces. Not to spoil much in game stories, but one of my favorite investigative works was cross examining witness where you get to choose the questions that you want your victims to answer. Each question provides a clearer insight on whether the victim is answering truthfully, which really displays and immerses the gamer as a true detective character. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios definitely put in big efforts to deviate this game from the norm and it clearly shows.

BUILDING UP STATS

Skill points, they come in very handy throughout the game. As you progress, you earn these points by taking on side quests, battling enemies, and consuming food and items which can mostly be purchased in stores and restaurants alike. Literally, my favorite part of the game is to eat, as addicting as it is in real life. Eating can provide special temporary power ups in attack and also build up “SP” skill points to upgrade your current health or stats in game. You you can notice incredibly how similar some stores resemble actual places in Japan, its unbelievable and I just wanted to put that out there. The only drawback is that it costs an extreme amount of money to constantly level up and upgrade your character’s battle actions and stats. This entails some grinding, but as you move on with the game you wail have many chances power up your main man.

RESEMBLANCE OF KABUKICHO

The graphics are simply put, incredible. The level of details in the each character you come across is different and can be easily distinguishable. The detail showcased in Kamurocho is nearly on par with the real life city of Kabukicho in Japan. The signs, and well lit night life is extraordinarily details and makes you feel like your set afoot in Japan. On top of that the uncanny battle actions and sequence make this an extremely pleasant game, you get do various finishers that provide extra close up mini cut scenes that are just marveling. Such as towering an enemy to a vending machine to finishing off an enemy with a face full of bicycle adds a lot of fun and makes it very rewarding game for action lovers. Notably, stores and restaurants look nearly identical to present day ones today and have a great nostalgic feeling to it.

SOUNDS OF THE JAZZ

I particularly enjoyed the various jazz like music throughout the game. When your exploring Kamurocho these tunes tend to catch on over time. Not much to say, but the game provides much suspense and great sounds to complement whatever thrilling moments is about to come. I personally enjoy listening to the Japanese dialect with English subtitles as it felt more authentic to me when I played. The English voice is not bad at all and Greg Chun did an amazing job vocalizing for this main character. Just a personal preference I would say.

REPLAYABILITY

This game offers a wide breadth of things to do in game. Fighting thugs is not the only option that brings light to this game. You also get to venture out and talk to various NPCs and engage in social conversations that reward you handsomely and its just a whole new experience. From completing side quests to a wholesome simulation of dating various girls there is just so much to do. Not to mention, a whole list of mini games are featured within that game that I believe is just as worth while as the main story itself.

Just to name of a few you can play darts, engage in a drone racing game, play futuristic pinball, and hit baseballs for home runs. Its absolutely glorious, the fun factor and the ability to replay this game is just top notch. I cannot imagine a game so heavily focus on extra content as this, you can easily revisit many of these places and easily get side tracked. Puyo Puyo, Virtua Fighter 5, the list goes on and on. If you want to check out my list of 10 best mini games in Judgment, save this link here.

FINAL VERDICT FOR JUDGMENT PS4 REVIEW

Judgment is wholly must have game for those that are thrilled by constant action and fun. The versatility in combat and amount of featured mini-games/side quests within this game is more than you can ever ask for. I can assure you will easily find yourself dozing off on side quests and mini games while folloing the story mid game. Its different from the Yakuza series that I have played on and this version opens up its doors to a different perspective of things. I literally have not had so much excitement and fun since the release of Yakuza Kiwami 2. Simply one of the most enhanced and refreshing titles out there that you can get ahold of. Definitely putting it out there that Judgment is buy for all of you that want to enjoy a long playable non-boring action game right now. The story was very compelling and one of the strongest factors that led me being hooked playing for hours and hours nonstop.

Judgment for PS4 – Amazon

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