Lost Judgment Review: Yakuza Spin-off Loses the Plot
Lost Judgment Review: Yakuza spin-off loses plot
RRP $ 60.00
"Lost Judgment is a mechanically solid Yakuza spin-off, but its tangled story makes it feel like a TV show that ran a few seasons too long."
advantages
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Polished yakuza gameplay
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Faster fight
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Healthy side stories
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Tons of activities
disadvantage
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Simplified investigation
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Inconvenient property
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Lack of ease
If Yakuza is a goofy soap opera, Lost Judgment is hardened procedural drama. Both genres have similarities, especially when it comes to melodramas, but the difference lies in how seriously they take themselves. Soap operas tend to be naughty, really indulge in their exaggerated emotions, and take it to the edge of comedy. Procedures like Law and Order aren't quite as tongue-in-cheek. It's not easy to make fun of a grizzly murder.
It's an important distinction that yakuza fans should keep in mind. Lost Judgment is a mechanically well-known spin-off of the long-running action RPG series, but it has a completely different tone. We no longer see Kamurocho through the eyes of an adorable Himbo or a bright-eyed outsider, but rather a die-hard detective investigating a disgusting array of crimes. Kamurocho may look the same, but the streets feel a little darker this time.
Lost Judgment exacerbates Yakuza's traditional beat-em-up battle and adds a lot more game variety thanks to its detective premise. However, its story is much more chaotic and deals with a bevy of sensitive subjects that are not always handled with grace.
Go out on the street
While Lost Judgment is classified as a spin-off, it's actually a replacement for the traditional yakuza experience. Like its predecessor, Judgment from 2018, the story takes place in Takayuki Nagami, an independent detective who works on the same criminal streets we've seen in almost every yakuza game. As in these titles, Nagami jumps back and forth between a few small, open cities that are densely populated with missions, side quests, and mini-games. I am always amazed how much I don't mind going back to Kamurocho thanks to the clever use of space. No road feels useless; There are enough attractions to make it feel like a living space.
For those who found Yakuza: How a Dragon's Leap into Turn-Based Combat disappointing, Lost Judgment is a return to the good old days. That is, the good old days when you beat the snot out of people in real time. The fight here is an upgrade as fights feel faster and more fluid than games like Yakuza Kiwami. A faster fighter than Kiryu, Nagami uses three different styles to defeat enemies. With a slew of move upgrades to choose from and loads of tough contextual specialty attacks, combat feels more complex than ever. Kiryu was a cumbersome powerhouse, but Nagami is a force of nature that ricochets off walls and emerges from the ground to hit surprising Hurricanranas.
It's not just the fight that feels different from Nagami's perspective. Since he's a detective, more happens in the gameplay. He can park walls to sneak into buildings, use gadgets to investigate crime scenes, and sneakily track suspects. The beat-to-beat gameplay in Lost Judgment adds a lot more variety and prevents it from feeling like a beat-em-up button tamper. When it comes to fighting, they have a little extra weight. After all, when Nagami has to get his hands dirty, Nagami prefers to go quiet so you know something has gone wrong.
Despite this simplicity, Lost Judgment feels like a better use of the Yakuza framework in many ways.
Many of the side systems are simplified which makes them unobtrusive but not always exciting to play. Investigation Sections are little more than a point-and-click mini-game for finding clues. When players are asked to sift through accumulated evidence to solve a loose ending, all they have to do is click through a list of documents until they find the right one. There is no consequence in saying something ridiculous in court or showing someone a completely independent piece of evidence.
Despite this simplicity, Lost Judgment feels like a better use of the Yakuza framework in many ways. Strolling the streets of the city and examining every little alley narrative makes a lot of sense here. Something as basic as side quests feels more motivated because they're designed to have Nagami pick up cases instead of getting unhappy into a goofy conflict on the street. Everything feels more conscious, which makes the game feel like a smart replacement for the main yakuza games (which will reflect Like a Dragon in the future).
law and order
While the game is mechanically solid, it wades into tricky narrative territory. And since a large part of the game is spent with dialog-heavy cutscenes, that stands out in the end. The story begins when a rotting corpse is discovered in a warehouse, covered in blood and covered in insects. This is not just a simple murder case. Multiple storylines entwine, including a bullying crisis at a local school and a pull button.
The latter is sure to generate a lot of backlash. The crime itself is inconvenient, but the role it plays in the main story becomes confusing and grotesque. I won't go into that there, but it's a moment where I wonder if Lost Judgment bites off more than it can thematically chew. It covers sensitive topics like bullying and sexual harassment, but is not always graceful in presentation.
The Lost Judgment story ultimately feels like a good show that goes on a few seasons too long.
The story is ultimately about the tangled webs that form when our judicial systems fail. The different players all fall victim to the system to different degrees. Everyone struggles to find solutions to problems that courts simply cannot solve. It's less black and white than yakuza's sometimes caricatured portrayal of organized crime in which thugs are thugs and sometimes poignant for it.
The problem here is that Lost Judgment is a little too invested in a twisted TV series plot to cover these ambitious topics. Major revelations end up feeling like the kind of cheap cliffhangers designed to keep audiences busy. Sacrifice becomes a slippery subject as the characters' power dynamics keep changing, turning meaningful, real-world commentary into pulp fiction.
The Lost Judgment story ultimately feels like a good show that goes on a few seasons too long. The plot twists as if a studio had ordered two unexpected seasons just before the last one. Characters spin more than a WWE wrestler, which makes Nagami look like an amateur who trusts everyone. Yakuza's soap opera shocks are still there, but they are out of place in a much more serious story.
Night on the town
As with yakuza games, the main storyline is only one aspect of Lost Judgment. Its cities are full of smaller stories and activities. Nagami can play a game of shogi in the street, drive drone races, or play fully emulated classic Sega games in his office. These little additional details have always given Yakuza its special charm and are not lost here. It's just wonderful to take a break from a tense story and relax in the batting cages with well-designed mini-games.
While some of the activities are well known, others bring new energy to cities. There are a few surprisingly entertaining "VR" games out there, including a neon-filled version of Mario Party. There's a silly rhythm-based dance mini-game that replaces karaoke. Most noticeable is that Nagami always has a skateboard with which he can cruise around town. It's not particularly complex, but it's both stylish and practical as a locomotive tool.
In addition, there are some impressive side missions this time around. The game essentially features an entire side campaign in which Nagami helps a school's mystery club solve a number of cases. Given how heavy and messy the main story is, it's a healthier series of stories that steal the show. I wish the whole game was more of an '80s school comedy with a self-serious Nagami who became an ignorant mentor to kids.
… The verdict may loosen up a little in future installments.
It's one of the few places that Lost Judgment is rightly funny, and that's the biggest let down here. Yakuza tells serious crime stories, but that is always offset by noisy, funny side quests that plunge into the absurd. No side quest here is as fun as helping a man safely cross a bridge while wearing a jacket that will make everyone beat him up. Nothing made me laugh like Kiryu, who was accidentally tricked into buying dirty magazines for a child. In comparison, everything here is a little more grounded. You wouldn't call Nagami a fool.
For me, this lightness is really the heart of Yakuza. Comedy adds depth to its story and characters. Kiryu would be a boring protagonist if it weren't for the sitcom side quests that highlight his sillier side. The rift in the Yakuza franchise created by Like a Dragon isn't all about real-time vs. turn-based combat. If Like a Dragon and Lost Judgment are any clue, the main Yakuza games will retain their sense of humor, while the Judgment titles tend more towards weighty drama (i.e., if the series still exists). Players can choose whichever they like more, but Judgment could be a little looser in future installments.
Our opinion
Lost Judgment is a fitting replacement for the traditional yakuza style, even if it doesn't share the same heart or humor. The fight feels better than ever and there's just more to do thanks to various detective mechanics that keep everything from getting too boring. This strong gameplay ultimately disappoints with a tangled and sometimes insensitive story that fails to quite fulfill its thematic ambitions. The bones are still there, however, which makes this another great excuse to see what's going on in Kamurocho.
Is there a better alternative?
I would recommend starting with the main line of the Yakuza series before getting into it. Yakuza 0 or the Kiwami games don't play as well, but they feel more structured.
How long it will take?
The game lasts up to 30 hours and that number increases quite a bit thanks to the optional school missions, 42 side quests and various mini-games.
Should you buy it?
No. If you haven't shopped into the franchise yet, this is unlikely to change your mind. This game is more for hardcore yakuza fans who miss its traditional fighting style, although by and large it's not quite as satisfying.
Editor's recommendations