Judgment Analysis – Kamurocho’s Best Detective

We analyze the version of Judgment for Xbox Series X, the spin-off of the Yakuza saga that leads us to be the best detective in Kamurocho

The saga Yakuza perhaps one of the more IP addresses in the form of SEGA over the past decade. After the end of the sextalogy with Kazuma Kiryu, the legacy the Tojo Clan has left us is looking for a way to reinvent themselves and continue to make their fans fall in love with new stories. How they have already demonstrated since Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio with the hit Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Today we will go back a little further in time, and we will analyze the fallout from the saga Judgment, which in a totally different tone, amazed fans and newcomers to the Yakuza family.

Jugdment was originally released in Japan in December 2018, later, in June 2019, it would arrive on Sony consoles in the West. Finally, Xbox fans are in luck for the arrival of this great title, yes, with a graphically improved version for next-gen consoles.

This time we will embody Takayuki Yagami, a young and brilliant lawyer whose career is interrupted by horrific crimes committed by a client whom he has managed to exonerate in a near-impossible case to win. Traumatized by the events that have occurred, Yagami decides to leave the legal profession to become a private investigator. From this new role, we will have to investigate a series of heinous murders that took place in the Kamurocho neighborhood.

A great story built through its characters

Judgment is still an action RPG like the canonical games of the saga. The main change from the rest of the titles is their tone and narration, which is very reminiscent of a Thriller in French of a series of detectives. The main plot of the game centers around a mysterious case in which several members of the yakuza were brutally murdered. In turn, we will have several characters with whom we will develop various subplots that will brilliantly build the game’s narrative

Our companion of fatigue, Masaharu kaito, a former yakuza evicted by the Matsugane family, will be our mainstay in investigating and resolving Kamurocho’s most difficult cases. Members of the law firm Genda, where Yagami worked, will also play an important role in the various stories of the game. How could it be otherwise, we will also find an antagonist belonging to the yakuza, the captain Haruma, which exudes charisma and generates tension in every sequence in which it appears.

Through these and many more very well constructed secondary characters, we will discover and solve the most diverse cases. Without a doubt, the part where judgment shines the most, that if we removed the playable element, it would be a great novel or a detective series.

The hard life of the private investigator

Focusing on the playable part of Judgment, we will find the most classic mechanics of detective and investigation games. Some missions will make us follow our goals incognito, where you have to blend in with the crowds and nooks and crannies of Kamurocho so as not to be discovered.

It is also necessary, at certain times, to observe carefully certain scenes or photographs, to look for hidden evidence in the small details, which will help us to develop our investigations. At our disposal we will have a small drone that will help us reach the most inaccessible places in the city.

Although it is not all about following the suspects and scrutinizing the photographs. When we are investigating a case, we will have conversations with different characters to gather information. We can choose between several questions to ask our interlocutor. If we ask the right questions in the right order, we will receive bonus experience for it. It is therefore better to take our time to make the most of these moments of conversation.

And of course, as we will not only live on the air, we will have at our disposal many “secondary” suitcases to help the citizens of Kamurocho and thus fill our pockets and our fridge.

When words are not enough

Although Yagami is a likeable character, diplomacy will not be enough to resolve some conflicts. Fortunately, our protagonist is an expert in martial arts, and his pulse will not quiver during a duel with the thugs who will want to stand in our way.

Judgment’s combat system is real-time and focuses on the basic mechanics of a 3D fighting game, similar to Virtua Fighter. We will have a weak attack and a strong attack with which we can perform different combos, in addition to the handles and EX movements that will be unlocked when we fill a bar dedicated to them.

We will also have at our disposal two different styles of combat. the tiger style

Without a doubt, a very satisfying part due to the agility of the combat and the variety of attacks and combinations that we will have at our disposal. As we gain experience, we can unlock more than 50 different attacks, many of them, applied to specific situations with the environment. However, we can use all kinds of items we find in Kamurocho to finish off our enemies faster.

How to kill time in Kamurocho

Finally, it’s time to talk about one of the most important aspects of judgment, Kamurocho district. It’s almost unbelievable how, on such a small map, we have so much to do. Although much of it is sheer decoration, the detail that we find on every shelf in a store or the posters of the city, fill our eyes with every step we take. You can find everything you need in the Don Quixote, The market, supermarkets Poppo and you can satisfy your hunger in the many restaurants in town.

I’m sure many of us spend a lot of time in the SEGA Club. Where we will have at our disposal arcade machines with which to play games of great Sega titles. Virtua Hunter, Out of the game, Engine raid, Fantastic area, Harrie Spacer and many other titles will be available for a few yen. In addition, we can play multiple Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers in local cooperative mode from the game’s initial menu.

Although not everything is video games in Kamurocho. Among many other activities, we can participate in drone races, play darts, get stuffed animals with the classic hook machines, get various gachapones

But you know what they say Who have a friend, have a treasure. So what better way to increase our popularity than by meeting and helping the people of Kamurocho. Which will give us gifts and help us in battle when we meet them in town. And who knows? Maybe the love of our life is waiting for us around the corner.

Conclusions of the final judgment

To close the analysis, I must say that The judgment exceeded my expectations. This was my first title in the Yakuza saga, it is always difficult to enter a saga with so much tradition if not at the beginning. And the first titles in the series, available only in English, made that gateway even more difficult for newcomers. But fortunately, The judgment is fully translated into Spanish, with a very good location, by the way.

What I liked the most about this title is its tone and its narrative, as I clearly indicated at the start of this review. It seems to me that the stories and their characters are very well constructed. The combat system, which is probably one of the most controversial parts of the series, felt very dynamic and fun. Investigative missions and tracking down suspects are probably the parts the game shines the least in, although they aren’t very plentiful either. But on the contrary, the moments of conversation seem very well worked out.

Without a doubt, living in Kamurocho has been quite an experience, the city really feels alive and the fast travel system, taxis, may not have existed perfectly. I’m sure many of us will be spending more hours than is strictly necessary to uncover all the secrets this fictional district of Tokyo has kept.

Additionally, Judgment went on sale in a reduced price of $ 39.99 and operates at 4K and 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X. The game is truly spectacular, the artistic design, the modeling of its characters, the lighting and its soundtrack make it an almost compulsory purchase. So if you’re a fan of the show or just curious about it, I’m sure you’ll love the game as much as I do.