Judgement is a fantastic game with a compelling narrative and starring Takuya Kimura.

 

Finally. After waiting over 3 years, I managed to play the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's spin-off of the Ryu Ga Gotoku series, Judgement. Why did I wait so long? Mostly because I wanted to wait for the remastered/upgraded version that came with all of the dlc. I was incredibly excited to play it, did it live up to my expectations? Let's find out! 

The plot of Judgement follows protagonist Takayuki Yagami, a former lawyer turned detective. Yagami opened up his detective agency following his defence of Shinpei Okubo, a man accused of murdering a senior citizen with Alzheimer's who was being cared for at the seemingly top-notch medical institute, the ADDC. Yagami managed to win the case and prove that Okubo didn't murder the patient, only for Okubo to be arrested just one month later for the death of his girlfriend, Emi Terasawa. That case left Yagami a weary, almost broken shell of a man and he enlists Masaharu Kaito, a former Yakuza that had been thrown out of the Matsugane family as a partner in his detective agency. 

The pair take on menial tasks such as finding lost cats, which allows them to just about stay afloat and scrape by. Things dramatically change after the pair are tasked with investigating a series of seemingly Yakuza related killings, and the pair end up getting dragged into a conspiracy that goes way deeper and darker than they could have possible imagined. It goes beyond the Yakuza and into government and police, with a certain Minister having a hand in a large scale coverup. It's a gripping narrative that kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish. It's got that Dorama/movie feel to it and the cutscenes are sublime, as expected from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. 

As for the elements that it shares with the Ryu Ga Gotoku series, it takes place in the same location. Kamurocho, based on real life location Kabukicho, makes a triumphant return. It's a beautiful setting that is a joy to explore. Apart from the location, the fighting system and mechanics are also similar. Yagami certainly knows how to fight and has two styles that the player can change between, one for dealing with crowds and the other for one-on-one showdowns. Despite this, Judgement overall feels like it has less of an emphasis of raw brutality and bloodshed. Yagami isn't quite Kiryu after all. The combat system does make the game much more palatable to fans of the Ryu Ga Gotoku series and not just those who enjoy a solid detective experience. Also of note is the fact that the police get involved should a fight drag on for too long. This shows that Yagami is still an outsider and doesn't have the character nor the resources required to bribe the police to look the over way. The wealth of side activities also is present such as the batting centre, the SEGA arcades, mah-jong, etc. Unfortunately, there is no karaoke available which is somewhat understandable. 

Boss battles and QTEs also make a return. Judgement features some of my favourite animations for these battles, particularly in 2 battles towards the very end of the game against a certain killer. I'm extremely happy that these returned as they were one of my absolute favourite things about the Ryu Ga Gotoku series.

Judgement is not a homage to the classic Yakuza movies, old and new unlike the Ryu Ga Gotoku series. Instead, Judgement is the tale of a detective in the form of a noir. Of course, the game isn't played in black and white and is instead full of life and the vivid colours of Kamurocho. It can be seen as noir in terms of its overall tone and themes, however. Yagami for instance can be seen as the classic hardboiled detective with a heart of gold.

One of the major differences between Judgement and the series which it is a spin-off of is the detective elements in the gameplay. Throughout the game, you'll be tasked with searching crime scenes and various locations for clues, correcting identifying suspects/targets, asking the right questions to ask witnesses, choosing the right evidence to present and even tailing various targets. It for the most part doesn't come across as either too complex nor too patronising and that's a finely crafted and well-balanced line that Judgement managed to achieve. 

Some of the side cases provide a neat break form the dark narrative. Certain cases, such as the case of the Twisted Trio provides some light-hearted humour and fun times as Yagami takes on some ridiculous perverts. Naturally, these humorous cases feature distinctly Japanese humour, of which I'm an avid fan. The side cases are extremely well crafted, and some have twists and turns that make them a little less straightforward and more engaging. 

One of the biggest attractions of the game for me was the fact that KimuTaku aka Takuya Kimura, was the man behind the voice and facial capture of Takayuki Yagami. He certainly didn't disappoint. He fully embodied the role of a hardboiled detective stupendously, delivering expertly expressed emotion with precise intonation. Yagami had vast amounts of dialogue especially in comparison to Kiryu Kazuma and Kimura certainly managed to pull it all off. He even nailed call-backs and references to his previous dorama works. His backstory off having previously been a lawyer brought a smile to my face as it reminded me of Hero. 

The game is also bolstered by its excellent supporting cast. Shinshu Fuji was tremendous as the loveable Masaharu Kaito. The man made Kaito an immediate fan favourite with his brilliant performance. I really enjoyed his friendship with Yagami and the comedic deliver in scenes which depict Kaito as not being the smartest guy. 

Shosuke Tanihara was tremendous as Mitsuru Kuroiwa. He felt like a massive threat whenever he appeared, especially in his later scenes and a fascinating character overall. Conversely, Eri Goda and Shinji Kawada came across as extremely sympathetic figures in their roles as Emi Terasawa and Shinpei Okubo respectively. This is extremely impressive given Terasawa's limited screen time. Her role is short, yet poignant and important to the overall narrative. 

I would highly recommend Judgement to all gamers. Its narrative is extremely compelling despite me having figured out certain mysteries and twists early on, such as who was The Mole. I couldn't say that for most games these days. The combat system is always a highlight, the animations are smooth with the boss battle animations for the QTE sequences being beautifully crafted and the ragdoll physics can sometimes be hilarious. I thoroughly enjoy just how cinematic the boss fights are and the climatic showdown is one of my all-time favourites. It's a two-part fight against an extremely skilled, highly intelligent assassin who has multiple layers of health. Most importantly of all, the game is definitively Japanese in terms of style and writing. At this point, Kamurocho feels like a second home!