Lost Judgment – the sequel to the 2018 Yakuza spinoff Judgment – will “refine” its detective work in response to public feedback, according to series producer Kazuki Hosokawa. The game is also promised to reveal more about protagonist Takayuki Yagami and enhance his movement options, though not in a way that expands freeroaming.
Players will control Yagami as he investigates the case of a man convicted for sexual assault. In court, the person reveals the existence of a Yokohama murder, yet the video that convicted him appears to give him a perfect alibi for the killing. Gameplay will take place in both Tokyo and Yokohama and continue to offer plenty of combat, including a new Snake fighting style that lets Yagami use an opponent’s energy against them. Lost Judgment is launching worldwide for Xbox and PlayStation on September 24, unlike its predecessor, which debuted exclusively in Japan before going global in 2019.
“The aspect that we needed to refine is the investigative action elements,” Hosokawa told Inverse in a recent interview. “This is where we received the most comments, so we’re ensuring that we address them properly as we move forward with development.” The producer didn’t elaborate on changes, but Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has previously said that Yagami will have access to new tools, infiltration methods, and ways of quietly tailing suspects. The original Judgment tried to balance detective work and action, so the former may be playing an even stronger role.
Yagami will also be able to climb and wall-run, but only within the context of “investigative instances,” Hosokawa added. This means that players won’t be able to explore Tokyo or Yokohama the way they might a Far Cry or Grand Theft Auto game. The Yakuza games are famous for offering a large number of side activities, but limiting exploration to relatively small city districts in order to maximize density. On the subject of Yagami’s personality, Hosokawa claimed that players will see “many more sides” of him in Lost Judgment. It’s not clear how this might play out, but Hosokawa further noted that side content in his games can “be a little wacky” and create “more opportunities for characters to show more range.” That could imply wild if optional diversions from Lost Judgment‘s main storyline.
A heightened investigative element will probably further distinguish the Judgment series from Yakuza. The latter, naturally, is based on breaking the law rather than following it, and many of its activities center around making money or fighting for turf. The most recent entry, Like a Dragon, even switched to turn-based combat, whereas both Judgment games are sticking to a real-time system.
Ryu Ga Gotoku has remained relatively silent on Lost Judgment‘s storyline since its May 7 reveal. Yagami, however, is a disgraced lawyer turned private detective, and the opportunity for more investigation will probably expand on the ramifications, while further commenting on the Japanese legal system. The country is famous – and infamous – for a 99% conviction rate, which makes Yagami’s mistake in the first game all the more shocking.
