- Publisher: Sega
- Release Date: Jun 21, 2019
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox Series X
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- Critic score
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Game World Navigator MagazineAug 2, 2019It’s obvious the team didn’t have the budget of Yakuza 6 for this game. But that gives the game its own charm, like those criminal dramas on TV that you would never watch on purpose, but if you stumble upon one, you’re going to see it to the end. [Issue#239, p.52]
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Jul 25, 2019Judgment is too afraid to let go of its defining "Yakuza" features, pushing detective gameplay to the side to let the combat mechanics shine. Its story is gripping and very enjoyable, running alongside the extra side content which is full of heart and entertainment. Give Judgment a shot, whether you're a die-hard Yakuza fan, or a newbie to the franchise.
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Jul 21, 2019Judgment can be a bit of mixed bag with uneven pacing and tedious missions, on the other side an engaging story and solid combat made sure it is a worthwhile game for every Yakuza Fan.
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Jul 6, 2019Where the game goes in-depth, and where it clearly feels most comfortable, is in its omnipresent brawls.
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Playstation Official Magazine UKJun 27, 2019A great Yakuza spinoff that stumbles over its well-meant but clunky detective gameplay. More doing, less talking, and a sense of humour could’ve elevated it. [Issue#164, p.83]
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Jun 20, 2019A fun spin-off that takes some of the best parts of Yakuza and weaves a story that’s at least as compelling – even if a lot of gameplay elements are becoming overfamiliar at this point.
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Jun 20, 2019Judgment is a new direction for Ryu Ga Gotoku, and whilst it isn't on the same level as Yakuza just yet, there's plenty of room to grow.
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Jun 20, 2019Judgment is a must-play for fans of the Yakuza franchise and a fantastic entry level title for those a little put off by the time required to catch up with the Yakuza series. It offers a fun and challenging dive into a wonderfully crafted game world, whose only disappointment is the result of the quality of past works.
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Jun 20, 2019Despite some unremarkable additions to the standard Ryu ga Gotoku template, by the end of Judgment it's hard not to feel like you want to spend dozens upon dozens more hours with Yagami and friends.
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Jul 1, 2019Judgment feels too beholden to its Yakuza roots, weighed down by overreliance on combat and half-baked detective mechanics. While its plot is engaging, nearly everything that it adds to the Yakuza framework is for the worse, and it shines most when it puts the spotlight on the people of Kamurocho rather than the game’s protagonist.
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Edge MagazineJun 20, 2019It is still a little deflating. While some detective work is engaging, too much of it is throwaway, repetitive and, worse, overused. Tailing missions are the worst offender, simplistic, overlong, tightly scripted and seemingly everywhere. In its cutscenes, its combat and its tales of the lives of struggling, troubled, randy everyday people - in all the tings that make it a Yakua game, in other words - Judgment excels. In the things that seek to make it stand apart, it disappoints. Whether this is a one-off experiment, or simply the first of many, remains to be seen; if it's to be the latter, much remains to be done. [Issue#335, p.102]
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Jun 20, 2019Judgment is plenty entertaining, but it is just a muted Yakuza game in disguise. And after so many games of smashing faces into concrete, we hoped for a little more than that.
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Jun 20, 2019Despite the fantastic story, Judgment stops short of being a must-play thanks to its shallow and unfulfilling crime-solving gameplay.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Jun 20, 2019Sega's spin-off has a few ideas of its own as it takes a detective's perspective on Kamurocho, though it all ends up feeling a little flat.
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Jun 25, 2019Playing Judgment and Yakuza are like looking at the same photo—in this case the streets of Kamurocho—through two different filters. The presentation might be slightly different, and the tone a little off when you’re comparing them, but the underlying image is identical, from their geography to their face-kicking.
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Jun 24, 2019While it might share its bones with other Yakuza games, Judgment builds something new out of them. It doesn’t stray from its roots — it’s still a crime drama with lots of punching — but it fills out the story of the city and its people in a way that’s not possible from a game focused only on the criminal underworld. This is the same city, just seen from a very different perspective.
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Jun 20, 2019It still feels too devoted to the open-ended tropes of that series to be as welcoming to newcomers as it could’ve been. Solving crimes with actual logic is fun, beating up goons is fun, and Puyo Puyo is f.cking great, so a game that combines all of that should be much more entertaining than Judgment ends up being.
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Jun 21, 2019Judgment is Yakuza with a hardboiled twist, which unfortunately means the addition of tailing missions and lockpicking minigames. When it's not doing that, however, it's brilliant as always...With all the usual punching, nightlife, and bizarre side missions, Judgment continues Sega and RGG's winning streak. More faults than usual, but nonetheless fun as heck.
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Jun 25, 2019Judgment, like the series from which it spun off, is still something of an acquired taste. The sheer amount of combat can feel tedious at points, and much of the game is spent simply walking down crowded streets in search of the next clue or witness. You’ll also spend almost as much time watching the game as you will playing it since Judgment features some very lengthy cutscenes. But for crime junkies, the small niggles are worth putting up with. There may not be very many great detective games, but Judgment shows just how good they can be when done right.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 438 out of 514
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Mixed: 37 out of 514
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Negative: 39 out of 514
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Jun 21, 2019
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Jun 21, 2019
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Jun 21, 2019