What is there to know about Lost Judgment before its release? Let's find out together in this introductory guide to the game
In 2019 Judgment was released, a spin-off of the famous Yakuza series that had a great success both in Japan and in the West, surprising the developers themselves for the welcome. Two years later, the announcement of the sequel called came as a surprise Lost Judgment which will arrive on PS 4 and PS5 and Xbox One and Xbox Series S / X on September 24th.
The first chapter was very striking because, even if always set in Kamurocho, the fictional neighborhood (inspired by the real Kabukicho neighborhood) where more or less all the chapters of Yakuza take place, managed to create its own identity thanks to an excellent cast of characters and a truly compelling story. With these premises it was almost certain that the adventures of the detective Takayuki yagami they could not end there, and in fact the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio immediately got to work on the sequel. In this article, we'll talk about what you need to know about Lost Judgment.
A new case for Detective Yagami
Lost Judgment is a direct sequel to the first chapter. We don't want to reveal too much of the history of the former Judgment, really very beautiful and full of unexpected twists. We will only say that the plot of the first chapter is very linked to the past of the protagonist Takayuki Yagami, a former lawyer who became a private investigator after one of his clients was accused of murder immediately after being found innocent in a trial in which the defense lawyer was Yagami. .
Lost, the protagonist decided to abandon the lawyer's way as it was not for him. It goes without saying that the incipit is only the tip of the iceberg of a much more complex and intriguing story. In Japan the interpretation of Takayuki Yagami by Kimura Takuya, one of the most famous actors and musicians in the country. Lost Judgment (staying on what and what elements to know before starting the game) instead opens with a new mysterious murder. Inside an abandoned building in Yokohama, a boy is found in an advanced state of decomposition. The victim is tied to a chair and also shows signs of violence.
At the same time, before the body is known, Saori ShirosakiYagami's colleague and friend is defending Akihiro Ehara accused of molesting a girl on a train in a trial. A video of the accused escaping from the police was taken by a passer-by. Surprisingly, however, Ehara begins to reveal to the court the body of the boy who died in Yokohama, and the murder appears to have been committed at the same time that Ehara was arrested by the police.
So how did the man know about the victim, and how is it possible that he could have committed two crimes at the same time? Yagami will be tasked by Saori to investigate the case, and find out what the relationship is between the two cases. In fact, the two only know that the victim was involved in bullying against Ehara's son, who committed suicide precisely because of the mistreatment. Stay with Detective Yagami then go to Yokohama and investigate what happened, and the truth again could be much more unexpected than you imagine.
Important topics - Lost Judgment: what to know before the release of the title
The game opens with a sentence pronounced by Yagami:
In Japan 99.9% of the trials end with a guilty verdict.
To this sentence the protagonist adds the bitter truth that the law is not as perfect as it is thought it should be. Precisely for this reason, Yagami decided to become a private investigator so as to giving a voice even to those who cannot be heard. One of the central themes of Lost Judgment will therefore be linked to the breaches of the law and the Japanese bureaucracy, in fact the case of Ehara seems to want to exploit the contradictions of the Japanese legal system to get away with a lesser crime than a murder charge.
A story therefore that puts gods on the field social issues not only related to Japanese society, but we talk about aspects common to any human being, since there is no country that can boast a perfect legal system, and it is often not true that the law is the same for everyone. To build the story of Lost Judgment the developers of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios have for the first time also looked at the international feedback of their games. If all the previously made titles were built with a Japanese audience in mind, the sequel to Judgment was also designed for overseas players.
Setting - Lost Judgment: what to know before the release of the title
One thing to know about Lost Judgment is that the series will change the main setting just like it happened recently with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Even the second chapter of the saga dedicated to detective Takayuki Yagami will in fact move to Yokohama, although we do not exclude phases also set in Kamurocho, the historical cradle of the saga since Yakuza. In fact, Yagami will have to investigate the mysterious murder of a young teenager which took place just away from the neighborhood where the detective has his office.
Yokohama therefore represents the desire to change the air and make the setting of Lost Judgment more varied, proposing the district of Ijincho, the same seen in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Obviously the revival of this neighborhood has favored the development times of the game, but we must not think that the area is a copy and paste from the last chapter of Yakuza. The two games are in fact very different at the base: Yakuza 7 has become a turn-based RPG, while Lost Judgment maintains the action gameplay of the series. The areas have been remodeled so that yes adapt to game systems flawlessly.
Street Fights - Lost Judgment: what to know before the title's release
Speaking of fighting, the old will return in Lost Judgment action combat system already seen in the previous chapter. This time the styles to be used in battle will be three instead of two, in fact the new Snake Style will be added. Previously, in fact, there were only lo Crane style, suitable for melee combat, and lo Tiger style, more suitable for 1vs1 clashes. The Snake style instead it will be based entirely on counterattacks and disarmament of armed opponents.
Obviously, the spectacular ones will also be back Ex Action, special moves that can be performed against opponents who consume the special Ex bar. These attacks will often also exploit the environment by using even unlikely weapons such as road signs or bicycles during the fight. TheEx Boost, an enhancement that will make our protagonist stronger and impossible to land, as well as giving access to special moves unique to this mode.
Secondary activities and the school - Lost Judgment: what to know before the release of the title
One thing to know, which has always been characteristic of titles like Lost Judgment, is the presence of countless secondary activities. Also in this second chapter minigames of various kinds will return, with the presence even of some video games within the video game itself. In fact, it has been confirmed that the protagonist will be able to play an old man Mega Drive with inside the reproduction of real titles of the time. But that's not all. The stalking and chases accompanied by the stealth system already seen in the first game will also return, and now Yagami will also be able to move by skateboard through the streets of Ijincho. There will also be great classics, such as gambling, fishing and dating.
The detective will also have to infiltrate a school because of his investigations and here he will have to do with the student activities that will become new activities to do. In fact, Yagami will be able to train the members of the boxing team colliding with them, dance together with students e build drones and robots with the school's scientific team and then participate in special competitions. Then there will even be some motorcycle races and tons of sidequests for hours and hours of extra content.
Definitely
We came to the conclusion by telling you everything you need to know about Lost Judgment pending the arrival of the next title September 24th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox One S / X. From what has been leaked, the title seems like a worthy sequel to the first excellent chapter, with an intriguing incipit story and tons of content to entertain players with. In the meantime, a demo of the game has been confirmed, although at the moment only on the Japanese PlayStation Store. The hope is to see it soon come out of us too to finally be able to touch the game first hand.
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