Judgment & Lost Judgment Are Finally on PC And They Play Damn Well
For as extensive as the RGG Studio-developed Yakuza franchise is on PC, there have been two highly anticipated missing entries; Judgment and Lost Judgment. These spinoffs to the main series have become notably beloved, and their general premises and execution are fundamentally different despite housing the same general setting.
Now, PC players can finally experience these games that console fans have enjoyed for years. Judgment and Lost Judgment are both available on Steam, and we were granted the opportunity to play both ports early.
After playing them extensively, we are glad to report that, at least in our experience, there are no significant obstructions with these ports. The gameplay and cutscenes were consistently smooth, even on my PC, which is relatively mid-end. The only transparent issues I noticed were the occasional pop-ins with a few distant NPCs and textures. These could have simply been solely on my device, though. Regardless, the pop-ins were merely minor.
The loading times were also impressively swift on both my SSD and the external HDD I tested these games with. Their initial launches can take some time, but opening the game afterward will be a quick affair.
The graphical settings are all fairly self-explanatory, with the “Details” tab housing a myriad of more granular toggles.
And, of course, just like Yakuza on PC, real “Detectives” use a gamepad.
Regarding pricing, here’s a breakdown of the potential purchases prospective fans can make:
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Judgment Digital Standard Edition – $39.99
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Lost Judgment Digital Standard Edition – $59.99
- Includes Lost Judgment and School Stories Expansion Pack
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Judgment and Lost Judgment Digital Deluxe Bundle – $98.87
- Includes Judgment, Lost Judgment, School Stories Expansion Pack, and The Kaito Files DLC Story Episode.
- The Kaito Files can be purchased separately for $29.99
If you missed it, check out our review of Lost Judgment on PlayStation 5. We also reviewed the Kaito Files DLC.
Judgment is also available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Judgment was initially released on PlayStation 4 in 2019. The game features a handful of different systems players can use to get through missions. The adventure is set in Kamurocho, which isn’t the safest city in Japan. After a string of serial murders, the citizens have been on edge. It’s up to detective Takayuki Yagami and his partner Kaito to track down the truth using many skills.
Players can follow targets during an investigation but must stay hidden. If caught, the suspect will flee, causing the player to chase and catch them. There are also plenty of flashy fights that the player can get into, as well as snap selfies after their victories. Gadgets, such as cameras and drones, are used to acquire helpful evidence. Further, a handful of mini-games and a deep narrative wrap everything together.
Lost Judgment is also available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
During gameplay, players will take on the role of Yagami, a private eye who has an unconventional way of solving cases. After a string of murders, clues lead to a high school, which opens up a web of corruption and lies. Gameplay is enhanced further with mini-games available as players can participate in several side events, such as becoming a dance club instructor or just playing baseball.
Combat has been enhanced from the original title, with the “Crane” and “Tiger” styles making a return. A new fighting style called “Snake” has been added to the game, which turns enemy attacks back at them. There are School Stories in the priorly mentioned high school that act as a contrast to the seriousness of the main narrative.
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