The reviews are in for Lost Judgment and although the general consensus is positive, there are definitely some mixed reviews. Lost Judgment has managed to garner good reviews, with many citing the game's ability to build on the foundation of the first title and distinctively separate itself from the Yakuza franchise, but not everyone can agree on the game's story.
Japanese publication Famitsu praised Lost Judgment ahead of the embargo, giving fans an early idea of what to expect from the game. Sega only announced the game a few months ago, so there hasn't been too long of a wait, but the bar for quality has been consistently raised with each Yakuza entry and the first Judgment title. The expectations are rather high and by all accounts, it seems that the team has done a pretty solid job of delivering a worthy sequel.
Although some critics aren't as hot on Lost Judgment as others, the general consensus seems to point to the game being enjoyable at the very least, especially since the game has an 83 on Metacritic. Some have noted that the story is tonally disruptive to its actual themes and serious content, while others find it to be a thrilling legal drama. That said, many reviews also cite that Lost Judgment does a good job building upon the core elements of the first game and furthers itself as a separate entity to the adjacent Yakuza franchise. With that said, here's what critics are saying:
Cody Gravelle - 5/5 - Screen Rant
"Lost Judgment is nothing short of stunning. It's tightly-packed narrative never fails to enthrall, while its gameplay systems make navigating to each of its engrossing narrative beats an exciting experience in its own right. While Judgment felt a bit more like a proof of concept for how a Yakuza spin-off could be done, its sequel is evidence there needs to be more. Lost Judgment is a defining release from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, one of 2021's best games, and the rare sequel that preserves its series' identity while improving on nearly every element of its predecessor."
Tristan Ogilvie - 7/10 - IGN
"Despite its intriguing whodunnit premise, Lost Judgment’s main story fails to sustain its suspense all the way to the finish and its detective methods remain only slightly less superficial than those of the previous game. However, its meaty undercover side stories set in and around the Seiryo High School kept me playing for hours and hours well after the main story credits had rolled, in doing so revealing a lot of fun surprises that I might never have found had the classroom cases not kept me on the hook."
Callum Williams - 4/5 - Game Rant
"Its detective elements may be lacking and its third act is slow, but it more than makes up for it, offering spectacle-heavy set pieces, an engrossing mystery, and a bounty of fantastic side missions. Whether a diehard fan of the Yakuza franchise or a newcomer looking to see what all the fuss is about, Lost Judgment is a thrilling adventure that shouldn't be missed."
Hirun Cryer - 4/5 - GamesRadar
"Lost Judgment proves a sequel can feel overtly iterative and still succeed. There are relatively few changes to be found from Yagami’s original outing outside of increased depth to an already-bombastic combat system, but that’s no bad thing when what came before was so enjoyable. Lost Judgment provides laughs aplenty with a brilliant array of side cases and characters, but it crucially tackles trauma and bullying with refreshing honesty and steely conviction when it needs to."
Kazuma Hashimoto - No Score - Polygon
"Even though Lost Judgment tries to open a conversation about bullying and sexual harassment, those themes end up taking a back seat in favor of bombastic drama. Lost Judgment succeeds in its emulation of a Japanese legal drama, but it’s a mediocre one that would have benefited from a smaller scope, or at least, a better grasp on what it’s trying to comment on."
Unfortunately, despite the good reviews, there's a decent chance Lost Judgment will be the last entry in the series due to a rather unique issue regarding one of the game's actors. Johnny & Associates, the talent agency representing actor Takuya Kimura, is making an effort to block the game from releasing on Steam, as Kimura doesn't want to have his likeness in PC games for an undisclosed reason. It's believed Sega may just axe the entire series as a result of this, but there's also a chance the publisher just chooses not to release future games on PC from here on out.
As of right now, the plan is to have Yakuza be a turn-based strategy franchise while Judgment will retain the more bombastic, real-time combat that was once a series mainstay. If Judgment does get cancelled, it's unclear if Sega will make an effort to try and find a different series to replace it with, or if it will just double down on Yakuza for the foreseeable future.
Lost Judgment releases on September 24, 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5.