Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment disappoints with its main story and simplistic detective work, but excels with its substantial school-based side quests.

Detective Yagami returns for another scintillating mystery that suffers from the same problems as before.

RGG Studio's broadest, most packed open world is matched by mediocre additions and an ill-fitting story.

There is just so much to do in Lost Judgment, both to its benefit and detriment. The story felt so bloated by the time it hit its climax that I was relieved to see it end. Ultimately, this is another case of one step forward, two steps back for Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, just like Yakuza: Like a Dragon and its presentation of topical issues in Japan. 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.

Lost Judgment is more of the same, with better detective work, great side cases, and fast-flowing combat.

I found a lot to love in the game, but its sloppy handling of sexual assault left a bad taste in my mouth. After a run of great games from developer RGG, Lost Judgment isn't quite up to snuff

Lost Judgment is the most captivating, dramatic and transfixing story of the year, and that should be no surprise to fans of RGG Studio’s output.

Lively combat and engrossing social clubs keep you busy, but it’s the much-improved detective story that elevates Lost Judgment above the original.

Judgment may have been an acquired taste in many ways, but the sequel makes some of the bitterness go down easier. Given that you can basically dive in here and feel sufficiently caught up with a new case as the focus, it’s for the best. I really hope we haven’t seen the last of this subseries, because the creators seem to really care about it.

A weaker overall story and some serious pacing issues prevent Lost Judgment from reaching the excellence of its predecessor, but this is still a fantastic character-driven detective drama. Crunching combat and a frankly ridiculous amount of impressively in-depth side content make this one of the most robust Yakuza-style offerings ever - and that's more than enough to outweigh the game's often obvious flaws.