I’m always surprised by how much I don’t mind returning to Kamurocho thanks to how wisely space is used. As in those titles, Yagami finds himself bouncing between a couple of small, open cities densely populated with missions, side-quests, and minigames. Like its predecessor, 2018’s Judgment, the story stars Takayuki Yagami, an independent detective working in the same crime-filled streets we’ve seen in just about every Yakuza game. While Lost Judgment is classified as a spin-off, it’s actually a replacement for the traditional Yakuza experience. Its story is far messier though, tackling a bevy of sensitive topics that aren’t always handled with grace. Lost Judgment tightens Yakuza’s traditional beat-em-up combat and adds much more gameplay variety thanks to its detective premise. Kamurocho may look the same, but its streets feel a little darker this time. We’re no longer seeing Kamurocho through the eyes of a delightful himbo or a bright-eyed underdog, but a hardened detective investigating a sickening series of crimes. While Lost Judgement is a mechanically familiar spin-off of the long-running action-RPG series, it offers a completely different tone.

It’s an important distinction for Yakuza fans to keep in mind. Lost Judgment - Gameplay Showcase | PS5, PS4

Yakuza 4 metacritic download