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[Fbh]

As much as I like the Yakuza franchise, I skipped Judgement when it originally came out. I remember at the time being underwhelmed by the reveal. Conceptually it sounded interesting and it felt like a chance to make something different from the core Yakuza experience yet here was another game set in Kamurocho, with a story revolving around Yakuza and with nearly identical gameplay and combat.

Still, now that it's on Ps+ Extra I decided to try it out and....it's kinda boring?
I'm 10 hours in and the pacing is terrible, there's zero sense of urgency and it constantly feels like the game is actively stalling the story from progressing in any meaningful way. Some Yakuza games have had slow intros (looking at you Y3), but usually once the story gets going it stays at a good pace and keeps you engaged while the side content offers some lighthearted distractions when you want a break from the drama.
Here though, I'm just constantly being sent from one corner of town to the next to have short meaningless conversations with people, then Yagami just decides to "drop by the office" or go visit some friend. Like yesterday I really wanted to progress the main plot but Yagami just decided to go visit his lawyer friends, then there's this whole sequence about figuring out "who ate the cake that was in fridge", then I'm sent to have a brief conversation with another character and I'm back at the lawyer office and now I have to do a mandatory "side" quest.

The whole detective angle is pretty lame too. You got "evidence gathering" sequences were you just walk around in first person looking for evidence, but there's no challenge or tension because the game won't let you progress until you've seen everything. At other times you are asked to present evidence but again there's no challenge or tension because if you show the wrong one you can just try again and there's also no chance of you having missed key evidence. And that's still better than the 2008 style tailing missions.


Does this ever pick up? Or is the rest of the game 80% filler and mandatory sidequests with 10 minutes worth of actual main plot every chapter?

 

[ANDS]

I dropped it at the first boss. The setup was interesting but yes it is a plodding game whose reviews I'm legit floored by.

 

[poodaddy]

Probably my favorite of the franchise. Not really sure why it's not doing it for you. Tak has actually surpassed Kiryu as the lost likable protagonist of the series for me now. Hell I preferred Akiyama over Kiryu as well, so perhaps that says something about my preferences. It's probably just not for you. Good on ya for trying it though.

I honestly consider the sequel a downgrade in every capacity, but most people think the stark opposite, perhaps try Lost Judgement at some point and see if it clicks more for ya.

 

[nowhat]

Does this ever pick up? Or is the rest of the game 80% filler and mandatory sidequests with 10 minutes worth of actual main plot every chapter?

I'd say it does, but too much. I didn't really like the main plot in Lost Judgment (all the main plot reveals are just exposition, there are no twists at any point, only revealing more of the "whodunnit"), but in the original game, shit really does happen. And it quite goes off the rails in the process.

Still, the side content is more enjoyable. Also you have four waifus to score, something Kiryu couldn't pull off even if he tried.

 

[Saber]

Unfortunatelly the game doesn't diverse as a whole. Its almost aways the same thing. The combat though is cool and some characters are pretty interesting. But not alot outside of that.
Good thing this game has mini-games to make the whole experience alot better. Also restaurants are cool.

 

[mdkirby]

I enjoyed it as a sort of comfort food, like watching old episodes of CSI etc.

 

[Ceallach]

Not really. And tbh, the sequel is even worse, being centered around a high school.

 

[GymWolf]

No pickup trucks, but you can drive a drone in a minigame.

 

[kunonabi]

Judgment and Lost Judgment are just there so the Kaito files can happen. It's the best part of both games.

 

[A.Romero]

It's pretty much a long tutorial.

If you don't like the mechanics so far you should drop it. The story is interesting but you could watch a summary on youtube.

 

[Punished Miku]

I feel that way about every Yakuza game besides Fist of the Northstar. They're fine, but a bit overhyped at times. Glad fans enjoy it though.

 

[SkylineRKR]

This is one of my favourite RGG games.

It starts slow, but I loved every bit of it. The characters etc. I wanted to know who the mole was and why the killings happened. I liked it. Tailing missions were bad yes, but you are a P.I. so I get why the team wanted to include them and keep them for the sequel.

Not really. And tbh, the sequel is even worse, being centered around a high school.

Its not really centered around a high school. The high school is, one or 2 objectives aside, completely optional. Its about the murder of an ex-student of that school yes.

 

[Neilg]

It's my least favourite in the yakuza franchise for this reason. the pacing is all over, i ended up dropping it half way through for a couple years and had to really muscle through to finish it in time for the sequel. the pace picks up in the last 30-40% of the story. It does have a satisfying payoff.

The sequel is much better paced IMO.

 

[TintoConCasera]

I loved the game from start to finish, so I guess I can't help you.

Lost Judgment, imo, is even better. Best combat system of the series and quality sidecontent up the ass.

Can't wait for a third game.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Not worth the time....as I've mentioned here number of times before....I regret buying it for the PS4...especially the last-chapter an absolute joke..(I got as far as I did on that, then abandoned it and watched the remaining part on YouTube)

 

[adamsapple]

These games are just great.

 

[Fbh]

Probably my favorite of the franchise. Not really sure why it's not doing it for you. Tak has actually surpassed Kiryu as the lost likable protagonist of the series for me now. Hell I preferred Akiyama over Kiryu as well, so perhaps that says something about my preferences. It's probably just not for you. Good on ya for trying it though.

I honestly consider the sequel a downgrade in every capacity, but most people think the stark opposite, perhaps try Lost Judgement at some point and see if it clicks more for ya.

I like the main character, and the actual main plot with "the mole" seems interesting. I just wish the game would let me focus on that instead of constantly forcing me into side quests.
Some of it is fine but I'm 10 hours in and it still feels like I'm in some tutorial section.

It's pretty much a long tutorial.

If you don't like the mechanics so far you should drop it. The story is interesting but you could watch a summary on youtube.

The detective mechanics aren't great but I can get past that if the story keeps me interested, and the combat is fun.
I'll give it a few more hours but I just wish I get to the point were the main missions actually focus on the main plot.
Why is a MAIN mission 10 hours into the game about helping a secretary find out who ate the cake she left in the fridge and not about the actual plot with the Yakuza and the serial killer?

 

[poodaddy]

I like the main character, and the actual main plot with "the mole" seems interesting. I just wish the game would let me focus on that instead of constantly forcing me into side quests.
Some of it is fine but I'm 10 hours in and it still feels like I'm in some tutorial section.



The detective mechanics aren't great but I can get past that if the story keeps me interested, and the combat is fun.
I'll give it a few more hours but I just wish I get to the point were the main missions actually focus on the main plot.
Why is a MAIN mission 10 hours into the game about helping a secretary find out who ate the cake she left in the fridge and not about the actual plot with the Yakuza and the serial killer?

That's fair completely. To be honest though, all the Yakuza games shove weird side quests haphazardly right into the main quest lines. They're a bit clumsy, but at this point I find the absurdity of it all very charming.

 

[Fbh]

That's fair completely. To be honest though, all the Yakuza games shove weird side quests haphazardly right into the main quest lines. They're a bit clumsy, but at this point I find the absurdity of it all very charming.

Yeah that's true but usually not to this degree. It's like 3 proper missions 1 filler one, so far here it's the other way around.
Right after you are done with the cake thing you go talk to an actually relevant character for 2 minutes and then the very next main mission is helping some lady with her divorce.

 

[Skifi28]

Judgment is a game with great ideas and terrible execution. The pacing is terrible as you said. The story starts interesting and then it's extremely boring until very late in the game where things pick up, too much time spent doing mundane "detective" tasks that add nothing other than time wasted, neither of the two combat styles feels particularly good, some new mechanics like mortal wounds are absolutely dreadful etc.

Having said all that, it was totally worth finishing it simply because Lost Judgment corrects pretty much all the issues I had with the first game and is amongst the best Yakuza games I've played.

 

[semiconscious]

I enjoyed it as a sort of comfort food, like watching old episodes of CSI etc.

yeah, the yakuza games are much more 'hangout' games than action-packed thrill rides. i mean, there are action-packed thrills to be found, but they're not really what the games are mostly about. they're mostly about 'doin' the kamurocho':