Lost Judgment starts with a tailing mission and ends with a strong message of anti-bullying and to stand up when you see something wrong. From detective work into a seedy boyfriend to unravelling a plot to control the underground and manipulation of government officials. Lost Judgment is as chaotic as it seems.

Just an early note here, there is some really nasty themes explored in this game, and to fully expand upon the game, this is a light cautionary warning on bullying, assault, murder, abuse and suicide.

As someone who has enjoyed the Yakuza series for years and was quite a fan of Judgment when it originally released, so much so, buying it again for the PS5 when it released. So, when the game started with a tailing mission, I was incredibly worried. The series is known for its whacky antics, cheesy humour and deep twisting narratives. So, to start with a tailing mission, my gut didn’t feel good about this. Thankfully, after the first hour worth of gameplay, the story and the game itself really starts to open up.

Bullying is the primary theme of the game, and by connection to this, suicide. Seiryo High is a school known for the suicide of a student 4 years before the events of the game, one driven by bullying. Though it is never proven, a man who is arrested for groping a woman on a train, prophecies’ the identity of a dead body discovered by police, as the person believed to be responsible for the bullying of his child, the one that ended his life at Seiryo High.

Lost Judgment approaches this story with a great amount of nuance, understanding and acceptance, but also with a strong message. “Don’t bully people.” This is the fundamental message of the game. Do not ruin others’ lives, because you never know when it will go too far. On that note, over the next 30 or so hours of story, you’ll meet a variety of characters, all with deep history and connection to the themes, and despite no connection on the surface. A shared history with a dark element to it.

The story is fantastic. It rivals Song of Life and the prequel Judgment game, and for my money, is actually one of the best stories in the entirety of the two series. The twists and turns in the narrative keep you on the edge of your seat, and I found it difficult at times to put the game down. I wanted to know where the story was going, I wanted to see how it was all going to play out. How had the murders occurred, how was the groping alibi established? How were all these seemingly separate characters all connected underneath? Lost Judgment does a fantastic job of pacing the narrative, whilst also ensuring there is something to keep you biting. There is no lulls, there is just a constant pull.

The chapter use of the game is ingenious in this way. It makes each chapter almost feel like an episode of a TV show. Each chapter is focused on fundamental element of the story, whilst bringing the wider narrative to light. No character is insignificant. Everyone means something to the wider story, and each character has a depth to them.

The major 5 characters, Yagami, Kaito, Sawa-Sensei, Jin Kuwana and Soma are hugely important to the drive of the narrative. Whilst there is many supporting characters to these 5, they make up the bulk of direction of the narrative. Ehara and Mikoshiba obviously lend the theming aspect, with bully and vengeful father, but they are plot devices for Kuwana and the history of his character. About halfway through, the story opens up, and you really see the depth of everything going on. A criminal underworld being controlled by Public Security, a regretful teacher turned serial killer. An innocent bystander with a heart of gold. Yagami is the paragon of his own morals and pursues his virtues tirelessly. Whilst the actions of other characters can always be justified, Yagami refuses to let this blind him. Demanding his form of justice is served.

Normally, I would play these games in Japanese. To me it feels more authentic, and I enjoy the voice acting. By default, Lost Judgment was in English, and I was very surprised. The voice acting here, is superb. It is some of the best English voice acting for a Japanese-based game, I’ve ever heard. I enjoy the fact that even in English, all the characters are still referred to with their honorifics. Kaito-San, Yagami-Shi/Sensei, Sawa-Sensei, and so on. This care of detail adds so much to the overall voice acting. In particular the voice actors for Soma, Akutsu, Yagami and Kaito are perfect. They are incredibly fitting to the characters and I didn’t feel they missed a beat here.

The most impressive thing with Lost Judgment is how dark and serious the story narrative is, and how fun and goofy the side stories can be. There is a fair few side quests to keep you busy throughout the game, and for when you need a break from the darker themes of the main story. These range in quality from short, goofy and dumb comedy pieces to slightly more in-depth narrative pieces, and some are just introductions of mini-games.

The mini-games themselves vary in quality, and you’ll find some you enjoy, and some you detest. I was not a fan of the Drone racing and definitely not a fan of the Robotics club robot battles. The boxing is interesting, and very well designed. The dancing mini-game was my favourite, and I had wished there was more of it. The lack of karaoke was kind of upsetting, but there was definitely a desire to reduce the goof factor, just slightly, I feel. You’ll find the ones you enjoy, and you’ll find the ones you want to steer far away from. At the end of the day, the optional content is designed to give you a reprieve from the main story, whilst adding some layer of comedy to the already pretty humorous game.

Combat is standard Yakuza style. Multiple fighting stances, hyper aggressive people in the world always looking to get into a fight. Boss fights are sufficiently challenging, without being outlandishly difficult. The end game is a barrage of mobs of enemies that are really fun if you’ve sufficiently leveled, and will be hell on earth, if you have not. There’s not much to write home about here. It’s solid, it feels nice and it’s flashy. The EX moves are nice, but there feels to be a solid lack of variety. Even after unlocking a bunch, I feel I only saw the same 4 or 5 every fight. It’s nothing major, but there is a lack of diversity in the combat, and after nearly 9 games, it may be a little boring. Particularly when Yagami isn’t as brutally flashy as someone like Kiryu was.

World design is important here. Kamurocho is the home of these series. It’s fundamental, it’s familiar and it’s safe. The majority of Lost Judgment is spent in Ijincho. A much larger, less seedy city. Kamurocho still has its place, and you will spend some time there, but for the most part, you’ll be experiencing Ijincho. I enjoyed this immensely. I love Kamurocho, and whenever I’m there, I know the area like the back of my hand. I enjoyed the fresh breath of life that a new city afforded. Not everyone is going to enjoy this. Die-hard fans are going to want to stay in Kamurocho for the long haul. Regardless, Ijincho feels like a really fleshed out version of Kamurocho and is far more fun to navigate and fly around on, on your skateboard.

Lost Judgment is a fantastic game. Despite it’s slow start, it moves into a story that will keep you guessing, keep you wanting to know more and keep you invested. The world and the characters have amazing depth to them, and there is never a dull moment. There is equal amount of humour to serious dark themes, and a strong fundamental underlying message that is important to recognise. Lost Judgment is one of the best games in the entirety of the series, inclusive of Yakuza, and is one that shouldn’t be missed. An absolute must play of this year. It’s heartbreaking to think, that this is the end of the series.