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RGG Studios’ recent PC port, The Judgment Collection, has brought forth an important question - which of the games in the detective franchise is better? While both are good for their own reasons, one is going to look, feel, and play better than the other.
Both titles follow Takayuki Yagami, a former lawyer-turned-detective, as he solves gritty, harrowing cases. Like the Yakuza series it spun off from, both games are known for interesting stories, ridiculous side cases, and being skilled at immersing players into the world they’re taking part in.
In this 1v1 feature, both games will be analyzed via several metrics, to determine once and for all which of the two is truly the best release. Based on how many points each accrues throughout this article, a winner will be determined.
Note: This article reflects the writer’s opinion.
Which of the Judgment titles is the better game?
1) Story
Both of Takayuki Yagami’s adventures were significantly different, while also being thrilling detective dramas. Judgment was a more gripping detective drama, set in the grimy city of Kamurocho. There were genuine personal stakes involved, and the characters felt far more invested in the story they were involved in.
The twists and turns the story took came very much out of nowhere, without feeling ridiculous or over-the-top.
Conversely, the focus was on real-world issues in the second outing. While bullying and suicide are definitely very important issues to tackle, it felt a bit forced in Lost Judgment.
Yagami’s detective work in the story is really quite good, and Lost Judgment also has a second, lengthy story that goes alongside the main plot that involves the school counselor. The protagonist helps these kids in their clubs while trying to find a sinister villain. It felt very over-the-top, and while I love the story and it hits home for me, Judgment was the better overall detective story.
2) Gameplay
This was a new style of gameplay for RGG Studios, which focused more on actual detective work. In this title, players have to occasionally tail suspects, chase them down on foot, and gather information between Yagami and his drone. He also picks locks occasionally, which is easy, and can break through doorknobs with a wire — which was a little more annoying, at first.
Judgment’s issue with detective work is that it was a very long, slow process. While in “detective mode” (holding down the zoom button), the cursor moved incredibly slowly. On top of that, all of the various tailing missions felt forced, and dragged on far longer than they need to.
Every mission felt the same, and they really were genuinely tedious. Combat in the first game was also a bit sluggish until a lot of skill points were invested in. The Wound system in this game was also a new, but a divisive concept. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of it, and I was glad to see it go away in Lost Judgment.
The sequel genuinely fixed all of the problems that I had with gameplay. Detective work, while still important, didn’t feel like it was a burden. Wounds were removed, and the addition of parkour as a way to get around during detective missions was a good deal of fun; it fits the character as well.
On top of that, he had a third martial arts style, Snake, which was designed to not “harm” people permanently. This made sense in the story because he would occasionally have to fight high school kids, so he wasn’t trying to maim them.
With all of this in mind, Lost Judgment’s gameplay is much better.
3) The world
Both of these games genuinely have great worlds that they take place in. Kamurocho and Ijincho are both fully-fleshed out areas, with tons of side-quests, mini-games, and things to see and do.
The sequel has a bit of an unfair advantage, though. It begins in Kamurocho, then heads to Isezaki Ijincho, and then allows the player to move between the two cities. Both are fleshed out, though the star city is Ijincho. Both cities are exactly as they were portrayed in the Yakuza games, but also star their own important NPCs.
To the credit of both games, they did not need a ton of cameos in these familiar cities to make them feel fleshed out. While Yagami’s first outing is compelling, Lost Judgment is at an unfair advantage as it has more cities, both of which feel very much lived-in. So, with that in mind, Lost Judgment once again runs away with it.
4) DLC
Both of these games came with plenty of DLC, without it feeling like too much. Most of the additional content for both games feature things to make the overall gameplay easier and more enjoyable, without feeling required.
Judgment DLC
- Detective Life Fun Pack
- Play Spot Fun Pack
- Ultimate Battle Pack
- Girlfriend Present Pack
The first game's DLC was pretty streamlined. It gave stuff to put in the office, ways to kit out your drone, a ton of Extracts to make combat much easier, and awesome gifts for your girlfriends. It also added Saori, which would let Yagami stroll around town with everyone’s favorite lawyer, Saori-san.
Lost Judgment DLC
- Extract Sets
- SEGA Master System Games
- Dog Colors
- Girlfriends
- Hover Drive Skateboard
- Open Air Skate Park
- Sky Spider Drone Frame
- Super Boss Fight
- School Stories Pack
- The Kaito Files
On the other hand, Lost Judgment had way more DLC, and it is all 100% worth having. It had three DLC drops, and all of it came with the PC re-release of the game, except for the final DLC pack. It can be purchased separately, or can be bought as a bundle with the game.
The first DLC set was built around helping the player get started, as well as some cool designs for your crime-fighting dog and an amazing skateboard. It also added some girlfriends to date, and access to the final Superboss.
The School Stories Expansion Pack added a new item for each of the school stories, and even included a new combat mechanic for Yagami - Boxer Style. Sadly, the MB5000/SUPREMACY robot does not change how frustrating that mini-game is.
The big winner when it comes to DLC though is The Kaito Files. It’s a DLC storyline, akin to Majima’s story in Yakuza Kiwami 2.
Focused on Kaito, the DLC was wildly anticipated, as he is a much-beloved part of the cast. It’s a great story, and one that was reviewed on Sportskeeda. With all of this in mind, Lost Judgment’s DLC is much better as it gives players far more bang for their buck.
Both games are excellent, that’s not a question. The titles have their flaws and positive points, but even with this in mind, Lost Judgment is clearly the better game. Even if the previous title had a better detective story, the sequel improved on nearly everything else that its predecessor had to offer.
