➤ Judgment, the PS5 review 🎮

A young lawyer who decides to become a private investigator after a traumatic event, a ruthless serial killer who goes out of his way to his victims, a cast of memorable characters and the fascinating background of a city that Yakuza fans know very well: of this and more we will talk about in the review by Judgment to PS5.

Almost two years after its launch on PlayStation 4, the excellent spin off developed from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio it also arrives on next-gen platforms with a technically improved edition, which not only boasts a higher resolution and very stable 60 fps, but also almost instant uploads.

Story

Judgment, the PS5 review — Judgment, the protagonist shows the lawyer pin.

The protagonist of Judgment is Takayuki yagami, a talented lawyer who decides to quit the profession when a boy who had been cleared of murder charges himself a heinous crime, irremediably undermining his reputation. Grew up on the streets of Kamurocho, Tokyo's fictional Kabukicho-inspired neighborhood, Takayuki uses his physical abilities and knowledge of the criminal underworld to reinvent himself as a private investigator alongside lifelong friend Masaharu Kaito, a gruff but shrewd ex Yakuza.

Usually engaged in assignments dealing with extortion, scams and marital infidelity, Takayuki finds himself once again at center stage when an old acquaintance of his, Kyohei Hamura, captain of the Matsugane Family of Clan Tojo, is accused of killing a man by taking him. the eyes. Investigations reveal, however, that this crime was not the only and not the last in a long series, and that themurderess is still on the loose. But who is it and what are its motivations?

Narrated in an extraordinary way, thanks to the intensity of the original interpretation and an excellent direction, the history by Judgment was written by the historical producer of the Yakuza series, Toshihiro Nagoshi, and can also be enjoyed by Spanish players without limitations: the game boasts both Japanese and English dubbing and Spanish subtitles.

The thirteen chapters that make up the long campaign of the game alternate in-depths and twists, the usual abundance of side quests ever so brilliant and one duration which can even reach a hundred hours if you decide to try your hand at all that experience has to offer, but which drops just under thirty hours if you want to go straight ahead.

Structure

In short, we are talking about a really full-bodied product, which, on the one hand, cannot offer a free upgrade for those who owned the PS4 version nor a transfer system bailouts, is proposed to a price of only 39,99 euros. A frankly very accessible sum, if we consider the quality and the many contents included in the package.

La structure of Judgment in fact takes up that of the classic episodes of Yakuza, but with an extra gear: the Kamurocho that we can visit during the adventure is the most refined and interactive ever, and moreover there is no longer a dividing line between the exploratory phase and fighting, which occurs seamlessly as we wander the streets of Tokyo's expansive district.

New

In addition, the news introduced to characterize Takayuki Yagami's peculiar detective story, which materialize in stalking, photographic evidence, crime scene analysis, frantic quick time event chases, sections driving a drone, picking locks, interrogations in which to hit the right question and exhibit overwhelming evidence. "Objection!", Exactly.

Let's be clear: the specific weight of these feature it is absolutely not such as to make a miracle cry, they are simply puzzles added in the context of the linearity of the missions, but it is in any case a variation on the theme that increases the diversification of the mechanics and helps to make a system less repetitive that underneath it remains rather mundane.

Extra activities

In this regard, obviously the many could not be missing extra attività typical of the Yakuza series: the coin-op gods SEGA Club (in this case Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone, Puyo Puyo, Motor Raid, Fighting Vipers, Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown and the shooter Kamuro of the Dead), the OutRun mini-cabinet that replaces the pinball machine in the protagonist's office, the clubs where you can play cards, Mahjong and Shogi, the battling center and darts.

Also on this front there is no shortage of news: it is possible to use the drone and modify it to face frenetic speed races, participate in Game of the Goose-style minigames in virtual reality and finally establishing love relationships with different girls, taking them out on a date, buying them gifts and so on, in what stands as a real dating sim.

Gameplay

Il gameplay resumes the traditional formula of Yakuza, with our character that moves freely within the map, reaching the points indicated from time to time to carry on the main story or interacting with the NPCs linked to the secondary quests, or even dedicating himself to the many extra activities we talked about earlier. The streets of Kamurocho, however, are teeming with bullies, thugs, criminals and mobsters ready to challenge us: in Judgment this transition takes place transparently, without creating a special space around the contenders.

Speaking of the combat system, the first thing that comes to mind is the sense of liberation that comes from being able to move again in an action context, and that you can also try if your first approach with the SEGA series was the excellent Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The turn-based battles of the game starring Ichiban Kasuga undoubtedly had a certain degree of solidity, but they were also linked to dated dynamics and artificially lengthened the time of the experience, requiring moreover boring grinding sessions in some moments of the campaign.

The style action Instead, it lends itself to much more immediate resolutions as well as retaining the emotional charge typical of the franchise, which from the narrative point of view is one of the best in building motivation and loading the most important duels with meaning, then leaving us free to vent that anger by storming the devastating combo opponents and merciless finishers instead of staying aloof and calculating how many points we have left to execute the moves, which party member needs medicine or which target to hit first.

The possibility of using a more multifaceted and convincing version of the combat system classic of the franchise, however, represents a bonus not to be underestimated absolutely. As compared to Kazuma Kiryu, the new protagonist is involved in on average more challenging and interesting clashes, which must be solved by alternating the style of the Crane and that of the Tiger, ideal respectively for fights and one-on-one confrontations. Takayuki's repertoire also includes spectacular rebound attacks on the walls and the aforementioned finishers typical of the series, many of which however not unpublished.

L'Inventory it is once again essential to be able to recover health before being defeated, so it is good practice to fill it with nutritious foods or energy drinks to buy at a convenience store in view of battles that promise to be complicated. Once the clashes are over, health can be recovered by eating something at one of the many restaurants in Kamurocho, unless the character has undergone some fatal wounds, a novelty of Judgment: to treat them you will need to use kits or contact an underground doctor who works in the sewers.

In addition to this well-tested system, there are the investigative innovations we talked about previously between stalking, analysis of the evidence, photographs and shooting with the drone. Mechanics that do not revolutionize the experience nor are they legitimized by an independent location, but propose situations that add that pinch of variety necessary to mask the simplicity of the traditional formula.

Technical realization

So we come to the central aspect of Judgment for PS5, namely the technical realization. Well, the improvements are clear and visible: where the original version of the game was struggling to maintain 30 fps even on PS4 Pro, while remaining tied to a resolution of 1080p, this remaster offers 60 fps very solid in the face of one resolution most likely brought to 1440p, as well as instant uploads.

The doubled frame rate has a very positive effect on the fights, returning a better perception of the animations and therefore of the timing necessary to dodge or parry the shots successfully, especially during the most challenging boss fights. However, the exploratory phase also benefits from the greater fluidity and greater definition of the edition PlayStation 5, which therefore performs its task effectively.

For the rest, the considerations we expressed in the Judgment review for PS4 are valid: the game boasts excellent polygonal models, cutscene extraordinary and a setting that on the one hand has always been the same for years, on the other hand it is presented in a never so multifaceted and interactive way, with the possibility of visiting the interior of various buildings and, in general, enjoying the great atmosphere that this virtual trip to Tokyo can offer, especially during the evening sequences.

We mentioned that Judgment includes both the dubbing in Japanese in that English, both with their own lip synchronization, confirming the care that the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has always put into its projects. Well, we still consider the original interpretation unattainable, but western actors have given it a good try and there colonna sonora it is confirmed as very valid, rich and capable of highlighting the topical moments of the campaign in the best possible way.

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 5 Price 39,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

8.4

Readers (12)

9.1

Your vote

Judgment is confirmed as an excellent title also on PS5. The renewed technical sector, thanks to an increased resolution but above all a very stable frame rate at 60 fps, adapts the aesthetics of the game to the capabilities of the new Sony console, giving us a wide and fascinating setting, but also frenetic and spectacular clashes that occur. they carry out in a transparent way, without waiting or delimitations. The instant uploads close the picture of an almost perfect remaster, which is not aimed at those who have already played the PS4 version (see the lack of a save transfer system) but to those who want to return to immerse themselves in the typical atmosphere of Yakuza, trying its traditional action combat system after enjoying the turn-based experience of Like a Dragon.