Drug arrest actor finally faces Judgment

Once Judgment hit the PC scene, it was inevitable that players would start to poke around?? with the title's source code, as the PC krew are wont to do �case in point, this new mod, which restores the voice and visual likeness of actor Pierre Taki, who was patched out of the RPG shortly after its initial release.

The controversy came about way back in the spring of 2019, when the (then) 51-year-old actor was arrested for cocaine use. While no illicit substances were found at Taki's home, the actor registered positive when tested for samples. Japan's drug laws are among some of the world's most stringent, and the event led Sega to immediately halt sales of Judgment in order to remove Taki from his role as the Tojo Clan's subsidiary captain, Kyohei Hamura. Judgment would eventually return to the market, with Hamura sporting? a bran??d new face and a re-recorded voice.

Clearly, however, his likeness and vocal performance remained buried within the source code of the PlayStation edition, as modder Timo654 has successfully adapted a similar PlayStation mod to now work with the new PC/Steam launch. The Pierre Taki mod for Judgment can be accessed via the NexusMods website, and is compatible with the popular trainer Ryu Mod Manager, which is utilized for the modding of titles within the Ryu ga Gotoku series.

As for Taki himself, the Tokyo District Court handed down a sentence of 18 months in jail for cocaine use. The sentence has a three-year sus??pension period. The actor has continued to work in film and television since the arrest.

Judgment PC???? mod restores ‘disgracedâ€?original Hamura actor [PCGamesN]

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Solving crimes with haymakers

In a surprisingly unceremonious piece of news, publisher Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have quietly ported detective thrillers Judgment and Lost Judgment onto PC. The two Judgment titles are now available to purchase via the Steam platform, priced at around $40 and $60 USD, respectively.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT6np8elumk

Judgment (2018) and its sequel Lost Judgment (2021), follows the adventures of lawyer-turned-private detective Takayuki Yagami, as he becomes embroiled in various escalating mysteries on the mean streets of Kamurocho �which just happen to be the setting for Ryu ga Gotoku Studio's flagship franchise, Like a Dragon. In the Judgment titl??es, players follow trails of evidence, interrogate perps, and solve minor and major crimes, more often than not at the end of a skinny-jeans-borne spin-kick.

Much like its Ryu Ga Gotoku brethren, the Judgment titles are renowned for their brutal martial arts combat, stylish nightlife settings, and abundance of dopey, tonally inconsistent mini-games and side activities. Both titles are solid, and well worth checking out if you've exhausted the Yakuza catalog and are looking for something to tide you over until the release of the just announced Like a Dragon 8.

Judgment and Lost Judgment are available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Stadia, and ?PC platfor?ms.

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Misadventures in Kamurocho

Ryu ga Gotoku Studio??, perhaps better known to ?western audiences as Team Yakuza, has announced that it will be hosting a new episode of production web series next week, which will feature none other than studio director himself, Masayoshi Yokoyama, who will present fans with a "sneak peek trailer."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMIrQbJ5K2E

The developer did not offer any further hint as to what the trailer will be giving us a "sneak peek" of, but the rumor mill has been turning for some time �spilling stories that a "Yakuza 8" is currently in the works at the veteran studio. With Tokyo ??Game Show kicking off in just a fortnight's time, now would be the perfect opportunity for a Japanese company to get the hype engine in motion for a brand new release. The stream will also feature a gallery of specially selected fan art reflecting the studio's games.

The Ryu ga Gotoku Studio TV #12.5 episode will premiere on the developer's official YouTube channel Thursday, September 8, at 20:00 ?JST. This is, obviously, an eye-watering 02:00 PT / 05:00 ET, but fret not, as we will be sure to have all of the pertinent details on the new trailer right here on Destuctoid, ready and waiting for you when you eventually roll outta bed and into your snakeskin shoes.

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Actor Takuya Kimura's agency reportedly has an issue with him being on computers

Sega's had Takuya Kimura, a well-known Japanese actor, play the lead twice in the Judgment series so far. But according to a new report from Japanese site Nikkan Taishu, that deal could be in danger over Lost Judgment PC issues.

Via Kotaku and VGC, Nikkan Taishu's report suggests that talent agency Johnny & Associates have been unable to reach an agreement with those on the game development side regarding which platforms Lost Judgment will be sold on. Judgment originally launched for PS4, followed by a remastered version on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia, while Lost Judgment is targetin??g both generations of c?onsoles this coming September.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wZZmmITJsk

According to Nikkan Taishu's report, Kimura's agency is contesting the release of the game on PC. The agency reportedly has strict control over the likenesses of its talent, and PC games might be getting different treatment ??due to their direct access to the internet.

Sega is reportedly trying to bring both Judgment games to PC via Steam, but due to the agency's blocking, this could bring an end to the series. The report claims that if Steam distribution doesn't get settled over these Lost Judgment PC issues., the series could end.

We've reached out to Sega for comment on t?he matter.

Lost Judgment is currently set for a Sept. 24 launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Judgment will carry the action onwards

Today, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced Lost Judgment, a follow-up to its street detective spin-off Judgment. And while Judgment will carry forward the classic Yakuza series action, the Yakuza series will keep diverging into new territory.

Speaking to IGN, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa confirmed that Judgment will be the pillar for action going forward, while Yakuza will carry forward the turn-based RPG systems brought about by last year's Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

"The Yakuza series has been transformed into a turn-based RPG," they told IGN. "On the other hand, over the year, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has accumulated resources and know-how of making flashy and exhilarating action games that are effortless to enjoy. We decided that we should let our signature action gameplay live on through Lost Judgment."

 This might be a surprise for some, but it might split the difference of letting Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio continue building on the foundation of Like a Dragon while still creating their particular brand of beat 'em up. Lost Judgment certainly doesn't se??em like i?t's slouching on either the action or the wild side activities either way.

Lost Judgment is comin?g to PS4, PS5, Xbox On??e, and Xbox Series X|S on Sept. 24, 2021.

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Impending sequel looks increasingly likely

The official Twitter account for Sega's hard-brawlin' detective franchise Judgment has been posting a selection of short gameplay clips, ahead of its mysterious "Judgment Day" announcement.

While most of the video is taken from the original 2018 RPG, some of the clips feature unrecognizable locations, enemies, and cinematic setups, which would suggest that they have been captured from a possible sequel or spin-off. This all but officially confirms that there is a new Judgment ti??tle in the works, likely to be revealed on Sega's "Judgment Day," Ma??y 7.

All we can ascertain about the new title from these short clips is that it will once again star gritty, double-fisted investigator Takayuki Yagami, and will feature the bone-crunching action that won over so many fans in the original. Team Yakuza is, of course, renowned for producing multiple sequels that follow extremely similar gameplay designs as their predecessors. As such it would stand to reason that a "Judgment II" would essentially be more of the same, b??ut with a fresh ?story and a few tweaked features and mechanics. We'll see soon enough.

Judgment, previously available exclusively on PS4, launched this we??ek ??PS5, Xbox Series X, and Stadia.

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Judgment Day is Coming

It's a one-two blow of news from Team Yakuza's violent detective thriller Judgment, which launches today on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Stadia. In fi??tting with the occasion, Sega has opened a mysterious websit??e, which is counting down the hours to a forthcoming announcement.

The simple site, which features support for multiple languages, features a single fish-eyed image of the fictional district of Kamurocho, which plays host to both Judgment and the legendary Yakuza franchise. A foreboding clock counts down to "Judgment Day," which will apparently take p?lace on May 7, 2021. Looks? like Sarah Connor was wrong all along.

Originally released on PS4 back in 2018, Judgment is a spin-off set within the Yakuza universe, and tells the tale of detective Takayuki Yagami, as he tracks down a serial killer running rampant among the neon-lit streets of Kamurocho. While Judgment does feature elements of investigation, evidence-collection, disguise, and interrogation, it is also packed out with blood-spurting, skull-cracking, arm-snapping mayhem, as one would expect from the fisticuff-lovin' folks ??over at Team Yakuza.

Judgment is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Stadia. You can check out Chris Carter's review of the PS4 edition right here. We will, of course, keep you informed of any new news and ?information once "Judgment Day" finally arrives.

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Do it for Kaito

If you enjoy the Yakuza series, Judgment is probably on your PS4 by now (or it's at least sitting on your to-do list). The two truly go hand-in-hand. But if you don't have a connection to those dramatic, silly, face-smashing action-adventure romps, Judgment can be a harder sell – there aren't many other games like it on the market today. To help draw in some fresh faces, Sega now has a prologue demo.

The prologue covers the very basics of Judgment, from street brawls and investigations to tailing and obstacle-filled chases. This only scratches the surface, but it's a chance to get a feel f?or Takayuki Yagami (who is such a great protagonist) and Kamuro??cho (one of the best recurring settings in video games).

The story follows Yagami, an ace-attorney-turned-fashionable-detective, as he gets to the bottom of a string of murders that have left Yakuza members without eyes. He also regularly snaps pictures of cats, races his drone, eats at all the local joints, and kicks the abso??lute hell out of baddies. What a life!

Judgment, exactly like Yakuza before it, is one of those games that you kind of just need to play for yourself in earnest before you can know if it's right for you. It can be a slow burn. It isn't afraid to take its time. But once the pieces start to come together and you're in, the experience is all-consuming.

It sounds like there's temporary funkiness surrounding the prologue demo (if you can't play it becaus?e of a missing update, Sega is working to fix the?? issue), but give it a try when you get the chance.

I politely ignored the Yakuza series for years and years, but now, there's no g??oing back for me.

Judgment Prologue Demo [PlayStation Store]

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Judgment Day

Watching a little old niche series like Yakuza rise to stardom was a wild thing to witness. Playing those silly games in my living room while Sega waffled on whether or not to localize t?hem was a markedly different time: now it would be w??eird if we didn't get one.

We're even at the point where these Sega-led adventures are getting English dubs: like the noir-tinted not-Yakuza project Judgment.

Judgment (PS4)
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Released: December 13, 2018 (Japan), June 25, 2019 (Worldwide)
MSRP: $59.99

This isn't Yakuza – except it kind of is. Gone are the orange and red hues of Yakuza's Japan, replaced by Judgment's mostly blue streaks. This is a grittier take ?on the country, albeit one with flaming jump kicks.

There are very few forces as fierce as a lawyer scorned – or at least that's how Judgment sees it. Our hero Takayuki Yagami was burned (literally and figuratively) by the game's big bad and seeks vengeance by way of a detective agency, complete with an anime/superhero friend group. It still has that serious Ryu Ga Gotoku underworld tint, but it's also still as ridiculous as ever. Our lawyer-turned-detective fights a group of street punks (classic Yakuza) in the first five minutes of the game, comp??lete with a "come on" action movie hand gesture. Grit or not this is still a fantasy world.

The combat system is deliberate and combo-based. There's your typical light and heavy attack concept (which can be chained together), as well as grabs, blocks, lock-on, light dodging (it's not an invincible dodge roll or anything, more like a quick dash), and "EX" moves, which are triggered when you're near a ?weapon or when an enemy is in a certain state (like on the ground). Contextual actions are commonplace, and as you work your way through the game's skill system you'll unlock even wackier wall-jump or leapfrog-esque abilities to take punks down.

Most of this is facilitated through the game's dual fighting style system. There's one for groups (crane) and a one-on-one stance (tiger), whi??ch are, in lovely fashion, denoted by appropriate blue and red hues when swapping and fighting it out. I dig being able to change at any time depending on the situation, or in special circumstances like when I pop crane to knock back an army, then pop tiger to pummel on their leader, only to swap back when the mob returns.

The main weakness of Judgment's use of this concept is a disparity between skirmishes. On the lower end, there's a lot of trash fights with very weak combatants, which can be thwarted with easy crane or tiger mashing. On the high end, there are bosses that can cut through your guard (like literally, they can cut and scar your health bar until you see a doctor or use a medical kit) like butter. Around six hours in or so things start to normalize as Judgment doles out a healthy mix of both, throwing more unique enemies your way, but even then I found myself running from a lot of random city encounters ??not out of fear, but co??nvenience.

There's a lot you can do out of combat to influence ??how things go in the ring, too. Drinking alcohol can also alter your stats (a faster EX gauge charge, access to the drunken fist technique), and there's a veritable buffet of skills to buy for both styles and ancillary stealth actions (like lock picking, suspect chasing, and photo taking). Yep, this is part detective game after all!

Think of them like a collective of various Assassin's Creed mission archetypes: there's several facets to it. Some Judgment sections are in first-person, requiring you to identify targets or take photos of suspects, most of which aren't particularly engaging (one very early on asks you to identify someone with "almond-shaped eyes"?). Ultimately it feels more like a time-wasting minigame than anything else.

Then there's the tailing/chase element, which attempts to sidle in some action alongside the already good combat, with mixed results. The tailing element flat-out sucks most of the time, as targets predictably walk for 15-20 seconds at a time, casually look back, then go about their way. Thankfully these only last a few minutes and aren't super frequent, but again, they feel superfluous and could have just been done by way of a cutscene. Tailing and escort missions have had a stigma for decades a?nd nothing is done to shirk that here. 

Chases, on the other hand, are a bit more fun. If you're a fan of old-school Shenmue-style chases, you're in luck, as even the QTEs come to roost here. Some of you might be throwing up in your mouth a bit but this is totally my jam. Then there's "chaining" smart/clever dialogue choices (that get to the point), presenting correct evidence to a suspect, and drone (called the "Pidgeon") survey missions, all of which add a more unique layer to Judgment that actually benefits the storytelling.

It's give-and-take, and you can clearly see the developer's intention to wildly exp?eriment as you play along. I'm not the kind of person where a few minutes at a time will "completely ruin a huge 30- to 40-hour game," but a few of the aforementioned errands are markedly annoying and overly sim?plistic. Once you confront your quarry and shit goes down, it gets interesting again.

The detective gameplay might be touch and go, but you also get the benefits of the hard-boiled/noir angle from a narrative perspective (complete with that classic detective reflection voiceover). Then there's the prospect of working for your ?old law firm again that throws a legal aspect into the mix, all without getting too convoluted and keeping the focus on fighting, action, and the c??ity of Tokyo as one of the most prevalent cast members.

Plus, it's affable. You can decorate your tiny office, play records, go buy eccentric food on the streets of Kamurocho (KabukichÅ), Tokyo, and of course, embark upon minigame adventures. I'll spend a lot of time just walking around in first-person mode, buying coffee. Old-school arcade machines (with playable classics like Fantasy Zone, Puyo Puyo, Fighting Vipers, and Virtua Fighter 5, plus originals like the lightgun shooter Kamuro of the Dead). Oh, and Yu Suzuki must have it in his contract that Space Harrier should be in everything ever.

Add on a healthy dollop of dating and friendship missions and you have a winning formula for time-wasti??ng. This world just straight-up feels lived-in. When your partner dropkicks three goons into oblivion, you'll feel a rush. The same goes for calling in a local convenience store owner for support in a fight with an EX action after befriending them. There's an NPC I call the "stray cat king" that takes care of wild animals. The detective angle doesn't sour the absurdity of it all. Dual audio is always appreciated, but like other games that take place in Tokyo, Japanese dialogue adds a degree of authenticity to it all.

I appreciate that the Yakuza studio wanted to try something different with Judgment, even if the biggest deviations are the absence of the bankable character Kazuma Kiryu and the addition of some detective busywork. Given that said work is typically brief, this is an easy one to recommend t?o Ryu Ga Gotoku acolytes and folks with patience.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by ???the publisher.]}

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Sadly, no heat actions

To promote the release of Judgment next month, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have teamed up with Escape Room LA to create a limited-time Judgment escape room. Running from June 30 until July 13, "The Detective" room will feature elements from Judgment and brand new dialogue recorded by the English voice cast. Players will be tasked with collecting clues, tracking down suspects, and crackin??g Yagami's case before disaster strikes!

You can pre-order tickets from Escape Room LA's website now. Slots will be limited, so if you'll be in the area and have an interest in attending, make sure to reserve your spot now. Weekda?y tickets will run ??you $33 while weekend ones go for $39. The game will feature 12 people and will run for approximately 60 minutes, so plan accordingly.

As a reminder, Judgment will be releasing f?or PS4 on June 25, 2019. Digital pre-orders wi??ll grant you four-day early-access to the game on June 21, 2019.

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Justice is blind

Out of the blue, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios have shown off the new look for Judgment character Kyohei Hamura. Originally played by Pierre Taki, Hamura underwent a redesign after the actor was arrested for alleged cocaine use. Sega made the decision to pull the game from Japanese store shelves, a choice which left the Western release in question. While the game ended up not being delayed, I'm surprised at how q??uickly Sega was able to cast and ani??mate a new actor.

In the trailer below, you can catch the first glimpse of Hamura's redesign in action. From a distance, it's honestly quite hard to tell the two apart. Since the trailer uses the English v??oice-over, I'm curious as to what his Japanese actor will sound like. It would be quite eerie if Sega somehow found Taki's doppelganger.

RGG Studio [Twitter]

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Talk of sequel not happening

During a live stream event yesterday, Sega's chief creative officer Toshihiro Nagoshi spoke about Judgment and the recent scandal with Pierre Taki. Starting things off on a positive note, Judgment has sold through 97% of its worldwide stock, though a lot of that was a last-minute surge after the news with Taki. Nagoshi was glad for those numbers, but jokingly stated, "Why di??dn't you just buy from the start?"

Regarding Taki, Nagoshi was surprised to hear he was arrested. After hearing the news, Nagoshi was reading details on Yahoo! Japan while his phone was being constantly rung. Soon after, discussions as for what course of action to take began. The team decided fairly quickly to halt sales of Judgment, though it ultimately came down to a vote.

As Nagoshi said, "There is no correct way to deal with the situation." He then explained how some of the team expressed to him that stopping sales was going too far and unrelated to the game, which Nagoshi did stress isn't unreasonable. "I can see i?t from both sides. When it comes to why I voted for halting sales, it's because it was just after release. If it was an older game released a considerable amount of time ago, our priorities may have been different."

Going further, Nagoshi elaborated, "Just because you use a celebrity, it doesn't mean that these kinds of situations are easy to get into at all. Even if our own staff crosses a dangerous bridge, these kinds of things could happen—it is not just celebrities. If you do something bad, you have to take responsibility." Needless to say, any sequel to Judgment will ??not be featuring Taki or his character in i??t.

As for a sequel, there are currently no plans for such at Sega. Apparently, news was breaking that Judgment 2 and 3 were being written, but Nagoshi squashed those rumors. "Who the hell?" he laughingly said. "They're talking nonsense; absolutely none of that is true." I wouldn't doubt some kind of follow??-up releases in the future, but it isn't happening just yet.

While I'm still torn over the decision to cut Taki from Judgment, at least Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios is seeing some success with its latest game. The team deserves more success after the last decade of producing quality games. I hope they can eventually get back to creating more experiences like Binary Domain instead of focusing solely on Yakuza.

Judgment sold-through about 97 percent of stock, repo??rts of sequels inaccurat??e [Gematsu]

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Justice is Blind

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Judgment will be heading to the West on June 25, 2019, Sega announced today. Physical copies of the game will include a reversible cover while digital copies will get early access to the title on June 21, 2019. You can currently pre-order the game on Amazon.com for $58.77, which wi??ll knock off a few bucks should you intend ??to grab it on day one.

As for my thoughts on the game, why not check out the preview I wrote last week? I think Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios is heading in a good direction after the Yakuza titles and I'm eager to ??see the final thing. Hopefully, all those tailing missions don't end up being a big detractor.

Wairo64 [Twitter]

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Complete with English dub!

[Update: The main man behind Yakuza's localization, Scott Strichart, confirmed on Twitter that Judgment will not only contain dual audio, but dual subtitles. What this means is that the English dub will have a set of subtitles specific to it and the Japanese audio will contain a translation more faithful to the original script. That sounds absolutely ?incredible.]

The teased Yakuza announcement for the Kinda Funny Games Showcase ended up being a release window and new trailer for the previously titled Project JUDGE. Now going by the name Judgment, the game will be heading West in summer 2?019 complete with an English dub! It isn't even a bad dub, either!

You can catch a glimpse of the new voice work in the trailer below, but I'm happy we'll be playing it within the next few months. I could always go for another spin in Kamurocho and the recently released Japanese demo of Judgment was awesome, so I'm excited!

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