Lost Judgment

With the mainline Yakuza series having morphed into a turn-based RPG franchise, the Judgment series that spun out of it has picked up the action torch, boasting flashy combat and a gritty story in the fictionalised Tokyo of Kamurocho.

Once again you slip into the sneakers of pavement-pounding private detective Takayuki Yagami with his partner, ex-yazuka Masaharu Kaito, in tow. The pair are investigating what appears to be the perfect crime, with their main suspect already in court for a very public offence committed elsewhere. It begins as a tale of revenge, but as numerous factions get involved and the bodies pile up a conspiracy emerges and Yagami must choose between upholding the law and enacting justice.

Combat here is fast and freeform, offering players the change to master the

Crane, Tiger, and the new Snake stances in one-on-one and one-on-many hand to hand fights. It's all about ebb and flow, returning opponents' strikes to use their own strength against them.

Combat is complemented by Phoenix Wright style investigations involving gadgets, stealth and crafty infiltration.

It's really the story, and of course the streets of Kamurocho, that are the star of the show though. Lost Judgment is a dark journey into the underbelly of a fictionalised Tokyo that you won't soon forget.