Ryu Ga Gotoku is putting the finishing touches on their next thriller, Lost Judgment.
Back in May, we brought you the news that Ryu Ga Gotoku has made the hugely successful Judgment, previously just a spin-off of the Yakuza series, into a separate franchise.
Since May, however, not only has there been more details and gameplay showcased from the developers, but also controversy surrounding lead actor Takuya Kimura (native language voice of Takayuki Yagami), a former Japanese boyband member.
In a nutshell, the controversy revolves around Johnny’s (the talent agency that represents Takuya Kimura) having a disagreement with SEGA regarding the game appearing on PC as opposed to just console, due to how easy it is to copy or modify the appearance of the character, both voiced by and styled on the actual likeness of Mr Kimura. If they can not work out their differences, it could potentially spell an end for the series after just two games, despite Kimura expressing his desire to continue voicing the character.
Forever the optimists, we hope the two parties can sort out their differences, as this is a series Ryu Ga Gotoku and SEGA have worked hard on and frankly, it deserves more.
Ryu Ga Gotoku also has the long-running Yakuza series in its library, which was famed for its brawling, fighting, and hilarious and over the top action gameplay. Yakuza: Like a Dragon, however, moved away from this system in favour of a turn-based approach for combat, while at the same time confirming that the Judgment series would take over the real-time brawler system for the foreseeable future. For those fans who have followed the Yakuza series, this was a shocking revelation, but Ryu Ga Gotoku backed this up with confidence in their belief in what the Judgment universe can add to their repertoire.
Taking over as the developers action-brawler crown jewels is no mean feat, however judging by the gameplay footage, and many other exciting gameplay aspects the new game will have to offer, the classy studio no doubt will knock the proverbial ball out of the park with Lost Judgment.
New gameplay aspects for Lost Judgment include a dance rhythm game, a robotics club, a boxing gym, biker gang races, skateboarding, casino, photography, Paradise VR, drone racing and the ubiquitous (and slightly uncomfortable, given modern sensibilities) girls bar. Each of these aspects has its own gameplay mechanics that look spectacular and fun to experience.
Ryu Ga Gotoku is the king of building game worlds that you want to spend time in. With the power of the new-gen consoles and a company confident in their product, it’s thrilling to see what exciting advances they have made, not only in the graphical fidelity, but also the next-gen power, and with the PS5, utilisation of the controller’s haptic feedback during gameplay.
What is the main draw to Lost Judgment, and why should you be excited about its arrival on our gaming consoles?
Despite the glamorous distractions, at its heart, the game will feature a gritty, emotional, gut-wrenching yet compelling detective story that was showcased in a recently released trailer from SEGA.
The writing from this team is always a highlight of each of their games, and we are expecting nothing less from Lost Judgment. However it’s not just the writing, the actors themselves bring the whole experience to life. Even the English dub is of a very high standard, featuring established and recognisable actors to the roles.
With all this talent in creating gameplay brilliance, cinematic execution, authentic and engrossing scriptwriting, and brilliant acting, isn’t it about time Ryu Ga Gotoku finally got their due consideration for the end of year gaming awards?
Lost Judgment is out now for PS4/5 and Xbox One/Series X|S
