Lost Judgment

Presentation

Lost Judgment reunites players with Takayuki Yagami two years after the events of Judgment. Still working as a private detective alongside Masaharu Kaito, he leaves Kamurocho for an investigation that takes him mainly to Isezaki Ijincho in Yokohama, where a high school becomes the starting point for a much larger case.

Assigned to discreetly investigate suspected bullying at Seiryo High School, Yagami gradually uncovers links to a murder whose main suspect appears to have a perfect alibi. The investigation therefore expands on the legal themes of the first game by confronting revenge, trauma and the limits of a justice system that cannot always provide answers for victims.

Detective work remains at the heart of the experience, but gains new possibilities. Tailing, clue gathering and questioning return, while Yagami can now make greater use of gadgets, infiltration and acrobatic movement to reach certain locations or observe targets.

Combat remains fully real-time and now revolves around three styles. Crane favors mobility and fights against multiple opponents, while Tiger focuses its power on a single target.

The new Snake style instead emphasizes parries, disarming techniques and using an enemy's force against them. It provides a more defensive approach and allows Yagami to control certain opponents more precisely, complementing rather than replacing the two styles from the first game.

Seiryo High School also becomes the center of the School Stories. Yagami acts as an outside advisor to the Mystery Research Club in order to approach different groups of students and understand a series of incidents linked to a mysterious figure known as the Professor.

These stories create a second narrative thread focused on the students and their problems, while introducing activities tied to the different school clubs. They give the school a genuine place in exploration rather than using it only as a backdrop for the main investigation.

The game is divided between Isezaki Ijincho and Kamurocho, allowing players to revisit the setting of the first game while exploring the much larger district introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Side Cases, residents and secondary activities continue to accompany the investigation without taking away from the game's identity as a crime thriller.

The overall experience therefore deepens the formula of Judgment: more space, more varied combat and richer investigation mechanics, but still centered on Yagami and his search for a truth capable of standing up to both lies and the desire for revenge.

Key points

• A direct sequel to Judgment centered on Takayuki Yagami.
• An investigation mainly set in Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama.
• Seiryo High School plays a central role in the story.
• A narrative built around bullying, revenge and the limits of justice.
• Expanded investigation mechanics with infiltration, gadgets and parkour.
• Three combat styles: Crane, Tiger and Snake.
• The new Snake style focuses on parries, disarming and counterattacks.
• School Stories develop a parallel storyline around students and school clubs.
• Kamurocho also remains accessible.
• A structure combining investigation, action and Side Cases in direct continuity with the first game.

Conclusion

Lost Judgment preserves the investigative identity of Judgment while expanding its core systems. The addition of the Snake style enriches combat without changing its foundations, while infiltration and freer movement give investigations more variety.

Seiryo High School adds a new dimension to the story. The School Stories create more room for students and their problems, while the main case uses bullying and its consequences to question the difference between legality, revenge and justice.

By connecting these two dimensions across Yokohama and Kamurocho, the sequel expands Yagami's world without losing the legal-thriller tone that distinguishes the Judgment series from other Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio productions.

Good to know

Lost Judgment was developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by SEGA.

The game was released worldwide on September 24, 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

A PC version via Steam was later released on September 14, 2022.

The story takes place around two years after Judgment and brings back Takayuki Yagami, Masaharu Kaito and several other characters from the first game.

Takuya Kimura returns as Yagami in the Japanese version, while Greg Chun once again provides his English voice.

The game adds the Snake combat style to the Crane and Tiger styles already present in Judgment.

A separate story expansion, The Kaito Files, allows players to control Masaharu Kaito in a story set after the main campaign. It has its own mechanics and is not part of Yagami's base-game story.

This entry focuses on the main campaign and core systems of Lost Judgment, without including content specific to its DLC.