Every month its port (or several) on new generation consoles. The interests are plural for the publishers: to offer a better version of the title, to introduce new players to the license, and to convince the happy owners of PS5 and Xbox Series to check out, thanks to a catalog that is slowly expanding, but surely. End of April is Judgment which has invited itself to the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft (and Google Stadia). Almost 2 years after its release on its PS4, and a few days before the SEGA event, formalizing the continuation of the work, with an opus entitled Lost Judgment, to be released on September 24... And, a first for a title Ryû ga Gotoku Studio, worldwide release! A great consecration for this studio, which finds favor in the eyes of Western players since the arrival of French localizations on Yakuza: Like a Dragon and on the game of the day: Judgment.
A former lawyer, Yagami has become a private detective... rather handsome!
This spin-off of the Yakuza series allows us to embody Takayuki Yagami, a handsome former lawyer, having decided to leave the bar - eaten up with guilt - after clearing a client who committed a despicable crime once exonerated. After a time ellipse, we find our protagonist become a private detective, and looking for small business here and there to be able to earn his crust. Quickly, we will find ourselves projected into a long-term investigation, spanning a dozen chapters. In addition to this main scenario extending over thirty hours, you can count on the many secondary missions of the game to easily double the lifespan... And if you feel like a completionist, you must be close to the hundred hours. Enough to make the work profitable and know Kamurochô by heart (strongly inspired by the red-light district of Tokyo, Kabukichō), the district where the game takes place.
As very often with studio titles, we are faced with a story featuring the Yakuza, and even if I found it less significant than in Yakuza, the studio manages to mix tough, serious and intense dialogues with other lighter sketches to free the mind a little - especially in its secondary missions and in the meetings of friends, small events where we help a person to befriend. You can also count on various additional activities such as arcades to relax after a few well-paced fights with some local thugs.
The fights can sometimes be a bit messy!
Because yes, where Yakuza has embarked on an assumed RPG turn with its latest opus to date, Judgment remains on the combat system present since the beginning of the series Yakuza : Beat'em Up. Don't expect to see your enemies transform into goofy characters before your eyes. Here, you will have to deal with local thugs, the local underworld or the many Yakuzas who will very often come in large numbers to confront you. Fortunately, our detective is an athletic man who masters martial arts like no other. Depending on the opponents, you will have to choose between two combat styles: the crane style, effective against groups of enemies and requiring a lot of flexibility, or the tiger posture, which allows you to inflict heavy damage on a enemy, but which makes it a little less maneuverable and leaves you more exposed against enemy blows. We can (and should) lean on the surrounding decor to jump against a wall and perform a high-kick with the most beautiful effect, or even pick up a cone (or a bicycle, for the wildest) to smash the face of the thugs that we face.
No level system here, but each mission and each fight will bring a few skill points, allowing Yagami to be permanently improved, so that he can progress as the game becomes more complex. The contribution of Judgment comes from Yagami's profession, which will sometimes have to spin characters. You will have to hide in the background so as not to be spotted, or run after him when he flees. It will finally happen that we investigate by analyzing its environment or a photo that we have been shown to reveal all the secrets. These passages are not very complex but bring a welcome diversity to the whole. However, I hope that the sequel will go further in the ideas, because sometimes we look more like a castagneur who plays the observer, rather than the reverse!
The PS5 port is thinner and more fluid but unfortunately retains a bit of aliasing
And if not this portage, what is it worth? Well, well, well, we're on a pretty decent port, timidly exploiting the next-gen but taking advantage of its few benefits: 4K and 60FPS served on a silver platter, with loading times reduced to a skin grief. The game engine takes the opportunity to deploy its full potential, the faces are strikingly realistic, despite some somewhat rigid animations. On the environment side, it's a bit less glorious, we find aliasing here and there and unsightly textures remain. Also, while I personally appreciate this, the overall colorimetry of the title is cooler on PS5 than it was on PS4.
Whether you discover or rediscover Judgment, you can very clearly go there with your eyes closed. For those who wish to discover the formula of the studio, it is a perfect entry point. Engaging story, punchy gameplay, French localization (subtitles), everything is there for you to immerse yourself in this oh so fascinating universe. Note: whether or not you have the PS4 version at home, you will necessarily have to go back to checkout, as the upgrade is not on the program.
- PlayStation 4 - 59,99€
- PlayStation 4 - 39,99€
