Lost Judgment

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of Lost Judgment are quite diverse. Many critics praise the game for its handling of heavy themes such as bullying, suicide, and sexual assault. Hey Poor Player commends the game for its ability to balance lighthearted moments with dark twists, while CGMagazine highlights the exploration of justice and the struggles of the protagonist, Yagami. Comicbook.com, on the other hand, expresses disappointment with the story, citing pacing problems. On the negative side, But Why Tho? criticizes the handling of the sexual assault plotline, finding it gratuitous and missing the mark at times. Game Informer also points out mishandling of sexual assault, which casts a shadow over the rest of the playthrough. Video Chums mentions that the story starts slow and takes a long time to become interesting. TheSixthAxis describes the story as messy and all over the place. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the story of Lost Judgment tackles heavy and important subject matter with varying degrees of success. It is praised for its exploration of themes such as bullying, suicide, and justice, with some critics mentioning the thought-provoking and uncomfortable nature of the narrative. The intriguing and complex nature of the story is also acknowledged by critics such as Softpedia and Worth Playing. However, there are criticisms regarding pacing issues, mishandling of certain plotlines, and a lack of personal connection for the protagonist. Despite these flaws, the majority of critics find the story engaging, compelling, and capable of delivering emotional moments and surprises.

In analyzing the opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of Lost Judgment, it is evident that there are both positive and negative aspects highlighted by the reviewers. Starting with the positives, several critics praised the combat system in Lost Judgment. Hey Poor Player, Game Informer, and Pure Xbox all mentioned that the combat is fluid, fast-paced, and enjoyable. They appreciated the inclusion of different fighting styles, such as Crane, Tiger, and Snake, which added variety and depth to the gameplay. The range of combat maneuvers and the ability to switch between styles were also commended by DualShockers and Player 2. Additionally, the inclusion of brutal heat actions and the refinement of the combat system were mentioned by Game Informer and COGconnected as highlights of the gameplay. Moving on to the negatives, some critics expressed concerns about certain aspects of the gameplay. But Why Tho? and Siliconera mentioned that the new stealth and parkour mechanics, as well as skateboarding, felt unoriginal and unnecessary. The implementation of stealth and parkour was criticized by Game Informer and Slant Magazine, who found it to be poorly implemented and tedious. Shacknews also felt that the hand-to-hand combat felt dated compared to other games in the genre. Additionally, Comicbook.com and Metro GameCentral mentioned that the gameplay lacked variety and ambition, feeling overly familiar and predictable compared to previous games. Taking into account the overall consensus of the critics, it is clear that the gameplay of Lost Judgment received mixed reviews. While the combat system was generally praised for its fluidity and variety, the new mechanics such as stealth and parkour received criticism for their implementation. The inclusion of different fighting styles and the refinement of the combat system were seen as positive aspects by multiple critics. However, the lack of innovation and variety in gameplay, as well as the dated feel of certain aspects, were mentioned as drawbacks. Overall, the gameplay of Lost Judgment seems to have improved upon the traditional Yakuza style, but with some areas that could have been executed better, according to the critics' opinions.

In terms of the graphics and visual design of Lost Judgment, the majority of critics had positive opinions. The game was praised for its highly detailed characters and world, with authentic clothing and realistic environments, as mentioned by COGconnected and Shacknews. The landscapes of Kamurocho and Isezaki Ijincho were particularly highlighted as visually appealing and a joy to explore, with Destructoid noting that the development team recreated the cities with authentic knick-knacks. The graphics were described as colorful, pin-sharp, and rich in culture by DualShockers, with staggeringly realistic character designs. The game's graphics were also commended for being impressive, especially on the PlayStation 5, as mentioned by Impulsegamer. The vibrant visuals of Yokohama and Kamurocho were particularly praised, along with the detailed and realistic character models. However, there were some negative opinions regarding the graphics and visual design of Lost Judgment. Some critics, such as Metro GameCentral and Softpedia, mentioned that there were many reused assets in the game, which made it feel more like an expansion pack rather than a separate game. Softpedia also noted that while some scenes were gorgeous and detailed, others lacked finesse. The visual style was consistent with the Yakuza series, but close-up scenes during dialogues could have been improved, according to Softpedia. Overall, the consensus among critics is that Lost Judgment has impressive graphics and visual design. The game received praise for its highly detailed characters, realistic environments, and vibrant visuals. The recreation of Kamurocho and Isezaki Ijincho was particularly commended, with critics enjoying the exploration and attention to detail in the cities. While there were some criticisms regarding reused assets and certain scenes lacking finesse, the overall sentiment leans towards positive opinions about the graphics and visual design of Lost Judgment.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Sound Design and Music of Lost Judgment are mostly positive. App Trigger and COGconnected both praise the voice acting in the game, with App Trigger specifically highlighting the fantastic voice acting in both English and Japanese. But Why Tho? and Shacknews also commend the English and Japanese voice acting options, emphasizing their quality during serious moments. This consistent praise for the voice acting suggests that the performances effectively bring the characters to life and enhance the overall experience of the game. In terms of the music, DualShockers notes that the somber and reflective music contrasts with the upbeat buddy-cop cutscenes, creating a nuanced tone. This indicates that the music successfully sets the mood and adds depth to the game's narrative. Screen Rant mentions that each mini-game in Lost Judgment has its own soundtrack, highlighting the variety and quality of the game's music. However, it is worth noting that Screen Rant does not explicitly mention the overall sound design of the game, which suggests that it may not have stood out as a particularly noteworthy aspect. Noisy Pixel's opinion provides a minor critique regarding the Japanese battle grunts and phrases from NPCs, suggesting that there were some issues with the localization in these aspects. Worth Playing also points out that there are untranslated side dialogues in some mini-games, which can feel weird. These criticisms indicate that there may be occasional inconsistencies or missed opportunities in the sound design and localization of Lost Judgment. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the Sound Design and Music of Lost Judgment are strong. The praise for the voice acting, particularly in both English and Japanese, suggests that it is a standout aspect of the game. The contrasting music and the variety of soundtracks for the mini-games are also appreciated. While there are some minor criticisms regarding localization and untranslated dialogues, these do not overshadow the overall positive reception of the sound design and music in Lost Judgment.

The voice acting in Lost Judgment has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from the critics. Many critics praised both the English and Japanese voice acting, highlighting the fantastic performances that brought the characters to life. App Trigger and But Why Tho? both described the voice acting as excellent and compelling, while CGMagazine specifically mentioned the strong performances by Takuya Kamura and Greg Chun. The voice actors were able to handle the melodrama well, according to CGMagazine, and Softpedia commended the English voice actors for their ability to bring the characters to life even in the most over-the-top moments. The well-acted cutscenes, as mentioned by Game Informer, added to the immersive storytelling experience. The voice acting, particularly for the protagonist Yagami, was also praised by DualShockers for adding to the character's cool-headed persona. Overall, the positive opinions of the critics highlight the high quality and effectiveness of the voice acting in Lost Judgment. While the majority of critics had positive opinions about the voice acting in Lost Judgment, there were no specific negative comments mentioned in the given reviews. This suggests that there were no major flaws or issues with the voice acting that stood out to the critics. The absence of negative feedback indicates that the voice acting was consistently good throughout the game, leaving little room for criticism. In conclusion, the overall consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Lost Judgment is of high quality and greatly enhances the gaming experience. The positive opinions of the majority of the critics, such as COGconnected, Metro GameCentral, and Worth Playing, reinforce the notion that the voice acting in both English and Japanese was well done and brought the characters to life. The lack of negative comments further supports the notion that the voice acting was consistently strong throughout the game. Overall, the voice acting in Lost Judgment has been highly praised and is considered a significant positive aspect of the game.

The opinions of the critics regarding the technical performance of Lost Judgment on different gaming platforms are as follows: For the PlayStation 5 version, the critics generally had positive opinions. The game was praised for its smooth performance and minimal load times. Critics like Destructoid and Impulsegamer specifically mentioned the smoothness and lack of technical issues during their playthroughs. DualShockers highlighted the game's 60 FPS frame rate, which provided fluid control movements. Player 2 also noted the boost to 60fps on the PlayStation 5, contributing to an improved experience. Overall, the PlayStation 5 version of Lost Judgment seems to deliver a solid technical performance, with smooth gameplay and fast loading times. On the other hand, the Xbox Series X version of Lost Judgment received mixed feedback. Pure Xbox mentioned that the game performs similarly to the original game and Yakuza: Like A Dragon on the same platform. While there were options to prioritize resolution or performance, there were a few frame stutters. However, no major technical issues were mentioned. It seems that the technical performance on Xbox Series X is generally satisfactory, but there is room for improvement in terms of frame rate consistency. In terms of the overall consensus, the critics' opinions lean towards positive when it comes to the technical performance of Lost Judgment on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The game was praised for its smoothness, minimal load times, and improved experience on the PlayStation 5. However, there were occasional issues mentioned by some critics, such as collision detection problems and hiccups during cutscenes. Despite these minor drawbacks, the technical performance seems to be solid overall, with no major technical issues reported. The game runs smoothly on both platforms, providing an enjoyable gaming experience. It is worth noting that there were no specific opinions mentioned for the PC version of Lost Judgment, except for The Mako Reactor's comment on discussing the technical performance and stability of the game on PC. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a comprehensive analysis of the technical performance for this platform based on the given information.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Lost Judgment are generally positive. Multiple critics, such as Hey Poor Player, Destructoid, DualShockers, Noisy Pixel, GamesRadar+, Siliconera, Stevivor, Video Chums, Worth Playing, GameSpew, Pure Xbox, and TheSixthAxis, highlight the game's abundance of side quests, activities, and mini-games that provide hours of gameplay and entertainment. These additional content options, including school stories, collectibles, and playable video games, contribute to the game's replay value by offering players a variety of experiences and opportunities for exploration. The presence of seemingly never-ending mini-games and side content, as mentioned by Hey Poor Player, is particularly praised, as it adds depth and longevity to the game. The inclusion of arcade machines and retro games, as noted by TheSixthAxis, also adds to the replay value by appealing to players' nostalgia and providing a different gameplay experience. However, there are some criticisms regarding the replay value of Lost Judgment. Player 2 mentions that the lack of pressure to participate in side stories may result in an oddly paced experience, potentially affecting the game's replayability. Additionally, Player 2 points out that additional content is locked behind DLC, which may limit the overall replay value for some players. Slant Magazine raises concerns about the side stories, describing them as curiously protracted and requiring players to replay certain mini-games multiple times. This repetition may diminish the enjoyment and replayability for some players. Furthermore, Slant Magazine suggests that the detective mechanics are not improved enough to efficiently carry the game, which could potentially impact the overall replay value. Overall, the majority of critics agree that Lost Judgment offers substantial replay value. The game's wide range of side quests, activities, and mini-games, as well as the inclusion of school stories and additional content, provide players with ample opportunities to engage with the game beyond the main story. The positive sentiments expressed by critics such as The Mako Reactor, App Trigger, Comicbook.com, DualShockers, Game Revolution, GamesRadar+, Noisy Pixel, Stevivor, Video Chums, Worth Playing, GameSpew, Pure Xbox, and TheSixthAxis highlight the game's ability to entertain players for hours and keep them engaged. While there are some concerns raised by Player 2 and Slant Magazine regarding pacing, DLC content, and repetitive side stories, the overall consensus is that Lost Judgment offers a satisfying amount of replay value through its diverse range of content and immersive gameplay experiences.