Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced Lost Judgment, a sequel to the 2018 detective thriller Judgment and another spinoff of the Yakuza series.
This news comes after Sega teased the upcoming game extensively, leading up to a leak on the PlayStation Store last night. Lost Judgment is planned to launch worldwide on September 24 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
The game was revealed during a showcase that featured a lengthy discussion with RGG Studio’s key staff members, including executive director Toshihiro Nagoshi. Check out Lost Judgment’s announcement trailer below.
Like the first game, Lost Judgment stars protagonist Takayuki Yagami, a detective tasked with investigating a murder in Tokyo. Based on the trailer, this sequel will include many twists and turns. It will also feature an open world, with different locales such as Yokohama and downtown Tokyo. Players will utilize stealth mechanics to get through various encounters.
As explained during the game’s announcement, Lost Judgement keeps the same real-time combat from the first entry. This is notable because the recent Yakuza: Like a Dragon was the first installment in the series to implement a turn-based combat system — which garnered critical praise from fans. The core Yakuza will be turn-based going forward, while Judgment will continue with real-time action combat in future installments.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio told IGN that “the Yakuza series has been transformed into a turn-based RPG. On the other hand, over the year, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has accumulated resources and know-how of making flashy and exhilarating action games that are effortless to enjoy. We decided that we should let our signature action gameplay live on through Lost Judgment.”
