Lost Judgment

Lore & Background

Lost Judgment is set in December 2021, three years after the events of Judgment. The player controls Takayuki Yagami as he explores the Japanese districts of Kamurochō in Tokyo and Isezaki Ijincho in Yokohama, which are recreations of the real-life Kabukichō and Isezakichō districts. Yagami can switch between three fighting styles in battle: the crowd-control Crane style, the one-on-one Tiger style, and the newly added Snake style for counterattacking and disarming enemies. A fourth style, Boxing, is available through the School Stories DLC pack.

The game features stealth segments, platforming segments, and tailing missions where Yagami chases suspects. New to Lost Judgment is the Detective Dog, a Shiba Inu named Ranpo whom Yagami can take on walks to find hidden items or track suspects via their scent. The game also includes a School Stories system, where Seiryo High School's Mystery Research Club president Kyoko Amasawa requests Yagami investigate and assist other clubs and students. Side missions include coaching a dance team, building robots, motorcycle racing, and boxing training. The player has access to emulations of classic Sega games at Club Sega arcades and Master System games in Yagami's office.

Yagami's partner Masaharu Kaito appears as a playable character via downloadable content, using two fighting styles: Bruiser and Tank. Sega stated that Kaito's story campaign lasts roughly 10 hours.

Reader's Guide

Lost Judgment received positive reviews from critics, with the plot generally praised for handling multiple controversial subjects in a serious manner, though the pacing and style received mixed responses. Yagami and the cast were well received. The gameplay was praised, particularly the new improved fighting styles, but the stealth and parkour moves were often noted to be poorly developed. The game builds on the action sequences from the first game while revising its stealth elements. Downloadable content in the form of new sidequests and a story expansion focused on Yagami's partner Masaharu Kaito was also released. Major Japanese voice actors include the returning Takuya Kimura as Yagami and newcomers Hiroshi Tamaki as Soma and Koji Yamamoto as Kuwana, whose characters rival Yagami as the writers wanted their stories to explore the subject of bullying and whether Yagami has the power to stop it.

Did You Know?

• Lost Judgment was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on September 24, 2021.
• The game features a Shiba Inu named Ranpo that can be called to help find hidden items and clues.
• Yagami uses three fighting styles in the base game: Crane, Tiger, and Snake.
• The Kaito Files expansion adds a playable Masaharu Kaito with Bruiser and Tank fighting styles.