Sega has finally made Judgment and its sequel, Lost Judgment, available for PC. These are some of the best action games with slight investigative elements from the Yakuza (now Like a Dragon) studio, Ryu Ga Gotoku. These games were unavailable on PC, even though the original Judgment was remastered for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, while the sequel was released on the last and current-generation consoles.
The Judgment Collection is a bundle that includes the series’ two primary games: Judgment and Lost Judgment. The Kaito Files, an important downloadable expansion for Lost Judgment, has also been included. Given the length of these games, this bundle represents excellent value for money. Judgment can take between 30 and 40 hours to complete, while Lost Judgment takes a comparable amount of time. We’re not even talking about finishing the extra stuff, which will take a lot longer. The Kaito Files will bring another 10 hours to the game as well as a significant amount of additional content.
Takayuki Yagami, a former attorney turned detective, is the lead protagonist of the series. Yagami decides to become a private detective after a series of bad events. The story takes place in the Kamurocho district, which many of us would recognize from the Yakuza series. For what it’s worth, there are numerous parallels between Judgment and Yakuza, and most of them are handled effectively. While the setting is the same and the gameplay is similar, unexpected twists to the narrative make it far more intriguing than a usual Yakuza game.
In Lost Judgment, Yagami continues his career as a private investigator. The game takes place three years after the events of its predecessor, introducing a fresh plotline for Yagami to explore. Because the story revolves around a school, the sequel contains a lot more side content. New characters, as well as new gaming features, are added. The game’s visuals haven’t been greatly improved, but it still looks good. In reality, both games have nearly identical system requirements and graphic options.
Finally, the Kaito Files downloadable content is included in this bundle. This one revolves around Masaharu Kaito, Takayuki Yagami’s sidekick. While Yagami does not play a main part in this plot, the focus is on Kaito, who has a distinct gameplay style. Some of the gameplay mechanics are rehashed, but Kaito’s personality shines through the story’s different twists and turns. This is a more lighthearted take on the Judgment series and a fun side experiment to play after the first two games. This downloadable content is accessible immediately from Lost Judgment and does not need you to complete the main story.
I won’t go into detail about any of these games because we’ve already talked about them in our reviews. You may learn more about Judgment by reading our review of the PS5 version, and you can also learn more about Lost Judgment through our review. Overall, both of these games are outstanding and offer something distinct to fans of action-oriented Yakuza games. Needless to say, the Judgment series remains a good option now that the primary Yakuza titles have changed to turn-based combat.
Concerning the PC port, I tested it on an average PC equipped with a GTX 1650 and a 12th Generation i5. Surprisingly, the game runs quite smoothly, and I was able to set most settings on high and play at 1080p at 60 frames per second. The flexibility to choose between AMD FSR 1.0 and 2.0 is really useful for people who have a low-spec PC or want to run the games on something like a Steam Deck.
The Judgment Collection is a wonderful bundle that provides about 100 hours of entertainment. If you’ve been playing the Yakuza games on PC, this one’s a no-brainer. The pricing feels a touch high, but there is fantastic value for money here. The Kaito Files expansion is a wonderful starting point for individuals who have already played the games on consoles and want to get the PC version.
To summarise, you can’t go wrong with these games. The PC port is also really decent, so you can play it even on a low-spec machine. FSR support is fantastic, with a variety of presets, and a plethora of customization options available on PC if you want to crank the game to the limit. If you want to run these games on an SSD, be prepared to download a whopping 100 GB for the entire package. It’s over an hour for each 1 GB, so that’s fantastic, right?
The Judgment Collection Game Information
- Price: $98.87
- Publisher: Sega
- Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
