Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment is the sequel to the detective spin-off Judgment, in which Takayuki Yagami and his colleagues from the Yagami Detective Agency head to two cities at once - Kamurocho and the new district of Isezaki Ijincho, based on the real city of Yokohama. The main story revolves around a school bullying case that gradually uncovers a much wider and darker web of motives reaching into one character's past. The game isn't afraid to tackle sensitive topics like bullying or suicide and treats them more seriously than most entertainment titles from the same studio.

The combat system builds on the first game and adds a third style focused on fighting multiple opponents at once with a weapon resembling a bo staff, giving the player three distinct approaches to combat depending on the situation. New detective mechanics include motorcycle chases, diving, and an extensive school club system, in which Yagami helps students with their extracurricular activities, from dance to a detective club. Both cities are densely packed with side quests and minigames, so the game offers dozens of hours of content beyond the main story, including separate smaller narrative branches tied to individual school clubs.

On PlayStation 4, Lost Judgment runs somewhat more demandingly than its predecessor due to the greater density of detail across two cities at once, yet it remains smooth and on par graphically with other titles built on the Dragon Engine, with striking cinematic cutscenes during key fights. Critics praised especially the ambition of the storytelling and the willingness to tackle serious topics, as well as the level of detail in both game cities, which places the game among the high points of the entire spin-off series. Like the first game, Lost Judgment later disappeared from digital storefronts due to a licensing issue, so a physical or previously purchased PS4 copy remains one of the sure ways to get hold of it.

Why play it: For fans of ambitious storytelling and two intricately detailed cities, Lost Judgment is the high point of the spin-off series, and after being pulled from stores, the physical PS4 version remains one of the sure ways to get hold of it.