When Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio suddenly decided to turn the Yakuza franchise into an RPG with turn-based combat, some wondered what the company was thinking. But not only did Yakuza: Like a Dragon prove a success, but the spin-off Judgment series has reinvigorated the fanbase of Yakuza and delivered a refreshing action-focused experience. Sequel Lost Judgment is highly anticipated, but it's the game's director and lead actor who may be most excited for its release.
On Thursday, Sega released a special 8-minute video featuring a behind-the-scenes interview with Lost Judgment general director Toshihiro Nagoshi and lead actor Takuya Kimura. The interview delves into a variety of exciting information about Lost Judgment, including the reveal of a variety of gameplay. Kimura also provides his thoughts regarding all the new reveals, which are often either befuddled or excited about what he's seeing and/or playing.
RELATED: Lost Judgment PS5 Gameplay Trailer Shows Off Action and Activities
For example, there's a glimpse at a section of Lost Judgment where the player is in a Japanese high school. It's part of his ongoing investigation, since he's a detective. The gameplay shows protagonist Takayuki Yagami dealing with high school bullies, as well as participating in high school club activities. Kimura talks about how fun his role in this section was, but also questions director Nagoshi's creativity, asking whether he was "drunk" when he came up with all of the content in this part of Lost Judgment.
In the next part of the video, Nagoshi reveals how Lost Judgment will allow the player to explore the Japanese city of Yokohama. Kimura asks about how difficult it must be to create a realistic recreation of Yokohama, which Nagoshi admits isn't easy. The trailer then switches to a gameplay clip in which Yagami pulls a skateboard out of his pocket and does a trick off of a ramp. Kimura mentions how you would probably be arrested if you tried to do that in real life.
Other sections of the video include a new Sega Master System in Yagami's detective agency, a section on combat in which Kimura repeatedly grimaces as Yagami takes damage and beats up his enemies, an introduction to several side-characters, minigames like boxing, and Kimura's general impressions of Lost Judgment.
The release of the behind-the-scenes video with Takuya Kimura is especially curious. A report in the past week claimed that Kimura's talent agency is blocking Sega from releasing the Judgment games on PC. As such, this could just be poor timing, as Judgment players are quite angry about the situation, or it could be a way to try and smooth over the controversy. Regardless, anticipation for Lost Judgment is likely to remain high.
Lost Judgment releases on September 24 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: Lost Judgment's Complicated PC Release Issues Explained