The Yakuza series has enjoyed a boost in popularity in the West as of late, with the series even spawning a fully localized spin-off called Judgement. Judgement was revealed at TGS 2018 and later released worldwide in June 2019 complete with English voice acting, something uncommon for the Yakuza series up to that point.
Judgement was received fairly well by both fans and critics, with many praising its ability to craft its own unique identity while still staying true to its Yakuza series roots. Now, fans of the Yakuza spinoff may have something special to look forward to, as one industry insider claims that a reliable source has given information that confirms a sequel to Judgement is in development over at Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio.
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The rumor comes by way of Tojodojo.com, a gaming website dedicated to all things surrounding the Yakuza series. Apparently, after SEGA trademarked the term "Lost Judgement" Tojo Dojo was told by a source not to dismiss the trademark as being unrelated to 2018's Yakuza spin-off Judgement, despite the game being called "Judge Eyes" in Japan. Now, Tojo Dojo claims the team has spoken with a reliable source who provided proof, which ended up being substantial enough for the team to break the story. However, it's always important to note that this is still a rumor at the end of the day, so fans should take this information with healthy skepticism until an official reveal is made.
According to Tojo Dojo's source, the "Lost Judgement" trademark was referring to the sequel's working title, with another working title being "Judgement: Seize the Truth." Additionally, the source claims that both Takayuki Yagami, the game's protagonist, and Kaito Masaharu, Yagami's best friend and partner at the Yagami Detective Agency, will return for the sequel. This is big news if it turns out to be true, considering Yagami is modeled after the real-world Japanese actor Takuya Kimura. However, there is still room for a bit of concern considering some players may be more interested in a sequel to the latest entry in the Yakuza series.
Still, a sequel to Judgement would be very welcome, especially if the spin-off stayed with the series' traditional action combat. Since the latest entry in the series, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, made the bold choice to break away from the series action combat roots in favor of a turn-based JRPG combat system, it would be nice for fans to see the action combat return for the spin-off series. While the JRPG combat system worked surprisingly well for Yakuza, it would be nice to have another entry with action combat again even if it's a spin-off series.
Additionally, Judgement is one of the best Yakuza games despite being a spin-off, so it would be a treat to go back and visit the cast in a sequel. Judgement's story was largely very serious and dramatic, and this rumor makes it sound like the game will keep that darker tone intact. With any luck, this rumor turns out to be true, and Judgement fans will get to see how detective Yagami's story continues on from here.
Judgement is available now exclusively on PS4.
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Source: Tojodojo.com