Judgment PS5 Review: Gritty & Gorgeous

The release of a remastered Judgment on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (and Google Stadia) comes at a fortuitous time for the game. While not a mainline entry into the Yakuza franchise, Judgment‘s similarities make it a natural point-of-interest for players craving more deft storytelling after wrapping up Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While the actual mechanics differ greatly, what Judgment does best is a hallmark of developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio: providing players with a unique perspective on the criminal underworld of Japan, all the while creating characters that sparkle amongst the filth of a gritty string of serial murders.

All of that remains in tact in Judgment on PS5, which contains all of the available add-on content alongside the original game and preserves the experience. For those unfamiliar with the game’s concept, Judgment stars Takayuki Yagami, an ex-lawyer-turned-detective who becomes embroiled in a complex plot surrounding a serial killer. One of the game’s greatest strengths is its story and characters, with Yagami the type of protagonist that’s easy to rally behind – something that bleeds into Judgment itself, too, as he gradually surrounds himself with confidants and friends. In particular, side quests and exploration are a draw, though Judgment‘s main story is a little uneven, especially towards its end.

The most noticeable change for Judgment on PS5 is in its graphics. The city of Kamurocho looks flat-out gorgeous, with its dizzying array of neon lights, puddles of stagnant rain water and bustling crowds of people all rendered beautifully. Visually, Judgment excelled in its previous iteration as well, but truly takes advantage of the PS5’s power, harnessing current-gen to make an already appealing aesthetic more eye-popping. For a game with cinematic flair, these upgrades are even more noticeable, and one reason that Judgment on PS5 is the best way to experience the game.

The other major reason is one that’s cited often in reviews of current-gen remasters and ports: load times. Judgment on PS5 loads seamlessly between its cutscenes and environments, barely breaking the rhythm of a game that thrives on its pacing. While it’s expected given the strength of the PS5 SSD and other hardware features, it remains an impressive feature, and one that’s appreciated in a game that regularly swaps between different cutscene angles, gameplay modes, and locations.

While the graphical upgrades and load times do factor into a better experience with Judgment‘s detective modes, they remain fairly basic, and one of the more shallow aspects of an otherwise deep title. Any criticisms of Judgment on PS5 are the same people have had with the game’s original release: detective modes that feel somewhat tacked-on, and a story that doesn’t quite reach the heights that other, pure crime-thriller-type games might have scaled upwards to. It’s a trade-off that more than pays off in Judgment, as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and creates some compelling memories once everything wraps up, but it does make for gameplay that can feel a little too simple when other things, like combat, are done with such detail.

Ultimately, however, Judgment on PS5 is the best version of a great game, with no hiccups in the transition to current-gen consoles and a few exceptional benefits for players to enjoy. Judgment remains, like a crucial discovery in Yagami’s case, strong evidence that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio knows its way around compelling crime narratives in a way few other developers can aspire towards. Like its setting, it’s not perfect in any sense, but also like Kamurocho, the flaws are another reason to get drawn in, and Judgment on PS5 is a must-play for anyone who enjoys a good detective story.

Judgment releases on April 23, 2021 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia. It is also available on PlayStation 4. Screen Rant was provided with a digital PS5 code for the purpose of this review.

About The Author

Cody Gravelle
(1589 Articles Published)

Cody is Screen Rant’s Game Reviews Editor. He joined the team in 2018 and has been reporting on games pretty well every day since – except on weekends, where he’s typically playing them instead. Despite being in a field ostensibly about critiquing and enjoying quality games, his most played game of 2019 was Fate/Grand Order – something unlikely to change in 2020 and beyond.

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