The 2019 version of Judgment and this new edition for consoles like the PS5 virtually got the same reviews on Metacritic. That’s not surprising to see as not much changed between the PS4 and PS5 versions except for better graphics and lightning fast load times.
For fans of the original release, they would have loved to have seen more changes and or fixes. That should be the goal of any developer when making a new version of a game be it a port, remake, or remaster. In case they forget to add these details later in through updates, here’s a friendly reminder to the Yakuza team at Sega.
10 Taxi Cab Maps
One of the nice things players can do in the game is deject any point on the map and highlight it with a peg. This then creates the best path possible for Yagami to follow. However, if one were to take a can, that line and or peg placement is not seem on the cab map. So right now players have to Denver where they’re going on the map before getting into the cab and doing some guesswork to drive to the right place. This has plagued the Yakuza series for years.
9 Better Fast Travel
There are two ways to solve this map in cabs dilemma. The first way should be obvious to longtime Yakuza fans. Sega needs to add a proper fast travel option without the use of cabs. It’s 2021 now and fast travel has existed for at least a solid decade now if not more. There is no excuse for it not to exist in a AAA game such as this one or any of the other main Yakuza games.
8 Auto-Run
The other solution to both the fast travel and map problems could be solved through auto-running. Let’s take a look at another open-world game franchise, Assassin’s Creed.
If one marks a point on the map, they can have their horse follow alongside the road in that general direction. This is just one game example that does this. While it wouldn’t be as nice as a blackout warp, it would be something.
7 An In-Game Navigator
The HUD in this game can make it look messy. There are ways to get rid of some of these items but not everything. For example, the mini map can be tucked away. However, if one does that, then they can no longer see where they are going. There is a solution to this. This game could implement a directional arrow in the game or a guiding light like in Dead Space. A more recent example would be Outriders.
6 Take Away Quest Window
There is another window in the HUD that is distracting but cannot go away with optional prompts. The quest window will always remain in the top right corner of the screen. One, there is no reason for it to be there since players know where to go via the map markers anyway. Two, if Sega does want it there, at least give players the option to make it fade away within a certain amount of time like other games do, again, going back to Assassin’s Creed.
5 Change Controls
There is one option that seemingly all AAA games have included: a way to remap controls. Even an old game like Star Wars: Republic Commando, which just got a remaster, has this option. Most of the controls in this game are fine, but there is one that can be vexing. Players hold down X to run, on PS5 that is, and pressing in on the left stick goes into first-person mode. As most games have the left stick push-in combo setup as the run option, this can have a jarring effect on players.
4 Allow For True Saves Anywhere
This is a problem that persists through most Yakuza games. The game can be saved anywhere in the world except in dungeons. Dungeons here mean enemy headquarters for the most part but as this is an RPG, dungeons is a good blanket term. Yakuza: Like A Dragon at least had save points before bosses, but this game does not allow for optional saves. There are auto-saves thankfully but that is also not the same thing.
3 A Better Photo Mode
To its credit, this game does have a photo mode. The Yakuza series in general has been ahead of the curve early on. Yagami can take out his phone and snap a picture from his viewpoint or even flip his camera around to pose. There aren’t many options for this though especially when compared to games like Ghost of Tsushima who seemingly redefined what a photo mode can and should do.
2 Medicine And An Item Box
Yagami’s storage is seemingly unlimited on his person. How he can carry around multiple sets of costumes doesn’t make sense as one example but that isn’t the point. What is is the fact that medical drugs do have a limited amount of space.
This makes sense to limit otherwise one could never die if they stocked up on near limitless healing items. When the rest of the inventory is unlimited though it does raise an eyebrow. There is no storage box like in other Yakuza games, so everything looks cluttered too which makes it hard to distinguish what does and doesn’t count as a healing slot.
1 Get Rid Of Keys
The key system is one of many mechanics in the game that are not needed. Throughout the game Yagami will gain keys to unlock certain doors such as his apartment/office. Choosing the right key on the ring will net players with SP aka skill points which is how Yagami levels up. Speaking of, there is a skill, cheap too, that will always highlight the right key. Why even include this mechanic in the first place then?