When the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises split into two separate franchises, Persona had finally reached a degree of individuality warranting that separation. Arguably, the franchises should've separate by the time Persona 3 was released, but Persona 5 became the first non-SMT Persona game, and deservedly so at that point. Persona had proven its success and uniqueness from its parent franchise, something that would similarly prove just as interesting for another Sega game franchise. Like Persona, the Yakuza series also has a spin-off game that may be splitting off into its own franchise as well: Judgment.
After Sega's announcement of a significant Judgment update coming in May, there's the possibility that Sega and Ryo Ga Gotoku studio have more in store than just a PC port. The latest Yakuza game made a significant departure from the past six mainline entries in the franchise, moving from an action RPG to a traditional turn-based JRPG. However, as Yakuza explores its highly successful JRPG diversion with Ichiban Kasuga, the familiar action RPG gameplay foundation could live on with Takayuki Yagami in Judgment. Perhaps this big upcoming announcement for Judgment could be the realization of a rumor that the spin-off will expand beyond its Yakuza roots.
How Yakuza and Judgment Could Differ Moving Forward
At the moment for Yakuza, it seems like the series intends to shift and experiment even further with its new traditional JRPG design. Alongside the highly praised Ichiban Kasuga replacing the iconic protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, Yakuza seems to be content with leaning further into and exploring its new Dragon Quest-adjacent JRPG framework. Among impressive sales numbers for Like a Dragon, there was also the suggestion from Ichiban's voice actor would return as protagonist for the next decade. The timing couldn't be better for Judgment to expand beyond the initial spin-off, exploring the inverse of a Yakuza-like story from the perspective of an investigator.
Judgment's reception puts this potential spin-off series into a prime position to expand as well. Much of the gameplay mechanics of previous Yakuza games were remixed and iterated on with Judgment, in tandem with additional mechanics specific to Yagami's tale in Kamurocho. Fighting was given much more dynamic movement with Yagami's faster dual-attack styles, as well as his ability to bounce off walls and otherwise gain momentum from his surroundings. Paired with a bit more added stakes with mortal wound attacks and permanent health loss, Judgment's combat played like a logical next step for the classic Yakuza action RPG battle system it always had.
Judgment and Yakuza Can Co-Exist Now More Than Ever
The best thing about an expansion into a separate Judgment series is that it wouldn't be as divested from its foundational series, unlike what Persona has become away from Shin Megami Tensei. These two franchises are thematically very different, with Persona taking on a lighter tone with darker subtext, compared to Shin Megami Tensei's inherently and totally cataclysmic atmosphere. Judgment and Yakuza, on the other hand, are basically two sides of the same coin: Both feature a melodramatic story that often flip-flops between moments of compelling and suspenseful storytelling, as well as moments of levity and absurdity that never takes itself too seriously.
However, it's the narrative foundation and perspective that differentiates Judgment and Yakuza so distinctly. Playing as the stoic and endearing Kazuma Kiryu, or the charismatic and selfless Ichiban Kasuga, is vastly different from Takayuki Yagami's personality in Judgment. Unlike the two Yakuza protagonists, who are often steadfast and unwavering with their respective senses of justice and honor, Yagami spends a lot of his time in self-reflection and doubting his actions in the past. Yagami keeps his head down and focused on his cases, rarely taking the time for himself outside of
In the wake of events from the original Judgment, there's certainly room to grow for Yagami and Kaito's business as a private investigator in a sequel. Judgment's ending, without diving into specific spoilers, was open-ended enough to allow for a completely new story just as much as an extension from the game's story. Plus, with Judgment still retaining the action RPG gameplay style from previous Yakuza games, fans of the original Yakuza games will have something to enjoy while Like a Dragon pushes into a new genre. There's ample space for a Judgment standalone franchise, something fans may find out for sure following Sega's reveal on May 7.
Judgment is available now on PS4, PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X/S.