Game of the Year 2019
Honorable Mention: Judgment
News Editor Giuseppe Nelva: Judgment came out of the blue when it was announced just before Tokyo Game Show 2018, and the impact was amplified by the fact that Sega had a demo ready to go on the same day.
Many suddenly realized that the familiar setting of Kamurocho doesn’t just revolve around Kazuma Kiryu, but there is plenty of room for many stories and many characters, likely setting the stage for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which will bring forth an entirely new protagonist for the series.
Judgment hits all the highest points the Yakuza series has us used to, including great storytelling (both in the main story and in the lovely side stories providing another look at the people who live in Kamurocho), a ton of content, fun action gameplay, and characters that you can’t not appreciate for their depth and for the acting talent poured into them.
It’s not exactly like a Yakuza game, but it’s close enough to feel familiar and connected. Honestly, I really hope to see the series continue to branch out like this because its fascinating world deserves to be explored.
