Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has surprisingly dropped worthwhile PC ports of both of Takayuki Yagami’s misadventures — Judgment and Lost Judgment — something that seemed impossible just months ago. Whether you’re playing on a powerful computer or Valve’s Steam Deck, you’ll get solid performance out of these new versions, which are pretty in line with previous Yakuza PC ports in terms of features. However, it’s quite impressive to see the console hits running on the portable system that proves to be a natural fit for the series’ blend of humor and top-notch theatrics.
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While the main draw of both games is the story as the two feature excellent mysteries with plenty of twists and turns, it’s also important for the gameplay to hold up its end of the bargain as well. Thankfully, the game runs quite smoothly on Steam Deck, even if the fast-paced 3D brawling action of its combat encounters can drop the frame rate a bit. Both games ran fine from boot, with sequences ranging from as high as 60 frames per second to the 30s and 40s during combat.
With minimal tinkering, I was able to get Judgment and its sequel running at a relatively smooth (but not locked) 30 frames per second, which is great for those who want lower, yet more steady and even frame rate. Much like the recent port of Spider-Man Remastered, the handheld can’t run the game perfectly, but it’s more than good enough to offer up a solid experience and the “wow” factor of running these bigger games portably still hasn’t worn off yet.
Like the Yakuza series, which it shares much shared DNA with including locales and mini-games, there is an incredible amount of side content in the Judgment series. I’ve spent well over 100 hours in both games’ console versions and still haven’t completely seen everything they have to offer. From going on dates to helping out residents with various issues, Yagami never has a dull moment in either Kamurocho or Isezaki Ijincho. The good news is that handheld play works perfectly for these smaller side stories and events as they often are broken up into segments and only take up 20 to 30 minutes total to complete, making them easily played during breaks or downtime you might have throughout the day.
From a content perspective, these games match their console counterparts. You’ve still got great 20-hour or longer main stories, plus the aforementioned side content that contains many of the overall highlights due to the stellar writing across the board. Sega’s top-notch localization crew has been crushing it with RGG Studio games and these are no exception, as the series’ rapidly changing tone winds up working brilliantly due to its overall heart and commitment to everything it offers. The excellent The Kaito Files expansion for Lost Judgment is also included if you buy the bundle, making the ports a particularly nice value for those who skipped the incredible DLC.
It’s also worth noting that even if you’ve already played the two top-notch adventure games, these ports are good news since the likable lawyer-turned-detective is still played by Japanese actor Takuya Kimura. PC ports were reportedly a large issue for the series moving forward as Kimura’s management was initially against them, but thankfully, everything has been settled and the series can continue with its main actor in tow. Considering Kimura might star in a live-action TV series adaptation as well, the future, as signaled by these ports, looks quite bright.
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Whether you’ve already spent hundreds of hours in Kamurocho or are checking out the series for the first time, the new PC versions of Judgment and Lost Judgment are well worth checking out, especially on Steam Deck. There is a lot of appeal to experiencing its vast amount of side content on the go as it makes sinking in the required time a much more feasible task. Even on the Steam Deck, it’s quite easy to get the game running relatively smoothly at 30 frames per second without having to crank the quality down too much, although there are plenty of additional options for those looking to tinker around. Regardless, both of Yagami’s biggest cases to date hold up well and will thrill anyone looking for quality action games that are coated in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s signature style.
