Today's post is more of a first impressions and less of a review. At the time of writing, I have not completed the game yet. This post covers up to Chapter 9: The Weight of Guilt. I will avoid major spoilers and try my best to omit character names. Game titles will be abbreviated to initials for better reading.
Our favorite Kamurocho detective, Takayuki Yagami, is back again with another case and direct sequel to Judgment. Fans like myself really enjoyed the first game as it diverges from the main Yakuza series and can be played as a standalone game. Of course, if you are longtime Yakuza fans, playing all the games is a plus and adds to the experience for better immersion. In the timeline of Lost Judgment, events in Yakuza 7/Like a Dragon are canon. Ijincho is now an accessible map with the additional of Seiryo High School. Some areas and building previously accessible in Y7 are now blocked off as they do not pertain or add to the story of LJ. Less noticeable in Kamurocho, but Little Asia is no longer accessible. Those of you that have played Y7 know that Ijincho is a lot larger than Kamurocho so this allows for more exploration. I will give my opinions on most of the game mechanics.