Solve crimes and kick ass with Yakuza dev’s Project JUDGE

Bengoshi Ga Gotoku

With the Tokyo Game Show still a few weeks away, I didn’t expect to hear anything about Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios’ (Yakuza devs) new game until then. With all the Pre-TGS info coming out, we now know exactly what that game is. Going as Project JUDGE in the West (Judge Eyes in Japan), the game follows the path of ace detective Yagami Takayumi as he tries to uncover the mystery behind the murder of a woman known as Emi-chan.

From the first trailer, it seems like a strange departure for the studio. Everything is a lot slower paced and people are yelling about the legal system. The second trailer is where things get really interesting. Not only will you be tailing people and picking up clues on the streets, but you’ll get into battles with thugs with an over the top fighting style. Now I’m seeing the Yakuza vibes.

Interestingly, the game is set to take place in Kamurocho. The locales in the gameplay trailer are eerily reminiscent of the layout seen in Yakuza 6. There is even the Smile Burger at the corner of Nakamichi Street, which makes me think this might be tied into the main series somehow.

Whether or not it ties into the series proper, Project JUDGE will be hitting Japanese PS4’s in December of this year with a Western release confirmed for next year. I can’t believe we’ve gone from a period where Yakuza localizations were up in the air to having the next game announced for the West at the same time.

SEGA [Twitter]