EDIT (after 20 hours into the game & chapter 9 so minor spoilers!):

I really wish that this game was a spin-off or at least give me Judgement on Steam (PLEASE, I DONT WANT TO GO TO STADIA).
I am putting this one on hold, at least until I feel comfortable enough to put myself through a JRPG's usual bad pacing.

STORY:
After having marathoned every Yakuza game, this is where I started to not care too much. It's the usual family ties twist, scooby doo puppetmaster that's behind it all, or fake death scenario. There's mystery, drama, and laughs to be had. This franchise is the videogame equivalent of a crime soap opera, and it's always amazing to see what stupid twist they come up with. Yakuza 7 feels heartfelt but my brain sort of has had enough of the rinse & repeat plot points. (the major character plays fall guy for whom he feels is family and goes to prison expecting everything to be okay when he comes out but everything has changed and the person he used to know is a traitor, where have i heard that one b4...)

CHARACTERS:
I like Ichiban as a protagonist, he's goofy and is very charismatic compared to Kiryu. Nanba is cool and Adachi is too despite being Ichiban's Date, Saeko I don't like in gameplay otherwise she's fine in personality. Side characters and unlockable party mates I have yet to fully experience but I will tell you that Joon-gi Han and Kashiwagi coming back is reaching into uncharted realms of absurdity to the point of "Well, fanservice is really selling right now so..."

GAMEPLAY:
The most divisive Yakuza game when it comes to gameplay. I honestly don't really like JRPGs nor turn-based mechanics, however, I wanted to give this a shot because it's a Yakuza game. I was overwhelmed to say the least, but I did enjoy the combat enough to keep playing. I wish that I didn't have to start the whole game over just to put the difficulty to an easier setting (you have to complete the entire game to set it). This game was an April Fools joke gone wrong (gone sexual).

FINAL NOTES:
BRING OTHER RGG GAMES TO STEAM, the jidaigeki spinoffs (Kenzan, Ishn) are locked away and only the strongest of translators / hackers can save it rn...
Also too, emulators can only do so much because Lost Judgment is on modern consoles (but not on PC)

EDIT (after 20 hours into the game & chapter 9 so minor spoilers!): I really wish that this game was a spin-off or at least give me Judgement on Steam (PLEASE, I DONT WANT TO GO TO STADIA). I am putting this one on hold, at least until I feel comfortable enough to put myself through a JRPG's usual bad pacing. STORY: After having marathoned every Yakuza game, this is where I started to not care too much. It's the usual family ties twist, scooby doo puppetmaster that's behind it all, or fake death scenario. There's mystery, drama, and laughs to be had. This franchise is the videogame equivalent of a crime soap opera, and it's always amazing to see what stupid twist they come up with. Yakuza 7 feels heartfelt but my brain sort of has had enough of the rinse & repeat plot points. (the major character plays fall guy for whom he feels is family and goes to prison expecting everything to be okay when he comes out but everything has changed and the person he used to know is a traitor, where have i heard that one b4...) CHARACTERS: I like Ichiban as a protagonist, he's goofy and is very charismatic compared to Kiryu. Nanba is cool and Adachi is too despite being Ichiban's Date, Saeko I don't like in gameplay otherwise she's fine in personality. Side characters and unlockable party mates I have yet to fully experience but I will tell you that Joon-gi Han and Kashiwagi coming back is reaching into uncharted realms of absurdity to the point of "Well, fanservice is really selling right now so..." GAMEPLAY: The most divisive Yakuza game when it comes to gameplay. I honestly don't really like JRPGs nor turn-based mechanics, however, I wanted to give this a shot because it's a Yakuza game. I was overwhelmed to say the least, but I did enjoy the combat enough to keep playing. I wish that I didn't have to start the whole game over just to put the difficulty to an easier setting (you have to complete the entire game to set it). This game was an April Fools joke gone wrong (gone sexual). FINAL NOTES: BRING OTHER RGG GAMES TO STEAM, the jidaigeki spinoffs (Kenzan, Ishn) are locked away and only the strongest of translators / hackers can save it rn... Also too, emulators can only do so much because Lost Judgment is on modern consoles (but not on PC)