The Yakuza Team's Next Project Is Like Ace Attorney With Punching

Today's PlayStation event in Japan was weird, to say the least. Attendees watched a spaceship in the shape of a DualShock 4 fly through the universe while the buttons on it in weird computer voices. A few new games did not show up at the event, though, including an action-RPG Courtroom brawler from the makers of Yakuza currently titled Project Judge.

The game centers around Takayuki Yagami, an ex-defense lawyer who has been played by Japanese model and singer Takuya Kimura. After a client he got acquitted murders again, he leaves his profession in shame, grows his hair out, and puts on a leather jacket to become a private detective investigating serial murders instead. If that's not enough to win you over, Sega describes him in his press release as "a man of conviction who fights for his beliefs, despite the overwhelming despair surrounding him." , even though we still do not know your tone.

On stage at the pre-Tokyo Game Show Sony event, Yakuza designer Toshihiro Nagoshi said the game will focus on investigating crime scenes and the particular actions players can take in trying to solve them. In the gameplay trailer, this stuff comes from trailing potential suspects. There is also a camera for capturing evidence that can be used in the game, with in-game rewards, based on your own unique small mini-games, including pinball, in case you were wondering just how Yakuza it was.

That means there will also be tones of brawling. What's the point of being a private detective if you do not know a few black eyes during your investigation? But where the game seems to really shine are the story sequences, which include the voice talent of a bunch of famous Japanese actors in addition to Kimura.

The whole thing reminds me of a legal 90s thriller made into an arcade game, and I can not wait for it. While the game already has a release date in Japan of December 13, it will not come back until sometime next year.

If you want to catch up on the rest of the games shown at the Sony event you can always re-watch the livestream. Other notable pieces of news Samurai Shodown game, the announcement of a Kingdom Hearts VR experience, and, my personal favorite, a remaster of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles coming to PS4 and Switch.