Judgmentis a detective-based spin on theYakuzaseries. Alongside the brawling, exploring, and mini-games, Takayuki Yagami has to investigate crime scenes, sneak into places in disguise, and tail suspects among other requirements. Players can use SP to upgrade Yagami’s skills as they progress through the game, and he has a lot of upgrades.
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But which ones should players prioritize over others? It can depend on whether they prefer to get the side content out of the way first or finish off the main campaign first. But no matter how they play, these are the ten skills inJudgmentthat will get them ahead either way.
10Detective’s Hunch
When Yagami investigates a scene, the camera will go into first person and the player has to look around for clues. Sometimes they can be pretty obvious, other times it can be tricky to find everything before the player can progress.
Detective’s Hunch will help that by letting the controller vibrate when the cursor nears a key clue or bonus. It’s not the most imperative skill, but it would take the edge out of the guesswork in both the main missions and side cases. It might even help players findall the secret catsà laYakuza: Like a Dragon!
9Fridge Upgrades
Unlike Kazuma Kiryu, Yagami can’t carry as many medicinal items on him. Other items are fine, but he can only graba few Staminans and Toughness Drinks. That’s not getting into the new Mortal Wounds function, where Yagami’s health bar will be permanently shortened by certain attacks until he visits a doctor or uses a First Aid kit.
So, if players are having trouble keeping their health bar in the green, it might help to upgrade their fridge. It’ll enable Yagami to hold more medicinal items with each upgrade, starting at 500 SP for Nice Fridge (carry 4 items) before going up to 1500 SP for Badass Fridge (carry 6 items).
8Bottomless Stomach
If push comes to shove, Yagami can always visit one of the many restaurants inKamurochō to recover his health. But unlikeYakuza 6andYakuza Kiwami 2,Judgmentdoesn’t have a separate hunger meter. When Yagami’s health bar is full, so is his stomach.
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If players can find the ‘Art of Gluttony’ skill book while also having a spare 5000 SP, they can pick up the ‘Bottomless Stomach’ skill. Then Yagami can clear out entire menus in one go. It doesn’t sound like much, except completing a restaurant’s menu can net the player a lot of SP. As pricey as this skill is, obtaining it would help regain that amount and then some for other skills.
7Balance Of The Tiger
Yagami has two fighting styles: Crane and Tiger. On paper, Crane was meant to be used against multiple opponents, while Tiger was for focusing on single opponents at a time. In practice, the player will spend most of their time using Tiger as it has the most upgrades and obtainable skills.
Case in point: Balance of the Tiger. For 1200 SP, it will keep Yagami from being staggered by attacks while in Tiger style. That way, the player can keep on fighting with less chance of an errant shot knocking him out of it. It also helps unlock Elegance of the Tiger (quickstep out of attacks during EX-Boost) and Ferocity of the Tiger (shorten charge attacks), which are necessary for other skills on this list.
6Quickstep Upgrades
Yagami is much nimbler than Kiryu, as he can leap off walls, opponents, and more. So, it’s a good idea to increase his agility even more. If players can find the Rush Training skill book in Chapter 1, they can pay 750 SP to unlock the Double Quickstep to dodge twice in a row.
After that, they can get the Dodge Roll to roll on the 3rd Quickstep for 1000 SP, and do an attack while dodging with the Quickstep Strike for 500 SP. If they miss grabbing it, they can buy the skill book from Onodera’s Wares. However, Onodera takes SP instead of cash, so keep a sharp eye out in Chapter 1 to avoid the extra cost.
5Boost Attack
Judgmentrewards offensive play over defensive play. Yagami has to keep the pressure on his foes, which can be tiring if his moves aren’t strong enough. Players can boost Yagami’s attack power with upgrades. The problem is that it takes a lot of SP.
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Level 1 costs a reasonable 2000 SP, while Level 2 triples that to 6000 SP. But if players want Max power, they have to get the Charging Tiger (600 SP) to give Yagami charge attacks, then Ferocity of the Tiger (3600 SP) to shorten those charge times. Then, and only then, can players get Max Level for 18000 SP. It’s a key skill, but it’s not one the player will get in one go.
4Enhance EX-Boost
EX-Boost is Yagami’s version of Kiryu’s Heat Mode. When activated, Yagami will hit harder, move faster, get new EX-Actions, and be immune to Mortal Wounds. It’s a good ability to have, especially against gun-toting bosses like Matsuhisa Koga. It’s only temporary though. Once the gauge runs out, the player will have to build it back up again.
Players can do this by fighting ordrinking some boozefrom their Items list. The Boost EX Gauge skills will help the charge build up faster. But the Enhance EX-Boost will make it last longer once activated. Get 1,500 Chips at L’Amant to buy the Spiritual Awakening book, then the player can get Level 1 for 1000 SP, Level 2 for 2000 SP, then Max for 6000 SP.
3Boost Health
This one’s pretty obvious. If Yagami’s health runs out, the game is over. The smaller Yagami’s health bar is, the easier it is for him to get KO’d. Especially when the Mortal Wounds can reduce it to a sliver. Sobeginners and veterans alikeshould throw down 900 SP to double that health bar. But then it builds up.
Boost Health Level 2 costs 2700 SP to triple that amount, then 10800 SP to quadruple it to the max amount. It makes sense mathematically, but it does mean Max Health is the 3rd most expensive skill after Precision Press (for Dice & Cube) and the Max Boost Attack. So, it’s best for players to reach Level 2, then play wisely around it until they can spare the SP on its top level.
2Flux Fissure Upgrades
Since Tiger Style is the better of the two fighting styles, it’s imperative that players get the Flux Fissure move. For 1000 SP, if players hold the Light Attack button, Yagami will do a palm strike. If they release the button at the right time when it connects (shown via a timer), it’ll produce a heavy-hitting blast. It can make a big dent in bosses, and even one-shot the small fry.
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Its big drawback is that it’s slow to recover from if Yagami misses, or if it’s blocked. But it will break the enemy’s guard if they do block, and Quickstep and EX-Boost can cancel those frames. So, get the move ASAP, then work towards its upgrades. Each cost 1000 SP, and increase its timing window (Resonance), damage (Amplitude), and the amount of EX Gauge it builds up (Unleashed) each.
1Boost Combo Speed
Yagami is quick, but he could be quicker. His Rush Combos at the start of the game offer thugs a number of chances to stuff him mid-move. This can be quite annoying, especially when things have been going smoothly towards that no-hit bonus players can get for an extra SP bonus. So, why not just hit faster?
The Boost Combo Speed skill will tighten those gaps from 1000 SP for Level 1 to 9000 SP to Max Level. It also makes it easier for players to rack up the damage and build up their EX Gauge. Especially with Tiger Style’s focused chains. So, focus on Boost Combo Speed for a while, and it’ll make grinding for Yagami’s other skills a faster, smoother, and more fun experience.
Judgmentis available to play on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, and PC.
