The writers hired a legal adviser, too, to ensure every sequence was realistic. “We had a part in the story where someone gets detained,” Nagoshi said, “and five days later they come out. But then the legal advisor said, ‘You know, they can’t be detained for that long. They would be released much sooner.’ So then we had to go in and change the whole storyline.” The team also had to alter the game to reflect any laws that were passed or altered mid-development. “That kind of stuff was all taken into consideration,” Nagoshi said. “And in hindsight it was like, well, we chose a really difficult genre to craft a story for. It was definitely a challenge.”

Judgment does, occasionally, take a break from the mole murders and explore some secondary characters. These often feel like “filler” episodes and vary wildly in quality, however. Kaito’s expulsion from the Matsugane Family, for instance, is a welcome breather, while tailing a woman with a mysterious career is dull. Judgment, like its Yakuza predecessors, is also packed with optional side-stories that are both zany and heartwarming. “We want players to feel like there’s more to this world because a city is full of people with different perspectives and different personalities,” Nagoshi said. “It’s not just the main character. So that’s what we want players to feel as they’re going on these side stories.”

The excellent story takes place in Kamurocho, a modern-day metropolis based on the Kabukichō district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It’s littered with bars, host and hostess clubs, underground casinos and narrow back streets that give every scene a dirty, corrupt and somehow intoxicating feel. You truly believe that it’s a world governed by a chaotic blend of Yakuza, police, and peaceful civilians just trying to get by.

The Yakuza franchise takes place in Kamurocho, too. Its streets will be familiar, therefore, to anyone that has played the last six-or-so games by RGG Studio. Still, the district has a grittier, bleaker look to reflect and compliment its hard-boiled detective drama. “[The game] has more of a suspenseful theme than the Yakuza series that showed Kamurocho,” Nagoshi said. “And that affected the way that we colored and created this different mood for Kamurocho. So it’s a little bit darker. There’s more contrast there, in the colors and things like that. So that’s one main difference. It looks a little bit darker.”

Judgment does introduce some new locales, including a cutting-edge medical facility called the ADDC (Advanced Drug Development Center). You also visit plenty of courtrooms and detention centers through interactive cinematics.

Judgment leans too heavily on its Yakuza roots sometimes.

At its best, Judgment feels like the Marvel Defenders game I’ve always dreamed of. The courtroom antics of Daredevil mixed with the detective work of Jessica Jones, the back-flipping combat of Iron Fist, and the community-first heroics of Luke Cage.

There’s a slight imbalance, though, with those elements. Judgment leans too heavily on its Yakuza roots, sometimes, with battles that take place across multiple floors of a building. Roundhouse-kicking your way through enemies is a thrill, but sometimes the seemingly endless waves of enemies can be a pain. Toward the end of the game, I also grew tired of the near-constant street battles that erupt while you’re wandering through the city. You can run away from these thugs, but weaving around them can be tiring when you’re hooked on the story and just want to see what happens next.

Nevertheless, Judgment is an excellent game for anyone that has never touched the Yakuza franchise. It has a fresh, endearing cast of characters and a story that requires zero past knowledge. The sleuthing, while simple, makes the game approachable for people who spend most of their spare time watching or reading detective stories. Judgment even has a ‘Simple’ mode that effectively automates the combat. On Normal and Hard, of course, you’ll need dexterity and strategy to power through some of the bosses and reach the end credits. But if you want a casual experience that’s closer to Until Dawn or Detroit: Become Human, the option is there.

Judgment isn’t a grand departure from the classic Yakuza formula. You’re still beating up street thugs and, at times, defying some seemingly-impossible odds with the strength and vigor of Captain America. The story the game presents, though, is of a caliber usually reserved for prestige TV (heck, I’m sure someone will stitch the cutscenes together into a terrific YouTube ‘movie’). It’s perfectly paced and, in my opinion, can be appreciated by anyone. Coupled with some excellent vocal performances — both in the Japanese original and English localization — this 20-ish hour adventure ranks among the best narrative experiences on the PS4.

Judgment is available now on the PlayStation 4 for $59.99/£49.99.