The Judgment Combat Trailer is here and it gives us an in-depth look at the combat in this upcoming spinoff of the Yakuza franchise of games. Private detective Takayuki Yagami finds himself immersed in Japan’s underworld. Unfortunately, the Yakuza aren’t always the nicest of folks and he’ll have to defend himself in hand-to-hand combat. Thankfully, Takayuki seems very well-equipped to do the job with multiple styles of kung-fu at his disposal.
This is the bit where I usually explain what’s going on in the Judgment Combat Trailer, but it’s a little difficult this time around. This is genuinely a combat trailer — it’s simply a solid minute of Takayuki kicking ass and taking names with his kung fu skills. I haven’t seen this many well-dressed dudes end up bloodied on the ground since the 2008 financial crisis.
The trailer opens with Takayuki on his back heel in an alley with a couple of guys standing near him, completely unaware of the can of whoop-ass that they just broke the freshness seal on. Our hero smacks one of the guys around before a splash showing “Tiger” (referring to Tiger-style kung fu) pops up on the screen and we move to another location. Takayuki then proceeds to ensure that the local medical clinic has gainful employment for the next several weeks, pounding various neighborhood ruffians into paste.
We then shift into the Crane style and see an entirely different kind of combat. While Tiger kung fu is focused on short, stable movements, the Crane style brings in a lot more kicks and flamboyant moves. It wouldn’t look all that different from a breakdancing video if it weren’t for Takayuki’s foot occasionally smacking into the back of some unfortunate yakuza’s head. The trailer then concludes with a splash screen showing us the game’s release date.
You can watch the Judgment Combat Trailer for yourself below. You’ll be able to grab this spinoff of the Yakuza franchise for yourself on June 25, 2019.
