It’s one of the most interesting PS4 exclusives hitting the market this year, and even though gamers’ eyes might be more focused on the likes of Days Gone (which is shipping next month), this game by the makers of the award-winning Yakuza series definitely looks very promising, and might very well end up being one of the top games of 2019.
Released with the title Judge Eyes in Japan late last year, the game stars a former lawyer named Takayuki Yagami who’s now a private detective investigating a series of murders in Tokyo. And as you can expect from a game by the makers of Yakuza, there’s plenty of fighting, exploration and an engrossing story to follow in Judgment (the game’s Western name).
However, publisher Sega seems to have run into a little bit of trouble in Japan regarding the game, which has recently been pulled from sale in the Land of the Rising Sun.
This is because one of the actors who forms part of the game’s cast (Pierre Taki) has recently run into trouble with the law due to drug possession and use, which could result in a multi-year conviction with Taki spending time in the shade as a result, as was recently reported on IGN.
And as is common in the entertainment business in Japan when this sort of thing happens, Sega has not only removed the game from sale, but also deleted all tweets promoting Judgment from its Twitter account too.
“We are withdrawing Judgment from sale in Japan for the time being, including both physical and digital editions”, said the company on its Japanese website.
So, what now?
The most likely move by Sega would be to excise Pierre Taki from Judgment. This means his in-game character would have to be recast, and his voice lines re-recorded, something which could take quite a bit of time.
What this means for the game’s release in the West remains unclear. You see, Judgment was scheduled to hit shelves in the West this summer, but now that this scandal has emerged it remains to be seen whether this could result in a delay or not.
If it does, this would surely be a disappointment for those who were looking forward to Sega’s upcoming crime game, so here’s hoping Western players don’t have to wait much longer in order to get their hands on Judgment this year.