Sega's 'Project Judge' heads westward in Summer 2019 as 'Judgment'

Sega has announced that Judgment (formerly Project Judge) will head westward in Summer 2019 for PlayStation 4. Like the studio's Yakuza series of games, Project Judge will include Japanese voices, but Sega has announced that an English dub will also be available for the game. The two audio tracks each have their own set of English subtitles: Japanese voices will be accompanied with a traditional series translation while English voices will have a matching script.

Check out the English voiced trailer below, and check out the character profiles provided by Sega.

Project Judge releases in Japan next week under the title Judge Eyes.

[Update (March 28. 2019): Trailer has been reuploaded after the arrest of Pierre Taki, who's character will likely be redone in the game with a new actor]

A star-studded English voice cast brings Judgment to life. Greg Chun takes on the role of Judgment's protagonist, Takayuki Yagami, supported by Crispin Freeman, Matthew Mercer, Cherami Leigh, Yuri Lowenthal, James Hong, Ed O'Ross, Amy Walker, Matt Yang King, Fred Tatasciore, Brian McNamara, as well as guest appearances by SungWon Cho, Cristina Vee, Max Mittelman, and many more.

An English Dub in a Yakuza Game?

Judgment marks the first time in over 12 years that a game set in the Yakuza series universe has received an English dub for its Western release, the last one being the original Yakuza for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. As a result, some extra work was put in to make Judgment's English dub a little more complex than most. We wanted to make sure that we preserve the original Japanese script of Judgment as faithfully as possible. Here's a breakdown of Judgment's dub / subtitle features:

• Dual Audio: Players can switch between the Japanese and English VO tracks at any point during the game. Experience Judgment using whichever language you prefer!
• Dual Subtitles: Subtitles change based on which audio track is selected - Japanese or English. Japanese voice subtitles are presented in a way that represents the traditional Yakuza experience while English voice subtitles match the English script.
• Localization Pedigree: Judgment's localization has been handled in-house by SEGA of America's talented Yakuza series localization team.

About Judgment: 

• From the Makers of the Acclaimed Yakuza Series: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios presents Judgment, the dramatic tale of a disgraced lawyer seeking redemption in a world rife with corruption and despair.
• Investigate the Seedy Red Light District of Kamurocho: Step into the mind of private detective Takayuki Yagami and utilize innovative investigation systems to uncover the secrets that lie deep within Kamurocho's corrupt underbelly.
• Experience Visceral Combat with Two Unique Combat Styles: Take down groups of thugs with sweeping blows in Crane Style, then switch to Tiger to overwhelm a single foe with a series of powerful strikes. Practice mixing-and-matching styles in combat in conjunction with a wide variety of skills, weapons, and powerful (and hilarious) EX Actions to unlock a whole new dimension in combat.

Main Cast:

Takayuki Yagami

Japanese VO and Facial Capture: Takuya Kimura

English VO: Greg Chun

The main protagonist of Judgment.

A fiercely idealistic ex-defense lawyer turned private detective. After facing a devastating betrayal by one of his former clients, he became known as a fraud who lets murderers run free, effectively destroying his reputation.

Now he's caught up in an enigmatic serial murder case and will need to push his investigative skills to their limit to solve it.

Masaharu Kaito

Japanese VO: Shinshu Fuji

English VO: Crispin Freeman

A former member of the Matsugane family, Kaito was expelled from the family and became an ordinary citizen. He now works as Yagami's partner and uses his experience and connections with the yakuza to help him solve cases.

Mafuyu Fujii

Japanese VO: Risa Shimizu

English VO: Cherami Leigh

A fiercely competent prosecutor working for the Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office. Mafuyu has a long history with Yagami; she continues to check in on him from time to time even after his career-ending incident.

Takashi Genda

Japanese VO and Facial Capture: Akira Nakao

English VO: Brian McNamara

An old-school lawyer who has taken on the role of overseeing Yagami's growth since the start of his career.

Even after Yagami's incident that forced him out of the legal world, Genda still looks after him and helps him find work from time to time.

Kazuya Ayabe

Japanese VO and Facial Capture: Kenichi Takito

English VO: Matt Yang King

A detective with Tokyo PD's Organized Crime Division.

Ayabe is a crooked cop who withholds information on investigations for his own benefit, but often helps Yagami with his cases - for a price. 

Mitsuru Kuroiwa

Japanese VO and Facial Capture: Shosuke Tanihara

English VO: Matt Mercer

A detective with the Tokyo PD's Organized Crime Division, famous for his leadership skills and high successful arrest rate in Kamurocho.

A talented officer who plays by the rules, Kuroiwa sees unknown elements like Yagami as a dangerous nuisance.

Kyohei Hamura

Japanese VO and Facial Capture: Pierre Taki

English VO: Fred Tatasciore

Captain of the Matsugane family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan based in Kamurocho.

Hamura is self-centered, but he's also a mastermind skilled in taking others down for his own benefit. He's heavily involved with Yagami throughout the serial murder case.