Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files Xbox Series X Review

Lost Judgment was one of the best games of 2021, a brilliant crime drama that used profound elements such as the real-life effects bullying can cause on kids and parents. Kaito was an extremely popular character and always pulled his own weight, but with The Kaito Files, this former Yakuza is given a chance at the spotlight. Diving into the man's past but in classic Yakuza fashion ends up being much bigger, involving conspiracies, death, and lots of money. The Kaito Files gives players the chance to feel like a final boss as you uncover another coverup.

Kaito has been put in charge of the Yagami Detective Agency as Tak heads on a business trip to chase down a father who has kidnapped his son following a divorce proceeding. Things start off slow, with Kaito taking on cases and trying to pass the time, eventually getting roped into a case that involves a past romantic relationship. The husband of Kaito's last serious girlfriend learns that she committed suicide years ago, but recent accounts say that she may be alive. Kaito takes the case for personal reasons but will realize that there is much more to this.

Kaito will use his detective skills to uncover clues like Judgment and Lost Judgment. Unlike Tak, Kaito has superior senses and can use his heightened hearing and smell to locate clues more effectively. It's an exciting element that adds more options for how Kaito looks for evidence, but the core system has not changed. Move a cursor and see if you can interact with the item, with extra interactable items providing additional experience but not moving forward in the investigation. It can still be annoying when you cannot find what you're looking for, and the assistance feature doesn't always help. The cursor is not always triggered when the clue is in range.

The other detective feature hasn't changed. From the clues you've gathered, you'll need to choose the right piece of evidence to progress. Choosing wrong means triggering a cutscene where you're told in some way you're wrong before trying again.

Despite the Yakuza franchise being notorious for its extra content, Kaito's adventure has no optional missions. There are collectables to locate in the way of smelly items like trash and food that house equipment and commodities and cats that provide bonus experience. These optional collectables are needed to unlock all the skills since some are locked behind gathering these. You can still explore the area and fight random people, but there's nothing outside the main mission and collectables.

Combat is the best part of the Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files DLC, as the developers did not dilute Kaito in any way. Like in Judgment and Lost Judgment, this former Yakuza enforcer is strong to the point you feel like a final boss. His various abilities allow him to counter and block almost any type of injury and deal massive damage. Kaito's Bruiser style can 1-shot some enemies, and his Tank-style makes him into a wall of concrete. Since the DLC has no optional side content, you're given plenty of experience from completing story missions and locating collectables. In an attempt to balance things, bosses can cause status effects and push through damage but Kaito's incredible mobility, especially with the dodge roll, makes even the bosses look like walking targets.

 

It's still a blast to play as Kaito and just ram through everything. He was always shown to be an unstoppable force, to the point that the only thing that could stop him was a knife to the gut. In a way, it just pairs well that Kaito would be so powerful.

The overall presentation and narrative are strong, with excellent performances, especially from YouTube star YongYea. The narrative is particularly dark towards the end, but the finale is more somber. With themes of heroism, love, and personal achievement lead to an exceptional conclusion.

Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files finally gives us the chance to play the legendary Captain Cop. It's a moving journey that combines both personal stakes and larger affairs that affect hundreds of people. The 6-hour adventure gives Kaito the chance to shine and showcase that Yagami's partner can stand on his own. Lost Judgment was already an outstanding adventure, and The Kaito Files is more of what made that adventure unforgettable.
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed