Judgment, released in 2019, is essentially a Yakuza spinoff game. It has nothing to do with the storylines or characters of the main Yakuza series, but it takes place within Kamurocho — the same red light district that features in every Yakuza title.
In Judgment, you play as a freelance detective named Takayuki Yagami. It's an entirely standalone experience, but the gameplay structure is almost identical to what you'll find in the main Yakuza games. It has story-heavy cutscenes, action-based combat, and a range of crazy minigames. The only real difference is that you're playing as a detective, so a handful of investigative gameplay elements have been added.
For our money, Judgment shines just as bright as any of the best Yakuza games, even if it isn't part of the main series, and should always be considered alongside the core instalments.
A sequel to Judgment, called Lost Judgment, released in 2021. While we don't think it reaches the heights of its predecessor, it's still a very engaging — and very robust — detective drama.