Today is the Walk to End Alzheimer's, and once again I wanted to share my experience with everyone.
It's a terrifying, under-discussed illness that can begin to develop as early as 30. Many still dismiss it as just an "old person's disease," but it's a profound sickness that can steal away individuals and families without warning. While the journey for a cure is slow, there is hope.
I was deeply moved when I saw SEGA tackle this precise subject in their game, Judgment. It's incredibly rare to see a video game address such a serious issue head-on. That's why last year I wrote a letter to SEGA, thanking them for the awareness they created through their compelling story.
If you would like to help with the cause, or learn more about Alzheimer's, head on over to the official Walk to End Alzheimer's website.
Anyway, here is what I originally had to say!
Intro:
My wife and I recently wrote letters to SEGA to thank them for creating the game Judgment. This game is truly special to both of us, and we felt compelled to express our gratitude in some way. Even if our messages are never read, it was something we needed to say.
I now want to share my letter with you. Normally, I wouldn't post something this personal, but Judgment is such a unique case, and I believe its message needs more exposure. The following text has been slightly modified for an online audience, but it remains 99% the same as the original.
I hope you enjoy reading it! If Judgment also holds a special place for you, I encourage you to do what we did: take a moment to thank the developers. I think people often take for granted the passion and effort these teams put into their work—and with this game, it was something truly exceptional.
Letter to SEGA
I usually don’t write things like this, but I feel like it’s something that needs to be said—or rather, it’s something I felt I needed to let everyone at SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio know.
You see, I’m a long-time fan of the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series. I was first introduced to the series around 2011 when I was looking for something to play on my new PS3. People were telling me how great Yakuza 3 was, so I decided to take their advice and try it out. Honestly, my biggest letdown at the time was not having access to Yakuza 1 and 2 to truly appreciate the story. It was fun, but I felt like I was missing so much. I figured I would never get a chance to go back, so I put the series on the back burner. I skipped Yakuza 4 and 5, but when Yakuza 0 was announced, it changed everything for me. It was a game I felt I had to have, and I went out and bought it on day one. From then on out, I made sure to pick up every release and have been a loyal fan ever since.
However, things changed with Judgment…
When Judgment originally came out, I honestly didn’t spend too much time with it. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun, but I had a lot going on in my life at the time. I was working a new job, and things kept pulling me away from playing it. Looking back now, I feel like that was a blessing in disguise. You see, I had no idea what Judgment was truly going to be about, nor did I ever expect it to be something that would hit so close to home—not just for me, but for someone I hadn’t even met yet: the woman who would go on to become my wife.
When 2020 arrived and the COVID-19 pandemic had us locked inside, the unthinkable happened. I met the girl of my dreams! She had just started working with my mom, and my mom felt like we both had a lot in common and should meet. So she set us up (although she tried to make it appear like it wasn’t a setup!) and we pretty much clicked from the moment we started texting. Her name was Allison, and one of the first things I learned about her was that she had recently lost her best friend—her grandpa.
Sadly, he had been fighting Alzheimer’s for the last few years, and Allison had been by his side every step of the way. She became an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association and started fundraising to help find a cure for the horrible disease. One of the first things she told me about in our texts was how close she was to her grandpa and how she would once again be taking part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event—which she then invited me to.
As for me, my grandma on my dad’s side had Alzheimer’s for nearly my entire life, so this was something that affected me as well.
I remember turning six years old and just seeing my grandma as my grandma at my birthday. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but this would become one of my only memories of when she was truly herself. Sadly, she would suffer a massive stroke not too long after, and it would eventually turn into full-blown Alzheimer’s.
She didn't remember who she was, she didn't know who her family was, and almost daily she relived the painful realization that her own husband had died years before. It was horrible, and even as a little kid, I realized just how sad it was that I would never truly get to know my dad’s mom. It eventually got to the point where she even believed she was being held as a prisoner in her own house. She assumed her own son (who she no longer remembered) was her kidnapper, and she tried to escape almost daily. He didn’t let this stop him, however. He still loved his mother and did everything he could to make sure all her needs were met. He dedicated his life to taking care of her, and did so until the day she died. This is the grandma I knew until I was 14, and there was nothing that could be done. Alzheimer’s completely took her from us.
Jumping back to 2020, it is because of the walk that Allison and I finally met face-to-face. I invited her over to my house the day before so we could meet first, but the walk itself was the first time we went out and did something together. It was also when I got to meet her parents and some of her other family members as well! Sure, it was a little awkward, but I had a great time, and it was for a good cause.
Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s isn’t something you hear a lot about, and so many people take their own memories for granted. The sad truth is, many of us will grow old and develop some form of dementia, and a large portion of the elderly population is currently living with this reality. So many people turn a blind eye to it, however, even as the problem continues to persist.
After dating for a while, the PlayStation 5 version of Judgment was released, and once again I bought it on day one. I hadn’t had much time to play the original release, but I was hoping to change that with the updated version. So one day, I asked Allison if she wanted to check it out, knowing she had an interest in crime drama series. She said sure, and I put the game in. This was the first time we had really sat down and played through a game side-by-side. At first, I think we were both just interested in the overall story and solving the murder case, but once things took a turn... it shocked us both.
The fact that Judgment revolved around Alzheimer’s was completely unexpected! Again, this is not something many people talk about, nor is it something you often see in media of any kind. And Judgment didn’t just touch on the subject; it went full-in. Getting to visit the hospital where Alzheimer’s patients were being treated was just the tip of the iceberg, and seeing the stories being told hit very close to home. So much research went into developing this game—it was simply impressive. And it was very clear that it wasn’t just for "entertainment."
The way Judgment took such a serious topic, brought awareness to it, and showed the world how it really is, seriously blew us both away. It was a heartbreaking story grounded in harsh reality, and seeing it all play out just made the narrative even better. It was something we both could relate to, and it was a case we both desperately wanted to see solved. For Allison, things hit even closer to home because the story's setting was 2018—the same year her grandpa was diagnosed with the disease. I too couldn’t help but think of my grandma when some of the patient stories were being told. No game has ever hit this close to home for me, and I can’t help but wonder how many other people felt the same way when playing the game, or how many people came to the realization themselves of just how horrible Alzheimer’s truly is.
Judgment might be a work of fiction, but the game’s messages and themes are all so very real. It’s a story that can reach people and change their outlook on life.
Meanwhile, Allison continues her fight to find the REAL AD-9—a cure to put an end to Alzheimer’s and bring loved ones back to their families. It's been a long battle, but every person can make a difference. The release of Judgment is also another step toward finding the cure and bringing global awareness. I simply can’t thank everyone at SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio enough.
Thank you for everything.
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