Sucks I had written this off as open world schlock for so long. I really enjoyed my time with this game with a really fun story and setting with challenging combat that really opened up the further I got into it. I do have some minor issues like some of the characters being a bit goofy and the loot system being a bit overwhelming until you get the hang of it which like god of wars recent reboot that sorta makes me question if it wasn’t worth streamlining this a lot more to make things less confusing. Overall though I had a good time with this and will definitely check of the sequel I will try to write off open world games less in the future unless it’s made by Ubisoft or something.

Despite being known as one of the weaker games of the franchise and being actively warned by fans there’s a 50% chance I could be filtered by this I really enjoyed my time with this game. I will agree it’s probably the weakest of the yakuza games I’ve played so far but the story setting and characters really kept me coming back this time round. I particularly loved the setting of Okinawa which I feel may be influenced by growing up in seaside towns myself and while the chapters revolving around this area may feel a bit laid back compared to the other games but i really enjoyed getting to see Kiryu living a selfless quiet life outside of the Yakuza. The writers here really flex the ability to introduce new characters like the orphanages children and Rikiya immediately winning you over i don’t think I’ve seen a studio do this so effortlessly aside from games made by Hideo Kojima. Despite my praise I do agree the combat can be a little goofy and the biggest filter for fans in the early game but eventually managed to get the hang of it around chapter 5. Another issue I kinda have is how fast this story wraps up as soon as the main threat is established the game kinda ends which is a little shitty considering how good these villains are with their terrible engrish.