This is one of those games I like/low-key love despite its faults.

From where it all started, seeing this series in retrospect is pretty interesting. This is a game that was uncertain if it were getting a sequel. Lots of characters come and go, deaths as common as a sunrise, etc.
I think the story is cool. It's more unique compared to future Yakuzas that it focuses almost exclusively on the gang politics. To put it in simpler terms, the "Crime" overtakes the more character driven "Drama" in this Crime Drama. May not gel well with some people who're there for the story and characters, but if the game wants to be a gangster movie, I'll accept it as such.

Gameplay is not perfect but it works. Kiryu's controls are stiff but its also very simple to wrap your head around. Heat drops fast but its also easy to gain fast.
One combo not working? Do a different combo. Enemy dodging your strikes? Grab him. Enemy snuck up on you? Dodge.
Kiryu can get some of the best techniques with little to no grinding by game's end. Not perfect combat, but it has its own logic to it that can be mastered funnily enough. Majima is an asshole.

Sidequests are pretty simple. Compared to other Yakuzas, a lot of them are pretty bare but some I felt very "real".

Yakuza 1 is a simple game. Mostly straightforward story, simple beat em up and a pretty cool setting.

First ninja game where you do ninja stealthing.

Game aged great when it comes to the stealth, pretty awful when it comes to combat.
I think it's a good thing that being sneaky gets you better ranks and more items. I'd say its one of those games that wants you to avoid the slow as molasses and stiff as a stick in the ass combat as much as possible..... or so I thought as most stages end with boss fights. But thanks to my good stealth abilities, I'd have more than enough bombs and landmines.

But I like how many things you can do when you stealth. Crawling, grapple shots, wall shimmying, gripping on to ledges, damn near anything a ninja should do.
Tank controls I didn't mind too much when it comes to running around. Combat combined with a camera that gets in the way of the action.... yeah, I mind a lot.

Great music and I like the overall vibe of the presentation. Awful english acting and all.

Overall, good stealth game.

Ripped from my Ninja Gaiden Black review cuz I share similar thoughts:
Game's REALLY fuckin' good but REALLY fuckin' hard.... just like Ninja Gaiden ;D

Movement is god damn everything. E̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶o̶r̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶f̶f̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶b̶o̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ Ryu is more than agile enough to slip past every enemy and boss moves if timed well enough. M̶o̶v̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶b̶a̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶s̶m̶o̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶T̶r̶i̶c̶k̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶D̶M̶C̶3̶ ̶(̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶i̶r̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶a̶r̶i̶s̶o̶n̶.̶)̶ With this game, they made god damn sure you use that movement at all times.

My only real problems are with a couple of enemies. T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶l̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶n̶i̶n̶j̶a̶s̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶y̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶,̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶u̶r̶i̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶y̶ ̶b̶o̶m̶b̶s̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶s̶h̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶e̶v̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶k̶i̶s̶s̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶a̶s̶s̶.̶
Fuck birds.
A̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶r̶a̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶t̶-̶p̶a̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶r̶a̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶w̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶v̶i̶e̶w̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶u̶n̶l̶u̶c̶k̶y̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶t̶.̶ ̶A̶l̶s̶o̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶-̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶a̶u̶l̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶r̶a̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶b̶o̶o̶t̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶l̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶-̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶r̶m̶a̶l̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶r̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶o̶l̶.̶
Fuck how the birds respawn. And stage 6.

Badass game despite how soul crushingly hard it gets.

Kino(?) has entered the 7th Gen.

A lot of things have been carried over and refined from 4, specifically Final Tuned (an arcade only update.)
Graphical leap is yet again on the revolutionary side despite being early in the gaming generation. And unlike previous entries ported to consoles, no such graphical downgrades to be seen.

Gameplay is just as good as ever. In some ways, better than 4 despite that one being my favorite entry overall. It's also a lot more emphasis on striking. The game's combos are a bit more floaty than before. Not Tekken floaty but more DOA floaty where some moves can bounce a "crumpling" opponent back up for more comboing.

Side content is a bit disappointing. No extra modes of battle like Evolution and Quest mode is a bit gimped. Customization, however, is a big improvement.

Great game and great fighter all around.... but I still like VF4 a bit more.