The Yakuza franchise is one which I have a strong attachment to, having played Yakuza 0 for the first time 5 years ago at a turning point in my life, (and having played approx. 2 hours of Kiwami 2 months prior) then went on to finish out the series along with Kiryu's story the year prior after the Yakuza Remastered Collection finally launched, so it was no secret that I was looking forward to this game quite a bit.

Back in 2022, when it was first announced that Kiryu was making a return as a main character, I was befuddled. "How would they make this work well?" Yet, I trusted in RGG due to their insane track record from Yakuza 5 beyond. I'm happy to say that trust was not misplaced in the slightest. This along with Yakuza: Like A Dragon may equate to my favorite video game duology of all time, if you'd elect to refer to them as such. [Trilogy, including Gaiden(?)]

Anyway, let me start off with the premise. A Yakuza game taking place.... overseas? I was ecstatic, the series was finally crossing borders, and the end result was something incredible. Not only does the locale feel alive thanks to Aloha-Links and Sujimon, it also feels complete. Every area feels well accounted for and feels like it serves a significant purpose despite the overall size of the map.

Then.... the GAMEPLAY. It turns out all RGG had to do in order to make it 10x better was add the ability to walk. Insane. Of course, yes, walking is great and all, but what else can you do...? Strategically position yourself in order to inflict the most damage possible. And although this game follows in the tradition of higher level=instawin, it manages to feel fresh and new every new road tread, and thanks to the sheer amount of jobs available at your disposal, it never feels worn down or boring.

THE MUSIC... holy shit. 132 tracks and they're all bangers, I thank Chihiro Aoki and her cohorts every day for blessings like "The Four", "Kooky", even down to the main Kiryu Yokohama battle theme. Long battle after long battle... straight jammin', they kept coming out with better and better themes each and every time until that crescendo at the end. Looking at you in particular, The Four.

And finally... what would a Yakuza game be without its story? My feelings on this aspect are complicated, because the only part of the story I couldn't fully comprehend at first was the ending. All throughout, learning more and more about Kiryu's illness and the gangs of Hawaii kept my interest tight, yet without Chitose and Tomizawa, some scenes would definitely be left wanting. They bring so much life to the gang, so seeing their personalities unravel throughout the runtime was one of the simplest joys. On Ichiban's part... the voice direction and acting was as incredible as ever. (I used the Japanese dub throughout so I can't speak for the English version). Ichiban truly is metamorphosing into everything Nishiki could've been had the stresses not piled up on him, or his way down the dark path he tread wasn't set in stone. Him finally meeting his mom and giving her Masumi's ashes was one of those moments where you just know he's a keeper, what a LAD. (literally, lmao)

On Kiryu's side of the story... during the last 6 chapters, he seemed to take a noticeable priority over Ichiban, and I can't help but feel Ichi didn't get to shine in the spotlight enough for my personal tastes when all was said and done, but... this was where this game truly began to feel like a celebration of the series and its legacy. The memoirs, the life links... taking one last trip down memory lane for Kiryu's sake made the ending fall into place SO much more than it normally would have. The game pulls a large paradigm shift if you weren't expecting it, especially towards the end. As the story began to wind down, it became crystal clear to me that this came wasn't meant to put Kiryu Kazuma to rest once (eighth?) and for all. It was meant to allow him to naturally find a reason to live. After Ebina was bested, Kiryu says it clearly... there was so much more he could've done. As for the role of Fourth Chairman, he feels certain that he failed the Tojo Clan, allowing exceptions like Ebina to be born. Those who languish all the Yakuza have done, those whose lives have been irreversibly impacted by their deeds. Kiryu was more than willing to throw away his life for the sake of stopping this man as well as rescuing Lani, a little girl who when she came to mind, he couldn't help hut envision only Haruka and her parallel struggles. No, this game was never meant to spell out the final scrawlings on Kiryu's tombstone... but to renew his life. It was meant to start Kiryu on the path to a peaceful life, one in which he can live as Kiryu Kazuma, hopefully overcome cancer, and find peace. I just think that's kinda beautiful.

If there's a swan song to be had, I hope it'll come next game in the form of Kiryu living contentedly with his family, and perhaps working to rehabilitate those whose whole lives were made in the Yakuza, just as Ichiban wishes.

Finally, I can't write a review without mentioning the final Eiji scene. 10/10. I can't even bring myself to CARE that it felt to abrupt, or about the fact that proper build-up was somewhat lacking. It was heartful and heartbreaking all at once. Only Ichiban could promise so easily that which Arakawa couldn't do for him in one scene so earnestly and manage to be believable. This was undoubtedly RGG's way of making up for Masatos's untimely death. I couldn't be happier with it.