Rather than a complete overhaul, this entry in the series takes the approach of iterative and incremental changes to its predecessor. By and large, in its gameplay systems and visuals, Yakuza 4 feels like a spruced up take on 3 if you disregard the main innovation - the four protagonists.
And that was enough to make Yakuza 4 feel like it stands solidly on its own. Starting out the adventure as Akiyama was a breath of fresh air. He has a personality that is instantly compelling, and seeing Kamurocho from his perspective, and the world he travels in be that different from what we've seen so far, set the bar for the potential pretty high.
I went so far as completing every side mission available at the time before moving on to Saejima's part of the story, and I did the same there, completing all available side missions before hopping on over to Tanimura.
At that point though, the narrative hooks of the main story had gotten me too good to be able to continue with that same slow pace, and at that point I pretty much raced to the finish line to see the story through. While it felt like a slow burn initially (much like Yakuza 3 did with its opening hours focused on Kiryu's life in Okinawa and the orphanage), by the time we finally take control of Kiryu I felt like the game really hit its stride and really gave the conclusion enough time to simmer in its own juices.
A slight concern that has arisen though is that more than a few of the plot beats present in Yakuza 4 are by this point in the series familiar tropes. Shirtless rooftop fights, a particular kind of rain washing over the city, a dying villain picking up a gun to kill someone with their final breaths, the list goes on. It didn't bother me in this game, but I'm hoping the upcoming entries manage to come up with more of their own material.
And that was enough to make Yakuza 4 feel like it stands solidly on its own. Starting out the adventure as Akiyama was a breath of fresh air. He has a personality that is instantly compelling, and seeing Kamurocho from his perspective, and the world he travels in be that different from what we've seen so far, set the bar for the potential pretty high.
I went so far as completing every side mission available at the time before moving on to Saejima's part of the story, and I did the same there, completing all available side missions before hopping on over to Tanimura.
At that point though, the narrative hooks of the main story had gotten me too good to be able to continue with that same slow pace, and at that point I pretty much raced to the finish line to see the story through. While it felt like a slow burn initially (much like Yakuza 3 did with its opening hours focused on Kiryu's life in Okinawa and the orphanage), by the time we finally take control of Kiryu I felt like the game really hit its stride and really gave the conclusion enough time to simmer in its own juices.
A slight concern that has arisen though is that more than a few of the plot beats present in Yakuza 4 are by this point in the series familiar tropes. Shirtless rooftop fights, a particular kind of rain washing over the city, a dying villain picking up a gun to kill someone with their final breaths, the list goes on. It didn't bother me in this game, but I'm hoping the upcoming entries manage to come up with more of their own material.