An improvement gameplay wise. Grinding isn't as infuriating (though still a bit of an issue), the side stuff is still worth checking out to distract yourself, and it's also a bit on the easy side compared to Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon. That said, I found the story to be disjointed, especially towards the end, and the pacing was a mess. Forcing you on side stuff tutorials, even if the content itself is enjoyable and nice distraction, isn't fun at all in the slightest.