This is the game that I started with like most of the people here. It's not perfect but damn good first impression for me.
Combat
It's fun, majima and Kiryu have 3+1 styles for them and that makes the game more alive, all styles have their own 3 different combos so it always stays engaging. Especially Majima's combat gets crazy as you unlock more skills. Unfortunately it's not perfect. One problem is, heat meter, it effects the speed of combos, also parry moves requires heat as well for some reason. Because of that game really discourages you to use cool heat actions and I found that a bit weird. Game is already easy as it is then why limit the combat? If it was a hardcore game I would understand decisions comes with pushbacks but in this game they have no meaning for it. It just limits the combat?
Other thing I am not the biggest fan of is, combat skills require a lot of grinding. You can lessen it with minibosses roaming the streets at least, but still an issue.
Story
Story is pretty fun. Especially introduction chapters. Actually did I say story is fun? Yes but mostly for the Majima's side
My problem is Kiryu's side of the story gradually lose it's focus and ends in a unsatisfying way. Yeah it does have really good moments, but story mostly felt like you are doing what you are told by other people, not because you are trying to find answers about the mysteries going on and that really breaks the "connecting to the main character part". Because of that I found majima side 10 times more interesting, majima's story is about struggles that comes from both it's responsibility from it's brother and his own judgement about justice and I found that damn interesting. Unfortunately final level of majima's feels forced in my opinion, because you have to clean up of someone's mess, but other than that it was awesome so story mostly on the positive side.
Sidecontent
It's really fun, both it's comedic and suprising sidequests and side activities, until you start doing them for completing.
Not all sidequests are equal. Some of them are about playing minigames a lot of times and they get boring and repetitive.
Side activities are business minigame, racing remote toy cars, telephone talk, hostess matching minigame, rock paper scissors betting minigame. They feel fun at first but when you realize you need to do them 40 times at least to mark them on your substory list is aggravating. Especially business and hostess minigames. They go too damn long. Hostess minigame is more on the engaging side yet it doesn't reward you enough, business side rewards you a lot, but it mostly doesn't require any of your input also requires a lot of waiting too. Unfortunate thing is these two side activities are required to unlock last two styles for both of the characters
Amon. He sucks in this game. Majima's side amon is just a punching bag, super easy. Kiryu's side is just a gimmicky challenge mission. Rather than fighting face to face, Kiryu's amon uses a lazer weapon that you need to dodge and attack him, also you need to dodge the flying objects as well. Disappointing challenge.
Conclusion
Mostly Fun story until it isn't
Mostly fun side content until forced repetitiveness happens
Mostly fun combat with weird restrictions
Combat
It's fun, majima and Kiryu have 3+1 styles for them and that makes the game more alive, all styles have their own 3 different combos so it always stays engaging. Especially Majima's combat gets crazy as you unlock more skills. Unfortunately it's not perfect. One problem is, heat meter, it effects the speed of combos, also parry moves requires heat as well for some reason. Because of that game really discourages you to use cool heat actions and I found that a bit weird. Game is already easy as it is then why limit the combat? If it was a hardcore game I would understand decisions comes with pushbacks but in this game they have no meaning for it. It just limits the combat?
Other thing I am not the biggest fan of is, combat skills require a lot of grinding. You can lessen it with minibosses roaming the streets at least, but still an issue.
Story
Story is pretty fun. Especially introduction chapters. Actually did I say story is fun? Yes but mostly for the Majima's side
My problem is Kiryu's side of the story gradually lose it's focus and ends in a unsatisfying way. Yeah it does have really good moments, but story mostly felt like you are doing what you are told by other people, not because you are trying to find answers about the mysteries going on and that really breaks the "connecting to the main character part". Because of that I found majima side 10 times more interesting, majima's story is about struggles that comes from both it's responsibility from it's brother and his own judgement about justice and I found that damn interesting. Unfortunately final level of majima's feels forced in my opinion, because you have to clean up of someone's mess, but other than that it was awesome so story mostly on the positive side.
Sidecontent
It's really fun, both it's comedic and suprising sidequests and side activities, until you start doing them for completing.
Not all sidequests are equal. Some of them are about playing minigames a lot of times and they get boring and repetitive.
Side activities are business minigame, racing remote toy cars, telephone talk, hostess matching minigame, rock paper scissors betting minigame. They feel fun at first but when you realize you need to do them 40 times at least to mark them on your substory list is aggravating. Especially business and hostess minigames. They go too damn long. Hostess minigame is more on the engaging side yet it doesn't reward you enough, business side rewards you a lot, but it mostly doesn't require any of your input also requires a lot of waiting too. Unfortunate thing is these two side activities are required to unlock last two styles for both of the characters
Amon. He sucks in this game. Majima's side amon is just a punching bag, super easy. Kiryu's side is just a gimmicky challenge mission. Rather than fighting face to face, Kiryu's amon uses a lazer weapon that you need to dodge and attack him, also you need to dodge the flying objects as well. Disappointing challenge.
Conclusion
Mostly Fun story until it isn't
Mostly fun side content until forced repetitiveness happens
Mostly fun combat with weird restrictions