Obviously moving from Kazuma Kiryu, one of my all time favorite characters, to any new protagonist was going to be a near-impossible task, but somehow they found a way. He's still no Kiryu, but there is such strong foundations laid here that I can't wait to see be built on. There are more than a couple issues with the new turn-based combat system, and when combined with my general preference for the simultaneous fighting style made some of this game feel a lot longer than it actually was. Still, I could see all of my issues with it being fixed in future entries. And while I do really love the story, I don't really think it's the be all end all Yakuza story some people make it out to be, it still comes with most of the same conventions and minor caveats that the rest of the stories have. That being said the final scene in front of the coin lockers is probably one among the best the series has to offer, incredible stuff. There's so much to love about this game, it's very easy to see why it's so beloved among series fans, but if I'm being honest this is still one of the weaker games to me. Although, that's no testament to the quality of the game itself, but much more the overall quality of the series it's in, a lot of my minor gripes with it add up and make me hesitant to put it above some of the other games.