For the 9th game in the series, this feels like the celebration of the series, and a new beginning. The Yakuza games have always been extremely dramatic, goofy, and over the top, and this one is no exception with the staggering amount of content.

Changing a known beat-em-up series to strict turn based combat was a tough sell, but it's better than ever now. This game has it all, from pokemon, crazy taxi, loads of minigames, and an entire animal crossing-like gamemode that easily distracted me for 20 hours.

The story is solid, however is the game's downside. The cast strengthens on the previous game, and Ichiban is still a perfect protagonist, however the game pulls its punches a bit too often. The game is almost too grand for its own good, and the story becomes a bit bloated. Certaim story moments seem impaction, but their lasting effects don't mean much. There's a lot of sentimental value for fans of Kiryu's story, but the ending feels a bit cheap.

Nevertheless, it's refreshing to see the series expand into Hawaii. It brings so much to the table, and it's overall addicting to see it all.