I was worried that after so many games, messing with the formula was going to ruin it. But honestly, it was the breath of fresh air it needed. Everything in this game is a MASSIVE nod to the classic JRPGs that Ichiban grew up playing. The story is the same incredible fare seen in all the Yakuza games, no surprise there. And it's a great place for new fans to jump in with the series. There are a couple of small nods to the previous games, but everything makes enough sense in-game that I don't think if you haven't played them you would be missing out.