The narrative beats from moment to moment feel tangential at best, however what the game wants to say about the entire series up to this point is paralleled perfectly with the plot. About how, yes there have been some shit that has happened, but we cannot hide that because if we do we'll repeat those mistakes. Much like how criminals shouldn't be sent off to a place to die, the series should not hide what it has done. Yes Kiryu has always run away from his own issues, yes he is an idea that no one can reach, and how that inspires more people to be a Yakuza. With that last bit creating far more harm than it does good, with that being the crux of his final fight. Instead of trying to brush it off, he comes to terms with it, and decides to take it on himself because to leave it to the next generation would repeat the cycle again. Whilst Ichiban's side of the story is much messier, it also goes to show why he's the protagonist of this new era, to show that there's always going to be good in this unjust world that would strip him of everything and that despite it all, he would keep moving forward even with the knowledge that it will fail. Not only a love letter to the events in the series but every era, entry, and even mistake that the series has done and it wears it on its shoulders. This does get messy, and there are certain plot points and charactes that definitely could've used more time, but everything about this game I love.

The base story is a documentary type video that goes over what Lincoln Clay did, and I did like it, seeing all these people try to make the most of a world that creates monsters, both how the US government and the Mafia played a role in the creation of what Lincoln becomes. While the Hatian Mob, and the IRA were neat starting out they did not get much characterization that wasn't locked behind a tedious grind. Vito though, while I do think him meeting a grizzly end is better, Lincoln is not that guy to give it to him, so him giving Vito hope works better. It was also neat seeing the bad guys and how they develop as Lincoln slowly destroys their empire. Where it falls apart is the gameplay loop, shit is just so annoying to deal with, "do x and go to x until reach number" is just so soul sucking and you have to drive from one end of the map to the other god fuck. The cover shooting is at its best but everything else, from variety to fucking melee is take to pre Mafia 1 levels. If this was all streamlined I could easily have put this up there with Mafia 2, maybe even above it.