This review contains spoilers
Gameplay-wise, a significant improvement over Yakuza 7 to the point where it makes it look bad. Didn't play around too much with the new jobs as I found everyone's base job to be sufficient (Dragon of Dojima job is OP). New mechanics such as the proximity bonus, back attacks, and combo attacks are all great additions. Difficulty-wise I didn't have too much of an issue, the game makes sure to tell you what level you should be at before you enter a boss sequence.
The new map, Waikiki, is huge and there are plenty of things to do within it even if some activities and places are just carried over from Yokohama in Y7. Didn't play much of Sujimon and Dondoko Island outside of their respective tutorials, but I plan to go back and explore them more.
The story was a little disappointing. Yakuza stories have never been amazing but it becomes apparent when something just isn't right. I felt it started off strong with a focus on Kasuga and his mission in Hawaii, but by the time you reach the halfway point of the game and Kiryu returns to Yokohama the story suddenly has to juggle both protagonists and it felt like it focused more on Kiryu. I love the guy but I was hoping for another Kasuga game and with all the callbacks to previous Yakuza games for Kiryu and with how the story ends for him, the game really does feel like a swan song for him. I thought the villains were a little weak, especially Ebina and Bryce. By the end of the game they didn't feel all that threatening and it didn't help that Bryce's boss fight just sort of comes and goes. The story is nowhere near as bad as something like Yakuza 4, but it is on the lower-end for me.
Overall this game was a fantastic experience with so much stuff to just get lost in and an insanely fun combat system. Despite a lack-lustre story, the rest of the game very much makes up for that. If you're a long-time fan or someone like me who has played them all within the past few years, the call-backs and references are a delight and are done tastefully with some character cameos and mentions I didn't expect to see.
The new map, Waikiki, is huge and there are plenty of things to do within it even if some activities and places are just carried over from Yokohama in Y7. Didn't play much of Sujimon and Dondoko Island outside of their respective tutorials, but I plan to go back and explore them more.
The story was a little disappointing. Yakuza stories have never been amazing but it becomes apparent when something just isn't right. I felt it started off strong with a focus on Kasuga and his mission in Hawaii, but by the time you reach the halfway point of the game and Kiryu returns to Yokohama the story suddenly has to juggle both protagonists and it felt like it focused more on Kiryu. I love the guy but I was hoping for another Kasuga game and with all the callbacks to previous Yakuza games for Kiryu and with how the story ends for him, the game really does feel like a swan song for him. I thought the villains were a little weak, especially Ebina and Bryce. By the end of the game they didn't feel all that threatening and it didn't help that Bryce's boss fight just sort of comes and goes. The story is nowhere near as bad as something like Yakuza 4, but it is on the lower-end for me.
Overall this game was a fantastic experience with so much stuff to just get lost in and an insanely fun combat system. Despite a lack-lustre story, the rest of the game very much makes up for that. If you're a long-time fan or someone like me who has played them all within the past few years, the call-backs and references are a delight and are done tastefully with some character cameos and mentions I didn't expect to see.