I wasn't expecting much coming into this one. I love the Yakuza series, but I knew 3 has a reputation for being the weakest entry. I wound up enjoying this game way more than I ever thought I would.

The main complaints I see are related to the slow start and combat, which are fair because it takes a while for the weight of the story to increase and enemies refuse to stop blocking. However, the moments with Kiryu spending time at his orphanage are spectacular - it's very satisfying to see him happy after all he has lost over the previous games. These events may have been better as substories to improve pacing, but I'm honestly fine with them in the main story. The story itself is also really exciting and emotional, and I love a few of the new characters.

The combat didn't feel as bad as people made it out to be, although I did play on normal so maybe that's why. I plan on revisiting on a higher difficulty and completing more side content, so maybe I'll update my score after that, but for now, this game is definitely underrated in my eyes.