Yakuza Six and a Half

So I'm two-thirds of the way through Judgment and it's basically a Yakuza game but with a private detective as the main character. The fighting system is the same, the buffs and healing is mostly the same with a few additions and tweaks, and of course all this Kung Fu ass-whooping takes place in--you guessed it-- Kamurocho. So, yeah, the map is the same as well.

There is even a heavy Yakuza presence in the game. In fact the only thing missing is our dear Kiryu-chan. And while it is the same melody, Judgment definitely marches to its own beat.

The mystery portion is much better thought out, at least thus far. Seeing as how solving mysteries is Yagami-san's bread and butter one would expect a superior central plot in this aspect.

Also, Yagami is a bit more human than the god-like Kiryu since Judgment's lead can sustain mortal wounds that only a doctor or medical kit can heal. No simply downing Toughness Z or Staminan X for this guy.

So far in knee deep in a mystery that weaves together four seemingly unrelated plot threads and does so without forcing the player to suspend disbelief, at least not to the level of the typical Yakuza title. As for the ending, only gameplay will tell, but thus far I'm enjoying this trip down memory lane with a fresh twist.