Amazing. I had my doubts when I first heard about it, especially as the MC is no longer series superstar Kiryu but rest assured, this game is a true Yakuza game. The MC, Ichiban, quickly becomes very likeable and the supporting cast around him are all hilarious.
As always, the main plot can be quite intense. It's full of all the twists and surprises you have come to expect. Likewise, the substories are as hilarious as ever and IMO, the most interesting in the series history (Although I'm probably only half way through the game at this point).
The turn based action comes as a shock to begin with but you very quickly grow accustomed to it, and actually it is a great and refreshing change. The reason for that is all the special MP moves e.g. a character who throws birdseeds at opponents so the pigeons will attack them, or a very unique 'summoning' function.
My only criticism is that the cutscenes can be painfully long sometimes, although I appreciate that they are almost creating a brand new Yakuza universe from scratch.
Overall, if you like games like FF/Dragon Quest and the Yakuza series, this is a must have. I sincerely hope they make another one after this.