Its' a prequel, so little-to-no previous Yakuza series experience is needed.
Combat is simple-to-execute, yet has enough depth to keep your interest, and the
maneuvers you can pull off are quite visceral and enjoyable.
The stories the game has, be it the main storylines of the two playable
characters (which the player alternates control between at predetermined points,
though you can freely switch between them in the post-storyline game mode), or
the various substories both characters can partake in are enjoyable and help to
flesh out the world. Each one also has a larger sidequest they can also partake
in to earn money and unlock their full potential.
In terms of gameplay features, there are plenty of minigames to enjoy, a New
Game+ mode (which you can start at any point post-storyline, so if you wish to
continue with the sidequests you can do so before starting again), the ability
to play said minigames online with other players, and a combat
challenge mode.
The entire game is in Japanese with English subtitles, however, so if
that's a deal-breaker, you probably won't enjoy the game that much. For
everyone else, however, this game is great, and I definitely recommend it.