The gameplay imploded during the last third :-(

Too bad, really. I loved the story, but during the last third I suffered through the gameplay to get at the story, instead of enjoying both. Too many enemies with guns, which will stun you from afar while those up close will juggle you like a bowling pin. Too many cases where you'll be completely surrounded in close quarters, especially by those nimble, dodging, boxer types who'll make it next to impossible to use your crowd control Heat attacks. Because after just one of those juggles, your Heat bar will be pegged at zero, with no real way of building it up again.

I've read that early on, in Chapter 6, it is possible to get the bulletproof vest. My advice to anybody who wants to play this game, is: Read a FAQ and find out how to get that bulletproof vest early. Otherwise you will tear out your hair in frustration and hurl your controller into the TV during the late Shinji mission. I only got the vest right before the very last mission, and BOY am I glad I did, but it was too late to salvage any deep appreciation for the gameplay.

Oh, and the camera absolutely hates you during boss fights. There is a lock-on mechanism: you hold down R1 to lock on to an enemy. Which you have to do in order to dodge. BUT the camera will not stay focused on the enemy you're locked to! So after you've dodged once or twice, your boss enemy is off screen and you have to worry about centering the view again! Who thought that would be a good idea!

I'm sad to say, that last third brought the game down from a sure-fire 5 star to 3 for me, even if the story remained stellar. Does anybody know if these issues were fixed in Yakuza 2?

I eventually turned down the difficulty

I've not finished the first game. I bought it recently. However I finished 2,3,4 and the combat is much easier. I noticed when playing 1 that you cannot use triangle (heat action) as much. In the newer games you can use it against walls, the ground, with objects. The enemies go down really fast.