Could this be like Sleeping Dogs/Shenmue?
Where people think Sleeping Dogs is like a 'spiritual successor' to Shenmue because of the Hong Kong setting being similar, and the Kung Fu elements?
I can see a slight link, but not *really* in terms of gameplay and if you're close to the series, whereas to the general public it seems much closer? Maybe it's the same here, with a stronger aesthetic link? I don't know. I think it's unfair to say they have nothing in common, but I also don't think I would have made the connection myself.
EDIT: Aki got there as well with Yakuza Shenmue. Although I find those games to be more aesthetically different.