I love the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and as of late, I feel it offers a nice blend of variety for different types of gamers to get excited about or invest in for the first time. There’s the newer, more subtle RPG approach of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, or the slightly more traditional but equally outlandish approach of Like a Dragon: Pirate Rokuza in Hawaiian.
The Yakuza Remastered Collection brought Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 to the last generation of consoles just a few years ago, so it’s safe to say there’s been quite a bit of variety these days. The decision to essentially remake Yakuza 3 in the form of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tides is certainly an interesting one. Sure, the original game had its flaws, like brutal enemies and frustrating pacing, but I think it’s still very playable by today’s standards.
But while for most fans these differences and additions will be much more noticeable and therefore welcomed, I’ll admit that for newcomers, that’s probably the best way to play Yakuza 3, even if you have to jump through a collection of different versions and games within the franchise to get here.
The addition of the Dark Ties story was the most appealing and probably the most rewarding for me, having played through Yakuza 3’s main story several times.
Beachside stroll (or brawl)
Let’s jump into the main story of Yakuza Kiwami 3 and its new variations. Many of the major beats, conversations, and chases come back here, so I don’t think it adds much to the overall story. In that sense, Yakuza Kiwami 3 never loses its quirky identity and isn’t overloaded with characters, but it understands what should be cut or at least left as an option for new and returning players.
I think the “Morning Glory Orphanage” part in Okinawa still leaves fans of the original game tired and annoyed at the same time, but it’s definitely more pleasant here. Here, this segment, initially forced through a series of drawn-out stories, takes the form of optional side missions and locations that feel more natural to the story’s pace and strengthen your relationships with the children in the orphanage. It’s a very welcome natural evolution for that part of the story, and it feels like it was always supposed to be this way.
Credit: Sega
However, the introduction of the Bad Boy Dragon storyline feels like a missed opportunity. Here you basically flex your muscles against larger groups of new biker enemies, similar to Dynasty Warriors scale battles, with more enemies to contend with all the time. Then recruit enemies and use them to fight even larger groups in turf wars. It’s fun as far as combat goes, but the bike mechanics feel a bit difficult when you’re riding around large maps.
The Revelations system eliminates Kyriu’s blog and replaces it with a fresher social media system that gains popularity from various NPC characters. On the other hand, many of the game’s side stories and additional missions have been removed in an effort to remove the obviously repetitive nature of content that plagued the original Yakuza 3.
Credit: Sega
Without spoiling the story, there are some conclusions and backstories for the characters, which are tweaked a bit here, but I believe everything is moving in a good direction. Considering Yakuza Kiwami 3 fixed the pacing of the totally boring Okinawa part, there’s not much more to say about how it maintains it other than it’s pretty good.
That being said, the core story doesn’t really change the overall outcome of the series, so if you’re not really a fan, I’m not sure if this will appeal to you.
There is definitely a fresher feel to the more relaxed Okinawa and the more vibrant Ryukyu cities. This makes the game feel more modern on the new hardware, thanks to more detail and some neat lighting effects.
say goodnight to the bad guy
But the Dark Ties portion of this package is what I was particularly excited to experience, focusing on the backstory of Yoshitaka Mine, the main villain of the game. Yakuza Kiwami 3 changes Mine’s fate midway through, which I personally love so I won’t spoil it here, but the Dark Tie storyline serves as an interesting prologue as he enters the world of crime and develops a unique relationship with Tsuyoshi Kanda of the Tojo Clan.
I really enjoyed the overall pacing of Dark Ties, in the sense that it’s basically a “gaiden” or side story experience with much stripped-down elements of the longer, traditional Yakuza games, but I’ll admit that I didn’t wish it had ended so quickly, as I clocked the game at about six hours.
Credit: Sega
The general core and structure of a Yakuza game remains here, with plenty of activities to play around with, civilians to chat with, and hidden areas to explore. However, the pacing isn’t perfect, and the game falters a bit in the middle chapters, where you basically have to run civilian errands to increase Kanda’s reputation, but it only really takes about an hour in-game, so I think you can forgive that.
There’s also a cool dungeon exploration mode called Survival Hell, where Mine takes on five underground arenas with different enemies and floors. Essentially, you’re testing your endurance against increasingly difficult waves of enemies while collecting money and collectibles to increase the effectiveness of your abilities and weapons on your next run.
The boss fights here are also generally brutal and will definitely cost you a lot of cash at one point, but they bring out the best in Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Tie’s mechanical upgrades. More on this later.
Credit: Sega
I think it’s selfish to judge Dark Tides based on its short length, because I think it had a little more room to give. And considering it makes up half of the cover art, it’s a shame that this whole package isn’t worth half as much.
chaos combo
The combat in the original Yakuza 3 was decent enough, but it’s definitely better here. The introduction of the Ryukyu fighting style is a major accomplishment, as it essentially combines weapons into one cohesive attack set. Sure, the original Yakuza 3 had a wide variety of weapons to choose from, but given how frequently they broke, it felt more like a hindrance than an advantage.
This makes you feel like an absolute badass with very minimal balance adjustments and different combinations and control choices. The intended effect is well worth the simplicity, and this is an addition I never thought I’d ask for, but now I’m glad it’s here.
Credit: Sega
Overall, the combat is as solid as you remember. Encounters with enemies on the road now feel smoother and more natural, allowing me to jump right into the action, and I find myself avoiding confrontations more than before. Attacks, dodges, and special moves are just as satisfying, and I love the cool-colored flames and fireworks that erupt from your hands when you smack yourself in the face.
The Dark Ties portion of this package limits Mine to one combat stance, but since it exists in a smaller world and story, you can’t fault the stricter mechanics. That being said, Mine’s Dark Awakening ability is particularly brutal, building up in the form of three hearts when attacking an enemy. To activate these attacks, press and hold the button to access each of the three hearts, a short press to use only one heart, and a long press to use all three.
look at the part
I’m glad that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is considered a complete remake in this category. Because that’s a noticeable improvement. Character models are more detailed, and environments are filled with incredible lighting effects and improved contrast, bringing out the variety and variety of streets and various storefronts and locations.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties also runs at a solid clip, with slightly better textures and solid performance to boot on the PlayStation 5 Pro. The game was pretty much stuck at 60 FPS, and I had a hard time perceiving any real drop in frame rate. This is impressive.
final thoughts
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties may not reinvent the wheel, but it’s definitely a polished and decent package. I wish Dark Ties’ story had been a little longer and more dense, but I appreciate the addition of new combat styles and game modes to both stories.
This feels like a treat for returning fans, but there’s still plenty worth playing again or for the first time.
3 and a half stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlights: Improved combat, visuals, and performance: Dark Ties’ story was fun
The story of Lowlights: The Dark Ties is very short. The story is the same as usual, but sometimes includes long drawn-out conversations
Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on a PlayStation 5 Pro using an activation code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
