Yakuza 3 Kiwami & Dark Ties – Review

Life as a retiree is tough…

I was recently discussing the Yakuza franchise with a friend and how these games are, practically, a kind of telenovela for “real men”, with too much testosterone. The story is absolutely insane, full of fights and betrayals, and the main character is stoic and believes in old-fashioned values, which is why he remains unshakeable. In fact, most of the situations he gets into are due to his inflexibility. And, just like Danny Glover’s character in Lethal Weapon, old man Kiryu has also become “too old for this shit”… but, just like Roger Murtaugh, no matter what our golden-hearted gangster does, he finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy again!

Released in 2006, the first game in the series quickly became a hit in both the Asian and Western markets. Over its 19 years of existence, the formula has evolved, and the series has undergone a genre change, starting as a brawler and transforming, over the years, into a full-fledged JRPG. Curiously, the original creation was named Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan, which literally translates to Like a Dragon, but the American branch of giant SEGA, the series’ distributor, decided it would be more successful if it were renamed Yakuza for the Western market. The original titles were “locked” on older platforms until the announcement of the Kiwami remakes in 2015. These new iterations initially promised graphical changes, combat system improvements, and a third-person perspective with a “free” camera that followed the protagonist, instead of the fixed angles used in titles released before Yakuza 0.

However, what started as a project meant to modernise the series and make it accessible to fans who wanted to experience it on new console generations, quickly transformed into something else. With the first release, players noticed small changes that no longer concerned the visual aspect or outdated mechanics, but rather the story or side missions. Some characters enjoyed more sequences, being better developed in these new versions, and certain events seem to have been completely changed in the remakes. And, as expected, the small modifications in the first two Kiwami titles accumulated and transformed into major changes in the current title.

I won't deny that, in its time, Yakuza 3 was considered by fans and critics to be the weakest game in the series. I share this opinion, after having experienced the remastered version a few years ago, which is why I hoped that the changes the developers were going to make would improve the product. The situation is, however, a bit complicated in the case of this version, because it manages to make the experience more pleasant in some chapters, while in others it remains just as monotonous, or even worse, than the original. If I've piqued your curiosity, let's start with the story!

Leave me alone, Kiryu, at the seaside,
I want melodrama and a fight!

Honestly, I don't know where to start with the narrative thread, not because it's complicated, but because it's grandiose. And let's be clear: it's almost impossible to start this series directly with Yakuza 3 Kiwami & Dark Ties, because there's an expectation that the player already knows the events of the three previous titles well enough to be able to follow the story in the current title. Yes, you read that right, there are three because we're including Yakuza 0.

And, to recap briefly, our protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, has achieved the following things by the beginning of the third game:

• joined one of Japan's most feared underworld clans;
• survived a Chinese triad plot;
• went to prison for ten years to save his best friend;
• helped his clan recover ten million yen, mysteriously disappeared;
• became the leader of the group;
• stopped a major war between two rival clans and cleared Kamurocho/Kabukicho of foreign interference;
• resigned from his leadership position.

Much of these achievements took place, chronologically, over just four years, and in the story of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, our favourite old man is 41 years old. After going through more in such a short time than others would hope to live in an entire lifetime, Kiryu-san decides to leave Tokyo and retire somewhere warm. Finding that the manager position of the Okinawa branch of the Sunshine orphanage has become vacant, he immediately decides to take it over and help the needy children. But the life of a gangster doesn't leave him alone, as he's dragged back into the middle of mafia conflicts because of the orphanage. Or, rather, because of the land it was built on. The plot of land is coveted by several groups who want to sell it for a mega-project of the Japanese Ministry of Defence, which wants to build a military base in partnership with the United States of America. This is the premise from which all the madness in Yakuza 3 Kiwami begins, but the developers have prepared a surprise for dedicated fans: Dark Ties.

This new section is, practically, a kind of DLC, in which we explore the story of Yoshitaka Mine, an extremely important character from the main game. In this chapter, we see with our own eyes how this CEO of a successful tech company is fired from his own firm, joins an underworld group and, of course, how he ends up leading his own clan. I confess that, for me, the real attraction was this new section.

I mentioned above that there were minor changes in previous titles, which applied to some side missions or characters. Well, the changes in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties are quite extensive… I understand the need to change the appearance of some characters, such as Rikiya Shimabukuro or Goh Hamazaki, due to scandals in which the original actors were involved. I also understand the addition of new characters for side quests and activities, because it makes sense. However, I cannot agree with major changes to the story that would radically alter events in future titles, such as a potential Yakuza 4 Kiwami.

One of the reasons it's considered the weakest game in the franchise, as well as the main reason it's often criticised, is its very slow pace. It takes approximately three hours to get past the “tutorial” segment and gain the freedom to do whatever we want in Okinawa. Unfortunately, that's how the story was constructed, and this overly long introductory section remains just as monotonous in the Kiwami remake. This problem doesn't exist in Dark Ties, where the tutorial is short and to the point.

International Champion of Ancestral Martial Arts

Even though I was disappointed by the story and the new direction, I'm very excited about the gameplay. The fights are better than in the original title, the new side activities portray Kiryu as a more complex character, and the optional missions are exactly what they should be: crazy! Many criticised the combat system from 2009, which is why the developers introduced a new style for the protagonist: Ryukyu. This draws inspiration from the traditions of Okinawa Prefecture and allows the old man to use various weapons, such as nunchaku or the kama. And don't think that the Dragon of Dojima style has been left behind. On the contrary, it has been refreshed with new mechanics and a power-up similar to the Spartan Rage system from God of War, which makes Kiryu stronger and gives him access to devastating attacks capable of quickly ending any fight.

The battle system in Dark Ties is similar to that of Yakuza 3 Kiwami, but the way Mine cracks skulls is completely different. Kiryu has decades of fights under his belt, which is why every one of his blows is calculated. Mine, on the other hand, adopts a style that betrays frustration and savagery, bringing to mind a cornered animal fighting for survival. Given the DLC's story, this approach suits the secondary protagonist perfectly.

I wrote above that the side missions are exactly what they should be, meaning completely bonkers! You might be wondering how a serious story about the life of a criminal and its challenges can coexist with crazy optional objectives. Well, the answer is quite simple: balance. Because the narrative thread has a heavy tone, the craziness of the side missions is the perfect antidote to the monotony that would set in without them. Yes, the assassination of a beloved character has a strong emotional impact on the protagonist and the player, but just as memorable is the feeling experienced after solving the seven mysteries in Ryukyu city or when Kiryu stops a person about to jump off a bridge. Perhaps they don't seem like grandiose activities, but I remind you that this is the franchise where we helped a shy student become the best dominatrix in Japan and where we beat up an underworld clan whose members dressed in nappies and pretended to be babies.

Of course, we couldn't call the current title Yakuza if it didn't have a plethora of side activities meant to keep us busy! We find both the classic ones, such as hostess dates, mahjong, darts, bowling or arcade games (among which are SEGA titles like Galaga, Fantasy Zone, Sonic Drift and Streets of Rage), as well as new activities, such as managing the orphanage or leading a biker gang.

In the original game, the administrator role was only mentioned in cutscenes or dialogues, without us seeing what the “old man” actually did. In the remake, however, we see him taking care of the children's needs through various mini-games: he cooks for them, helps them with homework, or sews their clothes. And in Bad Boy Dragon, Kiryu becomes the leader of a female biker gang in Okinawa and uses his experience to transform the gang into a formidable force, meant to defend the idyllic town on the Pacific coast. And how does he do this? By recruiting new members, customising motorcycles, intense races and, of course, battles!

Unfortunately, due to the limited scope of the Dark Ties DLC, Mine's story doesn't benefit from as many missions or side activities. Among the main ones are Kanda Damage Control, where the protagonist tries to improve the reputation of Tsuyoshi Kanda, a gangster recently released from prison, by solving various problems of Kamurocho's residents, and also Hell's Arena, an illegal fight club where the player can participate in different championships to improve their skills.

Old man, you're so young

I ask you, dear readers: who plays Yakuza for graphical fidelity? It wasn't the best-looking game on PlayStation 2, nor on PlayStation 4 in its remastered version. As such, it's no surprise that the Kiwami remake won't blow anyone away visually. I won't deny that it looks good, but it can't be compared to titles like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach or Ghost of Yotei. Even with a generally solid look, the game disappoints in places. Yes, it's true that the characters look very good, including the new faces, but the clothes leave something to be desired. Kiryu's Hawaiian shirt looks absolutely awful in the remake, and in some areas of Yakuza 3 Kiwami I could swear I'm playing a reskin of the first version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Definitive Edition, due to the strange appearance of some NPCs, whose arms seem a little longer than they should be.

And, speaking of the shirt, we need to discuss the elephant in the room: the city of Ryukyu. Technically, it was expected to adapt the camera from the old game and allow us to control it freely, and this meant that the developer had some work to do to cover angles that, most likely, had no textures or had them at a low quality. Unfortunately, Ryu ga Gotoku seems to have chosen the easy way out: they did a small upscale of the old textures, then used AI to clean up the result, so that it would be more visually pleasing. Just like with the shirt, the result is disastrous. Here I felt like I was back in a reskin of the famous Grand Theft Auto: Definitive Edition, but the problem seems to be limited only to the famous Japanese island. Ryu ga Gotoku said, in a recent tweet, that the problem was related to the “lighting” in the graphics engine and that it would be solved in a future patch. Kamurocho looks incredible, but here I think the assets from the other Kiwami titles were used, as all games in the franchise take place in the famous nightlife district of Shinjuku.

One last aspect that needs to be addressed is the voice acting. As expected, the developer largely used recordings from Yakuza 3 to bring the characters to life in Japanese, with minor additions resulting from the change of some actors. And, unlike the 2009 version, the current version also benefits from English voice acting, which is just as good (and at times hilarious) as in the other Kiwami games. However, it is important to mention that the voice acting only covers certain scenes and cutscenes. A large part of the game's dialogue, especially that in side missions and optional activities, is not voiced, which saddened me somewhat, especially since SEGA (the distributor and IP owner) has the necessary resources to ensure complete dubbing of conversations.

And in case you're wondering how it runs on PlayStation 5, I can confirm that the experience is excellent, even if it doesn't reach 4K/60fps on the base model. On the Pro model, as the developer informed us, Yakuza 3 Kiwami & Dark Ties runs smoothly at 4K resolution with 60 fps. On the standard model, the one I tested the game on, Performance mode offered a constant 60 fps, without hitches or framerate drops.

Although I'm saddened by the changes made to the story and a visual aspect that doesn't live up to the standards of previous games, the improved combat system, the new camera, which no longer stays locked in fixed angles, as well as the new missions and side activities manage to improve the game considerably compared to its first iteration. For this reason, I have high hopes that a potential remake for Yakuza 4 could become the best in the franchise.

Thanks to CD Media S.E. for the review code and the opportunity to play Yakuza 3 Kiwami & Dark Ties before release.

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Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch , PC
Played on: PlayStation 5
Release date: 12 February 2026
Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku
Publisher: CD Media S.E. (Romania), SEGA (global)