Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties does lose a few things in the process of remaking the underrated Yakuza 3, but the added content and more refined combat system make this a thoroughly enjoyable installment in the series. The story changes are a bit confusing, but being able to play as a villain is a fantastic inclusion that makes me curious about where Like a Dragon could be headed.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studios
Price: $60
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS5 code for review.
When getting ready to write this draft, I waded through my enormous Drafts folder, which has spent the last decade filling up alphabetically. It was a bit surreal to find over ten different Yakuza folders inside, covering the entire mainline franchise and numerous spin-offs. I’ve gotten to experience so many of Kiryu and Ichiban’s adventures over the last ten years, and I was excited to revisit Yakuza 3 through Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, as I have a soft spot for the somewhat-slighted third entry. For the most part, I’m quite happy with this retooled remaster, even if there are a couple of sticking points that have me just the tiniest bit wary.
The meat and potatoes of any Yakuza title come from the combat, which is wonderfully refined in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. Kiryu has a new fighting style that focuses on weapons and Okinawan martial arts, which wasn’t entirely necessary but provides pleasant variety, and enemies are less block-prone than they were in the original game. The stat progression system is based on money rather than EXP this time around, which I don’t mind. You certainly make plenty of money throughout, even without doing all of the side content as it becomes available, so you’ll never feel underpowered or unprepared for bosses.
I’ve always loved how much Yakuza 3 focuses on Kiryu’s relationship with his kids at the orphanage, and Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties take that to the next level. Through the addition of numerous minigames from across the newer entries in the series, you’re able to cook, sew, and farm for the kids. This all feeds into a subsystem that helps the orphanage grow financially while rewarding you with items and cash to level up, creating an incredibly satisfying loop of continuous progress and growth. I got totally side-tracked by the optional orphanage content while trying to speed through the game, which should tell you just how easy it is to get sucked in.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties does implement an odd girl gang storyline to its main narrative, which confuses me a little. The concept of Kiryu mentoring these young women is fitting and pleasant, but too much of the content is necessary for main story progression, even though it’s almost entirely unrelated to it, which stifles the pacing and feels out of place. Given that a number of substories were cut in favor of this, it doesn’t quite fill the gap left by the loss of some of the better bits and makes the main plot a bit less cohesive, if anything.
One of the biggest additions to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the inclusion of Dark Ties in the title. In this 3-6 hour campaign, you play as Mine before the events of Yakuza 3. While it’s intriguing to see the small gaps in his background get filled in, the real appeal is playing a Yakuza title from the perspective of a pretty awful person. We’re so accustomed to playing as people like Kiryu and Majima, who — despite rough edges of varying degrees — have hearts of gold and moral codes, that it’s fascinating to approach the world of Like a Dragon from the perspective of a sociopathic criminal.
When taking part in side stories and the like, Mine does sometimes do what’s right, but almost always because it’s more convenient for his own plans or goals. There’s obviously a lot less altruism to Mine than to other playable characters – side quests themselves are literally just Mine doing PR for the truly and undeniably evil Kanda – so it feels like an entirely new experience for the series. Even then, though, his relationship with Daigo helps humanize him throughout Dark Ties, keeping him from becoming a totally unsympathetic player.
Plus, Mine’s gameplay mechanics are just different enough from Kiryu’s to stand out, as speedier moves and Mine’s menacing Dark Awakening mode make up the key differences. You certainly feel like you’re playing as a nastier individual in both combat and the narrative, so I appreciate this story being included and fleshed out as it is.
Note that there are spoilers regarding the end of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties in the next paragraph. The Final Word doesn’t include spoilers, so feel free to jump there.
It would be hard to talk about Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties without addressing the pretty wildly different way that the game ends when compared to the original Yakuza 3. This time around, Mine doesn’t die following the final battle and even stops Hamazaki from stabbing Kiryu in the epilogue. This drastically alters the story’s content and, seemingly, prevents Yakuza 4 from occurring afterwards. Given Ryu ga Gotoku Studios said this marks the end of the Kiwami subseries, I assume they’re going for some sort of new timeline story going forward, which confuses me a little.
I don’t necessarily mind Mine surviving – he’s an entertaining antagonist and Dark Ties gave him some excellent additional depth – but the bizarre butterfly effect this’ll have going forward seems unnecessary. The main “timeline” of the Like a Dragon series hasn’t really had a conclusion, so starting a new alternate one seems like it could make the franchise a little narratively busy. Plus, the Kiwami series felt like a fantastic way to modernize older brawler entries while the mainline series continued on down the turn-based path, so I have no clue what the plan is going forward. I’m hopeful that it’ll be worthwhile, but there’s certainly a seed of concern buried there as well.
The Final Word
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is an overall great package that retains or expands on most of what made Yakuza 3 great while also adding a welcome new story from Mine’s perspective. Some of the cut content and added content can be just a little bit puzzling, and I’m a little nervous about the altered story content, but otherwise, this is a brilliant way to revisit one of the most underrated Yakuza titles.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
