Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review – An All-Time Great Remake

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review

The Yakuza series is one of my favorite video game franchises of all-time. Yakuza 3 was my introduction to the series back on the PS3. I blind bought it hoping it would be a third person action combination of Grand Theft Auto and Shenmue, which it kind of was. The game begins with optional coverage of the events of the first two games, which immediately made me realize I had to play those PS2 games first. Knowing this, Sega released upgrades of Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2 for modern consoles back in December 2025, just in time for the release of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.

It’s hard to summarize the story of Yakuza 3, because it very much takes place after the events of Yakuza 1 and 2. All I’ll say is that series protagonist Kiryu is in Okinawa at the beginning of the game, running an orphanage. It’s one of the weaker plots in the series, almost playing out like an epilogue to the first two games, before things escalate again in Yakuza 4. But Yakuza 3’s story contains an incredible amount of well-directed cinematic cutscenes. They’re a fine example of how the yakuza games were, and still are, way ahead of most other video games in terms of cutscene direction and acting. The story presentation is phenomenal.

Cinematic Story

Another highlight of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties’ story is that there’s a brand new map to explore, in the form of Okinawa. Okinawa is in the Southern part of Japan, that might even be technically tropical. For anyone who loves playing the Yakuza games to see gorgeous recreations of Japanese environments, Okinawa is one of the series best. There’s a city section as well as a beachside smalltown section. Both are incredible sandboxes.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has third person brawling combat. It’s a tried-and-true combat system. Kiryu roams the streets of Kamurochō and Okinawa, getting attacked by random thugs. Square is fast attack. Triangle is strong attack. Circle grapples. When grappled, Kiryu can attack with square and triangle, and/ or throw the opponent with circle. Opponents can be attacked on the ground. There’s a heavy emphasis on blocking, which is done with L1.

Third Person Brawler

Kiryu has a heat meter that increases when dealing damage. But it drops quickly, and doesn’t fill when enemies block. Finding openings, and building combos to fill the heat meter puts Kiryu into a state where his damage is increased and his attacks are unblockable. Scattered through every combat area are weapons for Kiryu to use. Every pilon, bicycle, and street sign can be picked up and used to deal extra damage. There are also special heat attacks that can be performed while holding weapons.

I love the combat in the Yakuza games. In Yakuza 3 & Dark Ties Kiryu fights using his Dragon of Dojima style from the original games. It has a skill tree attached to it, where new moves are unlocked over the course of the game. In Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties there’s a new fighting style called Ryukyu (named after the area of Okinawa lots of the game is in). It’s a weapon-based style that has eight different options. Using it was tons of fun, and really helped to keep combat fresh throughout the game.

Loads of Content

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a long game. The main story could be beaten in about 10 hours, but there is tons of side content. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has an overwhelming amount of side quests. Some of the game’s most memorable moments are found in these side quests. I highly recommend players don’t rush their way through the game, and play at a relaxed pace, trying to experience everything. There are also an insane amount of mini games. Arcades have old Sega games, and crane games. There are sports, like golf, to play. Karaoke is an entire music rhythm game. There are casinos with loads of full games to play. It’s an incredible variety.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has two massive new mini games. One is called Life at Morning Glory. It’s all about raising Kiryu’s “Daddy Rank” through various, hilarious new minigames. The other new minigame is called Bad Boy Dragon. It’s a gang warfare game where Kiryu can recruit gang members, manage his gang, and customize his bike. Each of these minigames could easily provide another 10 hours of playtime. The amount of side content in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is staggering.

A Second Campaign

When Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was announced, I was worried it was a bit of a cash grab. There’s already an excellent remaster of Yakuza 3 out. It made sense to have a “Kiwami” upgrade to the first two Yakuza games, because Yakuza 3 and onward could have been built on the same engine. Sega is also asking full price for a remake of an older title that doesn’t need remaking. That being said, Dark Ties is a lot of new content. It’s an entire story campaign from the point of view of Yakuza 3’s major antagonist, before the events of Yakuza 3. Dark Ties is about his rise to power and relationship with his boss. It’s a lot longer than the Majima campaign from Kiwami 2, and adds a ton of value to the set.

It’s hard to say that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the definitive version of Yakuza 3. Although it’s probably the best version, because all the new content is fantastic. But there are some changes worth noting. Because of the modernized systems, some content is cut. The original version has a feature where Kiryu takes pictures of things with his phone, and they unlock new moves. This is gone in favor of traditional skill trees. There are some story changes including one cancelled death. The color palette is now very vibrant. This enhances the colors of the Okinawa sections, but I think it brightens the Kamurochō sections too much, and takes away from some of the grit. And at least one actor was changed. None of these are deal breaking changes, but they may be elements that fans of the original don’t want.

The Best Version

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the best version of one of my favorite video games. It has some content changed, and some content cut. But that content is very minor compared to the ocean of quality new additions. The highlights of this new package are the Dark Ties campaign and the Life at Morning Glory and Bad Boy Dragon mini games. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has one of the series’ weaker narratives, but also has one of its best settings. I’m glad Sega are making these Kiwami games, because I worry a lot of newer Yakuza players have only experienced the games after Yakuza 0. These older titles are also classics.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher***