Game Review: Yakuza kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
This is no ordinary release. It is likely the most controversial moment in RGG Studio’s history. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was meant to be the ultimate redemption for "the third one" a game that for years divided fans with its slow pace and "Blockuza" mechanics. Instead, we received a strange, franchised construct that gives us brilliant new features with one hand and slaps us in the face with incomprehensible decisions with the other.
New Clothes for the Dragon: Okinawa in the Dragon Engine
The first impression upon landing in Okinawa is... ambivalent. On one hand, the sight of the sunny beach and the familiar Morning Glory orphanage in a modern engine can give veterans chills. The character models (though this is a controversial opinion) are distinct and pleasing to the eye. However, the spell breaks as soon as you start looking around.
Technically, Kiwami 3 is the worst showcase of the Dragon Engine in years. During the iconic fight with Majima on the roof, I couldn't stop staring at the background the horizon looks like a flat, brown texture with photos of buildings pasted onto it. The lighting is temperamental, and the night sky feels strangely empty compared to the PS3 original. Worse still, half of the NPCs in Kamurocho look like they escaped from a previous era, haunting the streets with low polygon counts.
Bold Cuts: Where has the heart gone?
The biggest change in the game's structure is moving the orphanage plotlines to optional side content. For many (myself included), this was the most tedious part of the original, so the ability to "skip" to the action is a godsend. On the other hand, RGG cut a mass of side stories: Haruka’s drug-selling sub-story, Rikiya’s romantic subplot, the Lucha scenes, and the Ryukyu market activities. The result? The city feels dead. Ryukyu has stopped being a place you want to fight for and has become merely a pretty diorama.
Combat: From "Blockuza" to Juggles
In terms of gameplay, things are much better. The Dragon Style in this version is pure poetry juggles, responsiveness, and brutal Heat Actions make fighting fun again. The new Ryukyu Style (sword and shield) is specific; blocking is key here, which might trigger trauma for fans of the original, but the system is much fairer.
Nevertheless, the character progression system based on training points is frustrating and unnecessarily pads the game. The removal of Komaki and Revelations are decisions I simply cannot forgive. It’s like taking away half of Kiryu’s identity.
Progression and Mechanics
Collecting Training Points: A slow, tedious process. Instead of natural growth, you’re forced into repetitive activities
.Lack of Revelations: Forget looking for inspiration for new moves in comical street situations.
Weapon Modification: The game forces the use of weapons in hand-to-hand combat (Ryukyu Style), which for Kiryu purists will be hard to swallow without mods.
Dark Ties: Mine and the Moral Abyss
The Dark Ties expansion is the biggest enigma of this package. It allows us to step into the shoes of Yoshitaka Mine and witness his rise to the top of the Tojo Clan. Gameplay-wise, Mine is a firecracker his acrobatic fighting style, great music, and the brilliant Coliseum mode make playing him a pure pleasure. The scenes with Daigo (especially that final one in the bar!) are absolute masterpieces of series writing.
However, what RGG did with the story of this expansion is beyond appalling.
Managing... a Rapist?
The most outrageous element is the "Bad Boy Dragon" management minigame. As Mine, you have to whitewash the image of Kanda a character who, in his very first scene, attempts to rape a woman. The fact that in 2026 a studio forces us to do PR for a sex offender while building a "brotherly bond" with him is simply disgusting.
Casting Controversies: Kagawa and Hamazaki
The issue of the actors cannot be ignored. The Hamazaki recasting is a failure. In the original, he was a massive, tall brute with the intelligence of a predator. In Kiwami 3, he is voiced by Teruyuki Kagawa an actor involved in a sexual assault scandal. Beyond ethics, the character has lost his power: Hamazaki now looks like a weary office worker rather than a threat to Kiryu.
Meanwhile, the new Rikiya (Sho Kasamatsu) has lost his "lovable doofus" charm. He is too stiff, too sterile. Only Ryo Ishibashi as Nakahara delivers, imbuing his character with plenty of heart.
Verdict: A Game of Two Faces
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is not a bad game, but it is deeply flawed. It’s a remake that is afraid to change the main plot but simultaneously destroys the atmosphere of the original through ill-conceived cuts and scandalous choices in the expansions. If you love Okinawa, enjoy the biker gang minigame, and want to see Mine in action buy it, but be ready to mod the faces and lighting. If you’re looking for the "soul" of the series, the original (despite its clunkiness) still wins.
Pros
+Combat System: Dragon Style is dynamic and satisfying.+Dark Ties (Gameplay): Mine is a fantastic character to control; the acrobatics are impressive.
+Mine-Daigo Relationship: The cutscenes featuring them are world-class and the only reason to finish the expansion.
+Optional Orphanage: A godsend for the impatient.
+Biker Gang Minigame: An engaging and fun diversion.
Cons
-Morally Questionable Decisions: Rehabilitating the image of Kanda (a rapist) in a minigame.-Fatal Casting: Hamazaki lost his character; controversy surrounding Kagawa.
-Technical Flaws: Flat backgrounds, dialogue coding errors (Black Friday), stiff animations.
-Deleted Content: The removal of Revelations and Komaki hurts the most.
-Loss of Atmosphere: Cutting Ryukyu activities makes the city feel dead.
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