Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

Yakuza Kiwami 3 was a fun game, but it removed most of what made Yakuza 3 feel like Yakuza 3. Most of the minigames are added from the newer games, and it didn't capture the original charm of the remastered game. Yakuza 3 very much needed a remake due it's outdated feel, and I was very excited for K3, but it didn't feel full of love like they claimed it to be. There's a lot of small things that irked me and Dark Ties was stupidly short. The recasting is also an obvious issue. Kiwami 3 felt like a cash grab more than a faithful remake of a beloved game. Y3 had a weak story to begin with so I feel like they tried to beef it up with a ton of minigames, while removing the ones and substories from the original game. Losing revelations was a big hit, only to replace it with phone customization and a minigame from Like A Dragon instead. If you never played the remastered (and can't now due to RGG locking it behind the complete collection) I think it's a fine experience. But to those who know, they know how we were robbed. Kiwami 3 lacks character but it's not an awful game, just an sub-standard remake. I only wish the option to choose which version you play was still there.

I wish I hadn't pre ordered this game on greenmangaming, otherwise I would have gotten a refund. It is a worse version of Yakuza 3, the developers clearly did not want to make this game.

Eh. The game looks beautiful, runs very well on High graphics with 0 stutters. Ever since Gaiden they managed to perfect their Dragon Engine ports and I've encountered 0 technical issues. They cut down a lot of content: Western ring of Hatsumachi street in Ryukyu was unnecessarily simplified; Komaki is gone, some random replaces him and all other trainers; Revelations and Mack are also gone. Majority of OG substories got nuked from 119 to 31, some actually fleshed out Kiryu's friends and allies even more but now these elements are no longer present. Kiryu's Dragon of Dojima style is a weird mix between OG and Dragon Engine style but you definitely can get used to it and it feels rather nice after fully upgrading it. Ryukyu style however I feel like is too gimmicky and does not fit Kiryu at all, seems very out of place for him to fight like this, but it's very good at controlling the crowd. Three major characters were recasted: Patriarch Nakahara, Rikiya and Hamazaki. Nakahara is the one I really didn't mind, in fact I think the new actor did a better job than the original, however I can't say the same about the latter two, it feels like it was absolutely unnecessary. Hamazaki went from being a menacing burly guy to some sleazy, average build businessman; his duck scene for example completely doesn't fit the new actor. The only complaint about Rikiya is that his iconic design and voice was replaced by somebody else, but nonetheless I feel like the new actor also did a pretty solid job. The Kamorucho Baddies sidestory gets shoved in to you early on, you must do parts of it to even continue the main story. They really have to stop doing this nonsense, though later I still came back to it and managed to fully finish it. As far as the main story goes, the additional scenes and contexts added are very good and very welcoming (we don't talk about the new Kanda scene), but it all comes crashing down at the end credits scene. The ball was dropped real hard and the new retconned ending makes 0 sense, the new direction it put the story forward is not satisfying and I hate it. People jumping from Yakuza Kiwami 3 to Yakuza 4 will be very confused going forward, the timelines basically got split in to two versions, which makes everything super messy now. Dark Ties story is similar in length as Majima Saga in Kiwami 2, one upside is that it introduces side activities to do when you don't want to advance the story as fast, so naturally it prolongs the experience. Without getting too much in to details, the Dark Ties final boss was a bit underwhelming. I don't have much to say about, I think it was okay, seeing Kanda in this new light felt a bit uncanny though. Overall, pretty mid, just play the original Remastered collection and appreciate the deshittified version of Yakuza 3.

Fun game, not as good as OG, please RGG put the remastered back on the store.

Good game but a terrible remake. As someone who is a huge RGG fan, it's a head scratcher to think how badly RGG fumbled one of the most wanted Yakuza remakes. There is a lot of fun to be had with Yakuza Kiwami 3 but unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros. This is a wait for sale at a heavily discounted price or if you are a new player, to play the original Yakuza 3 to avoid confusion when heading into 4, the problem is it's de-listed... PROS - Combat feels good early game, both styles are fun for Kiryu and Mine - Gameplay is a huge upgrade from the original - Baddies and Survival Hell are fun - Orphanage substories are some of the most heartwarming in the series and really develop the orphanage and Kiryu's relationship - Dark Ties is good and doesn't over-stay it's welcome - RGG Online Adaptation of Mine's story - No optimsation issues at high settings CONS - Kagawa controversy and some of the scenes are tone deaf - Substories cut from 100+ to 31, some of the original subs were filler but too much has been removed - New recasts were unnecessary, Nakahara is an improvement however - Both games stories are ruined by both of their endings - Possibility of a new timeline which will confuse new players and infuriate old - Soundtrack is a downgrade to original 3 (Ryu-Kyu and Clay Doll in the cradle are cut) - Baddies side activity is canon and forces you into progressing it in chapter 2 - Mame and Orphanage scenes all cut - The original karaoke song that started it all is not in the game, Kamurocho Lullaby - Okinawa has been downsized

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a perfect example of how internet discourse can completely spiral out of control. The moment a couple of controversial decisions surfaced, people were ready to declare “RGG is cooked” and bury the game without even looking at everything else it does right. Is Kiwami 3 perfect? No. Not even close. But is it a clear improvement over the original Yakuza 3 in many important ways? Absolutely. And that is something that gets lost in all the noise. Let’s address the controversies first, because that is what everyone seems obsessed with. Yes, some substories were removed. But this was not done out of laziness. The developers explicitly stated that many of them were short, underdeveloped, or simply filler, and instead chose to refine existing ones and add new content. The same applies to other removals or changes, which were made to better align the tone of the game. You can agree or disagree, but reducing all of that to “cut content = bad game” is just lazy criticism. Then there is the Hamazaki recast. And yes, I get it, it is not a great look. But using that as an excuse to completely dismiss the entire game is absurd. One questionable casting decision does not invalidate dozens of hours of gameplay, story, and content. At some point, it stops being criticism and just becomes outrage for the sake of outrage. Now, what people are not talking about is everything the remake actually improves. The Morning Glory orphanage is significantly expanded, with new activities, more engaging minigames, and individual side stories for the kids that give the setting much more emotional weight. This alone adds a lot to Kiryu’s character and to the overall pacing of the game. Gameplay also gets meaningful additions. The new Ryukyu combat style is genuinely fun and helps reduce repetition, something the original game struggled with. There are new minigames, including the biker gang activity, which adds even more variety. Saying this version has less content than the original is simply not true. It is different content, rebalanced and restructured, but not lesser. As for the story changes and retcons, that is more subjective. Personally, I do not mind them. Yakuza plots have always had a certain level of absurdity, and this is no exception. Expanding characters like Mine and giving them a more relevant role going forward feels like a reasonable direction, even if it deviates from the original. The idea that RGG has somehow “lost it” since Nagoshi left is also questionable at best. The series has always been a mix of brilliance and nonsense, and that has not suddenly changed. Even Nagoshi himself has asked people to stop harassing the team, which says a lot about how far the reaction has gone. That said, the game is not without flaws. Some scenes feel a bit rushed visually, especially in terms of lighting and polish, although many of these issues have already been addressed post-launch. And at its core, this is still Yakuza 3, which was never the strongest entry in the series to begin with. But taken as a whole, this is a solid remake of a mid-tier Yakuza game. It improves on many aspects, adds meaningful content, and offers a complete package. Dark Ties alone feels like a mini Gaiden included in the game, adding around ten extra hours of content, something that is strangely ignored in most discussions. For 60 euros, this is a far more complete and honest product than many modern AAA releases that charge significantly more for far less. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is not a masterpiece. It was never going to be. But it is also far from the disaster some people are trying to paint it as. Score: 7/10 – A solid and improved remake unfairly buried under exaggerated controversy.

Cut content, soulless visuals, meh combat, dumb recasts and even dumber retcons. RGG has finally done it, a yakuza game I can´t even be bothered to finish.

看见很多说剧情的，你们对如龙的剧本有过高的期待了，正常就是这破烂水平，0和7那种才是昙花一现

Після Yakuza 0/1/2 - це був буквально ковток свіжого повітря. Тут і сам головний герой хоче кинути все та перетворитися на тропічного пенсіонера, і я після трьохсот годин у Камурочо та Сотенборі теж вже відчував, що мені потрібне щось інше. Тож наші настрої ідеально збіглися. Я паралельно проходив Yakuza 3 Remaster, якій було абсолютно начхати на мій час і нерви, тому одразу скажу: Kiwami 3 на голову вища за оригінал. Принаймні для мене. [b]Для тих, хто не грав:[/b] Щоб по-справжньому відчути третю частину, потрібно або добре знати історію Кірю й співпереживати йому настільки, щоб розуміти вайб [b]Baka Mitai[/b] без жодних пояснень, або бути настільки втомленою людиною, що ідея вирощувати помідори на тропічному острові, ловити метеликів і допомагати дітям із домашнім завданням починає здаватися майже геніальною. [b]Для тих, хто вже грав[/b] - просто розповім, що найбільше запам’яталося й сподобалося, бо пишу цей огляд уже через деякий час після проходження. [h3]Пропрацьований світ[/h3] Тепер Камурочо й Окінава відчуваються такими ж живими та деталізованими, як у нових частинах серії. Гуляти Окінавою - суцільне задоволення. Наче сам з’їздив у відпустку: сонце, море, пальми, маленькі крамнички, спокійна музика. І найголовніше - зникло відчуття штучності старої гри. Більше немає натовпів NPC, які збігаються до тебе, варто лише зупинитися на секунду, ніби ти опинився у «Шоу Трумана». [h3]Стало цікавіше[/h3] Тепер у Кірю завжди із собою телефон, через який можна шукати предмети по всьому місту, знайомитися з людьми, вистежувати зрадників клану, збирати власну мотобанду та багато чого іншого. Телефон можна кастомізувати, шукати для нього деталі, зніматися в рекламі мобільного оператора й, звісно ж, поставити Baka Mitai на дзвінок - без цього нікуди. Також з’явилася можливість знаходити диски з піснями та слухати їх прямо під час вільної прогулянки містом. Окремо додали величезну кількість одягу, тож Кірю нарешті можна вдягати як заманеться. А ще всередині гри з’явилася ціла колекція справді класних ретро-ігор Sega - від Sonic the Hedgehog до Pac-Man. [h3]Покращили систему бою[/h3] Вступати в бійки тепер справді приємно - вони відчуваються швидшими, плавнішими й менш «важкими». З’явилися удари, які дозволяють розкидати одразу натовп ворогів і швидко завершувати затяжні сутички, якщо хочеться зекономити час. [h3]Гру нормально структурували:[/h3] [b]1. Світ Кірю.[/b] [i]Колишній якудза вирушає до Окінави, щоб очолити дитячий притулок і залишити своє минуле далеко позаду.[/i] І це буквально ігрова відпустка з вайбом Yakuza Crossing. Маленький город біля моря, риболовля на узбережжі, домашня кухня, поїздки на сігвеї та допомога місцевим жителям - усе це дарує неймовірне відчуття затишку й спокою. [b]2. Основний сюжет.[/b] [i]Спокійне життя руйнується, коли місцевий клан якудза та уряд починають тиснути на Кірю, намагаючись викупити землю притулку.[/i] І саме тут розробники зробили справді розумну річ. В оригінальній грі тебе силоміць змушували проходити квести притулку, щоб пустити далі за сюжетом. Тут же все добровільно. Якщо тобі подобається займатися життям сиротинця - гра поступово відкриватиме нові історії. Якщо ж хочеться рухатися далі драматичним сюжетом - ніхто тебе не тримає. [b]3. Додаткова гра-історія за Міне.[/b] [i]Окрема кампанія, що складається з трьох глав (приблизно 15 годин ігрового процесу) зі своїм головним героєм. Поки Кірю шукає спокою в Окінаві, Міне в Токіо занурюється у значно холоднішу та жорстокішу історію. [/i] Міне тут - не просто черговий «злий якудза», а багатий одинак, який ненавидить увесь світ і буквально купив собі місце у злочинній ієрархії, перетворивши маленький клан на прибуткову кримінальну корпорацію. Вийшов дуже сильний контраст між світлим, майже терапевтичним життям Кірю та похмурою історією людини, яка так і не змогла знайти своє місце серед людей. [h3]Повернули улюблені сабсторі[/h3] Окрім історії Міне, у Камурочо доступна величезна кількість якісних сайдквестів. Тут є все: від божевільних історій у дусі «старої школи» на кшталт пошуків легендарного злодія трусів, до менеджменту популярності клану. У Кірю теж з’явилися власні «менеджерські» активності: розвиток притулку з городом та повноцінна мотобанда із захопленням територій. Це реально захоплює на десятки годин. Чесно - вирощувати помідори виявилося значно цікавіше, ніж нескінченно переодягати дівчат у підсобці хостес-клубу, як це було в оригіналі. [h3]Підсумую[/h3] Найважливіше те, що гра перестала красти час. Більше немає нескінченних ланцюжків у стилі: знайди собаку, наздожени собаку, купи корм собаці... Усе відчувається живим і природним. Я провів у грі 60 годин і не нудьгував ані хвилини. Час просто зник. Дуже рекомендую.