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It's been a long time since a game grabbed me as hard as Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. To be completely honest, I wouldn't have given this franchise a chance in a million years - not because I thought Yakuza games were bad, but because I assumed they simply weren't my cup of tea. I was wrong.
Even though the Yakuza franchise is a very popular one among gamers, I couldn't force myself to try a single one of them until a couple of days ago, when a new Yakuza game code hit my inbox. I told myself, 'Okay, now is the time,' and as is usually the case, the reality punched me in the face as strongly as one of the Yakuza protagonists would, because all these years, I was blind to these gems that flew under my radar.
Let's clear up the naming and what kind of double release this is exactly. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a dual-pack containing a remaster of 2009's Yakuza 3 plus Dark Ties, a new spin-off story set immediately after. Together, they offer 30+ hours of story across 15 chapters, with Kiwami 3 being the main course and Dark Ties serving as a substantial epilogue.
Story - A Yakuza Drama I Didn't Know I Desperately Needed
If I had to choose one single segment of any game which I appreciate the most, it would definitely be the story. Games that lean on good storytelling are the pinnacle of gaming for me, and the reason I never played a Yakuza game before, even though those are famous for their quality storytelling, is a huge mystery to me. How the hell did no one tell me about them? I wonder.
The story of Yakuza Kiwami 3, as well as the Dark Ties one, took me completely by surprise. I was somehow in a dilemma all the time while I was playing both stories about whether I would write about them separately, but the two are so connected and intertwined that separating them would be unfair.
The first story follows the former yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu, who decided to leave his yakuza days behind and focus on the things in life that will give his life true meaning. He decided to open the orphanage and take care of eight kids who somehow got under his protection.
Since the things never came out as one would want them to, his path starts to intertwine with his past, which threatens to involve the innocent kids in some old battles of his. Their orphanage also happened to find itself on an important piece of land, which attracts the interest of very important politicians and mob families, so apart from fighting with the demons from his past, he will have to fight for his home as well.
Add to this Kiryu's inner battles and struggles to become a father to eight different kids, all with different characters and habits, and you'll get a story so complex that it will grab you so hard and hold you in front of the screen for hours; I know I finished the entire game in a matter of days, even though its story is quite long (15 chapters in both games combined).
Speaking of characters, they're the ones that made this story even grander than it originally was. There are so many of them, and the developers managed to give them all their own personality, different looks, and different behaviour. Every side character is given as much care as is given to a main one, and that is really commendable.
The writing itself is truly phenomenal. Since most of the characters are yakuza bad boys and tough guys, they will all act in kind, but once you meet their true personalities, you'll see all the values of a common man in them. You'll slowly but surely begin to realise their life 'on the other side of the law' is mostly the case of forced bad decisions rather than mere choice.
The story in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is told mostly through lengthy cutscenes, which take the majority of gameplay. However, I never get bored by watching those cutscenes, mostly due to their huge cinematic value and, of course, due to a very well-written story that keeps you glued to the screen the whole time.
Inside the cutscenes, you'll have full voiceover coverage, which, by the way, is truly fantastic. You'll be able to choose between the Japanese, English, and Chinese languages. I chose English because I didn't want to look at the subtitles all the time, and the English voiceover was really perfect, I must say.
Apart from the cutscenes, you'll interact and speak with characters in an RPG style with subtitled dialogues, but without the voiceover. This can be a little annoying, but nothing unbearable, really.
You'll be following the main story, but also a lot of side stories scattered all over the game's world. These 'substories', as they're referred to in the game, are so ingenious that they made me feel different kinds of emotions at the same time. Some of them will make you laugh out loud due to their stupidity and innocence, while the others are so deep and full of hidden wisdom - real gems, really - and something you don't want to miss in this game.
I could go on and on about this gem of storytelling, but to experience it properly, you'll have to do it on your own. Even if for nothing else, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties are worth playing just to experience the fantastic story they will tell you.
Gameplay - Hard-Hitting Combat, Harder-Hitting Human Moments
What is the game without the gameplay, right? And when you talk about such story-related games, you might think that the gameplay is minimal here, but no. Here, it is so far from the truth.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will provide so much fun; you'll be very surprised. These games are designed in a semi-open world structure, with maps you'll be able to explore.
First, you'll follow the story through mission markers. Then you'll be able to speak with random people, meet people through a special app in your flip phone, hone your fighting skills in dojos, fight random thugs, participate in gang wars, create your own gang, and take care of an orphanage, and that's just everything you can do in one game.
The other game, Dark Ties, will let you do all this with a little twist of its own. Really, I cannot remember the last time a game made me this involved in it. I really lost track of time while playing because I simply couldn't drop it; it is that interesting and engaging.
Also, the combat in both games is just fantastic. Think Streets of Rage but fully 3D with modern fighting game complexity, and you'll get a pretty picture of what to expect. Punching and kicking thugs and enemies is so satisfying, you won't believe your fists.
You'll do combos, special attacks, and use different fighting techniques, and all that in the service of tough yakuza justice. The only issue I had was the frequency of encounters. You'll meet thugs all over the streets, and they will almost always attack you.
Also, every little side activity will involve some fight (it's that kind of game after all), but the game will try so hard to justify every encounter that it ultimately becomes a bit unrealistic and even annoying after a while.
Before those fights, you'll also have to listen to or read a bunch of pep talks on how those thugs will wipe the floor with you and all that typical tough-guy posturing, which gets repetitive fairly quickly. Luckily, you can skip dialogue - which you'll do frequently, trust me, not because they're uninteresting or anything, but mostly due to those annoying pre-fight braggings.
Opposite of fighting encounters, the things you'll be doing in the orphanage are so satisfying and relaxing, you'll think you jumped into a completely different game while playing those. Here you'll manage your orphanage, build relationships with the kids, grow your own veggies, fish, trade with other folks, help kids with their homework, cook special meals, and do countless other activities.
On top of all that, every single activity here will have its own small minigame to complete, which is just amazing. I spent so much time here in the orphanage, and if I, by any chance, got the game a bit earlier and wasn't hard pressed by the review embargo, I would have spent even more time here, because this part of the game is so relaxing and satisfying to play.
Graphics and Sounds - Detailed Characters, Dated Environments, Excellent Audio
Graphically speaking, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are quite identical, and apart from different protagonists and some HUD changes, it is almost impossible to tell them apart.
While playing Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, I was both impressed and a bit disappointed with the graphics. I already mentioned characters in the story context, praising their attention to detail when it comes to writing and character development, but as those are impressive in this context, graphically, they are even more so.
So many details on the faces and bodies of the characters are just amazing. Once the game zooms in on one of them, you can see every small wrinkle; every hair in their beard is distinguishable, and you can easily read their emotions in their facial expressions - character details are a true work of art, hands down.
But the rest of the presentation is a mixed bag. Some environmental assets, like cars, buildings and car movement, leave a lot to be desired, reminding me of the environments that look borrowed directly from the 2009 original with upscaled resolution and somewhat better effects, and that's it.
Then there are Individual street details - shops, vendor stalls, bustling crowds - that do look impressive, even if the overall environmental quality lags behind character models.
The combat effects are also very cool and flashy. For example, once Kazuma or Mine do their special attacks, the screen explodes in colours, producing the effects that will take your breath away.
On the PlayStation 5, where I played the game, no additional graphic settings, like fidelity or performance, are present. You'll play the game in default settings in a very smooth 60 FPS experience, and without a single glitch or stutter, I must add.
Sounds and soundtrack are worthy of every prize as well. First, the sound effects are top-notch. Battle screams, punching effects, and everything else related to sound effects are designed just right. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is a story for itself. You'll be able to buy CDs with some vendors, or find them all over the world, and every CD will feature a song from that golden disco era.
During the gameplay, you'll be able to play those tracks inside a dedicated player, which is just an amazing feat. Apart from that, the background music played during conversations is usually very soothing, while the music played during the encounters pumps your adrenaline even harder.
Conclusion
In the end, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties completely shattered every misjudgement I had about the franchise. What I expected to be “not my kind of game” turned out to be a deeply emotional, character-driven experience that hooked me harder than most games in recent memory. The story alone is strong enough to justify playing both titles, with unforgettable characters, phenomenal writing, and a balance between hard-hitting drama and surprisingly tender, human moments.
And then there is a gameplay loop that constantly keeps you engaged, whether you’re brawling through the streets, getting lost in absurdly good side content, or relaxing at the orphanage. Despite some dated graphics and a bit of annoying pre-fight bragging, the overall experience is so rich and heartfelt that those flaws barely matter. This game didn’t just win me over; it made me regret not discovering the Yakuza series sooner.
The Good
Outstanding story- Deep, memorable characters
- Phenomenal writing
- Engaging side stories
- Satisfying combat
- Huge variety of activities
- Relaxing orphanage management
- Strong voice acting
- Excellent soundtrack
The Bad
Dated environmental visuals- Repetitive pre-fight dialogue
